About The Pesona
We leave Sorong at first light, the twin diesels of The Pesona settling into a steady hum as we cut through the glassy channel. At 24 guests, we run tight but never rushed – our crew knows the tides in Wayag’s outer islands shift fast, and we time the passage through the narrow channels just right. This boat isn’t built for sleeping, but for moving – no cabins, just bench seating with marine-grade padding and shade from a fixed awning. We keep the ride smooth, adjusting speed for swell, and always face the bow forward so guests can see what’s coming: a manta cleaning station, a sudden coral head breaking surface, or the first glimpse of Wayag’s jagged peaks.
Today’s run takes us northwest, past the Misool boundary, where the current starts to pick up around Cape Kri. We anchor in a lee off Mioskon, one of the smaller islets with a shallow sandbar perfect for jumping in. The house reef here drops fast – you’ll see bumphead parrotfish in schools of thirty, and if the tide’s right, wobbegong sharks tucked under ledges. Our guide, Markus, has been diving these waters since 2003; he points out pygmy seahorses on gorgonian fans no wider than a pen. We don’t moor long – an hour here, forty minutes there – because the real show’s in the straits.
By 11:30, we’re in the Dampier Strait, where the deepwater channels funnel nutrient-rich water through narrow gaps. We drop lines at two spots: one off Yenbuba, where the current brings in grey reef sharks on the drift, and another at Sagof Passage, known for its soft coral coverage. Snorkellers stay in the shallows at the back of the reef, where juvenile batfish dart through sea fans. The Pesona’s shallow draft means we can tuck close to mangrove edges where dugongs sometimes surface. We carry oxygen, VHF radio, and a GPS plotter synced to real-time tide models – not for show, but because last monsoon season, we used it to reroute around a sudden swell from the north.
Lunch is served on deck at anchor in a calm cove near Arborek – grilled skipjack with sambal matah, fresh papaya, and coconut water straight from the shell. No galley oven, no espresso machine; we keep it simple so we don’t waste time idling. Afternoon is for the southern reefs: we swing by the blue hole at Wayag and let guests swim the rim, then check the current at Penemu before letting anyone in. The boat’s rigid hull handles chop better than most, but we don’t push it. Return leg starts by 4:30 – we want to hit the Sorong channel before dusk, when the fishing boats come back in and the water gets busy.
This isn’t a cruise with cabins, wine lists, or evening lectures. It’s a working speedboat built to cover ground. We’ve got dry storage bins for cameras, freshwater rinse tanks for gear, and shaded bench seating that stays cool under the canopy. Our job is to get you to the outer reefs while the visibility’s over 30 metres and the mantas are cleaning – then get you back with time to spare.
