Kevin Raymond – Senior Instructor
For anyone who’s been following along with my journey here: this is my last quarterly report.
Raja Ampat is a place of change. Spend a year diving the same sites and you start to see it everywhere. For weeks you’ll reliably find the same nudibranchs on the same sponge, every single day — until one morning they’re simply gone. But then the next thing appears: an ornate ghost pipefish taking up residence in a hydroid, a crew of shrimp and crabs holding court on their anemone, a giant grouper parked in the same hole every time you swim by. Nothing here stays, but nothing ever really leaves an empty space either. Everything in nature is fleeting, and you only truly come to appreciate that when you visit the same places over a long stretch of time.
The same is true of the people here. Each group of interns arrives, invents a whole new set of rituals, games, and ways to squeeze the most out of this place, and then carries them off into the world when they go. Disco ball music nights in the classroom. Happy hour floating in water using BCDs as pool loungers. Recreating Mamma Mia music videos. Crossword sessions. Backflip contests. A nightly ritual of guessing how many frogs are hiding behind the science board in our classroom (2 is my guess for tonight). The creativity never stopped impressing me — and it’s been a gift, because I’ve learned so much from all of it.
This quarter we welcomed interns from France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Germany, the UK, Indonesia, and Switzerland. As always, the best part is getting to know them deeply, learning from their experiences, and then following along with whatever comes next — whether that’s continuing on in their diving or conservation careers, heading back to school, or returning home to their routines with newfound energy and a head full of memories. Watching people leave this place has always been bittersweet. It feels strange that this time, it’s my turn — but at least I have couches to crash on all over the world now.
Low season has meant far fewer guests at the resort, and with it, quieter boats and emptier dive sites — a softer, slower version of Raja that I’ve grown fond of in these final months. The calm has given everyone time for maintenance around the resort: fresh coats of paint, construction of new cabins for the resort staff, and time to recharge. Windy season, on the other hand, has made some dive sites less accessible than usual, with waves a lot bigger than we’ve been used to. After being blessed with calm seas all year, even the smallest swell now has me staring at the horizon trying to maintain my composure. It’s kept us flexible with our timing and adaptable to the conditions — right to the end, Raja is still testing us.
And right to the end, it’s still surprising us too. Omura’s whales came in feeding right off the jetty. We had streaks where oceanic manta rays were showing up regularly, later handing the stage over to reef mantas at dive sites where we would never expect them. And after a full year here, I finally saw my first dugong — right after the final skills exam, no less. Spirits were sky high, and honestly, maybe mine most of all, freshly minted divemasters included. A parting gift, if I’ve ever received one.
Somewhere in these last months, once I understood that my time here was truly ending, I found myself appreciating everything more, and it brought a strange new energy. The magic of the jungle road. How pretty the islands look from the boat. The mist settling over the jungle in the evenings. Things I’d passed a hundred times suddenly demanded to be noticed. It’s all so much more special when you know it’s finite. To anyone coming here: do me a favour and enjoy it for me.
Before I sign off, some team news that makes leaving a little easier. I had the pleasure of training our new senior instructor, Josy, and we’ll soon be welcoming back Jesus — a former intern I trained — as our new project instructor. I leave this place in great hands, and I’m genuinely excited for everyone who gets to spend time with them.
I’ll miss this place more than I know how to put in a quarterly report. Who knows — maybe one day the tide will bring me back.
Logging out now from paradise. Someone please take care of the frogs for me 😉
Kevin
Josefine Smid – Project Instructor
While this is Kevin’s final goodbye, for me it marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
Hi, I’m Josy, the current Project Instructor at the Raja Ampat project, and soon I’ll be stepping into the role of Senior Instructor. I grew up in the Netherlands and have spent the last few years travelling the world. I started diving at a young age, and from the very beginning I was fascinated by the ocean and its incredible marine life.
Just a year ago, I was an intern on this very project. During my time in Raja Ampat, I developed a deep appreciation for these islands, their unique marine ecosystems, and the importance of protecting them. Returning as a staff member felt incredibly special, and arriving back in Raja Ampat truly felt like coming home.
Stepping into an instructor role has given me a completely different perspective on the project. Instead of experiencing the program as an intern, I now have the opportunity to support a new group as they develop their diving, research, and teamwork skills. Watching their confidence grow throughout the program has been one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
This quarter, we welcomed a fantastic group of interns who quickly formed a supportive and enthusiastic team. Alongside their daily training and research activities, they made the most of their time in Raja Ampat by exploring the islands during their days off, including trips to Pianemo and Arborek. These moments outside the scheduled program helped strengthen friendships and made the experience even more memorable.
It has been exciting to see how much the group has developed over the past few months, both underwater and as individuals. By the end of the program, they were working confidently together and supporting one another throughout dives and research activities. Several have already continued their diving journeys, with some moving directly into Instructor Development Courses (IDC), while others have joined liveaboard expeditions before continuing their travels.
As I prepare to take on the role of Senior Instructor, I’m looking forward to welcoming the next group of interns and continuing to build on everything that makes the Raja Ampat project such a unique experience. Together with the local team at Scuba Republik, we remain committed to providing high-quality dive training, meaningful marine research, and an environment where interns can develop both personally and professionally while contributing to ocean conservation.
Yuly Vernilianty – Marine Biologist
For the past six months, I have been working in Raja Ampat, “The Last Paradise,” where I have gained extensive experience in marine monitoring and scientific diving.
Over the last three months, we have regularly encountered remarkable pelagic species, including the oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris), reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi), spinetail devil ray (Mobula mobular), and spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus ocellatus). Between April and June, our team also conducted 33 roving surveys and deployed 10 BRUVs (Baited Remote Underwater Video systems) to monitor marine biodiversity.
Coral Reef Monitoring During the 2026 El Niño
Since April, Raja Ampat has experienced the effects of a strong El Niño event. Despite concerns about coral bleaching, reefs in the Dampier Strait have remained remarkably resilient, with bleaching limited to localized areas rather than the widespread impacts observed around Cape Kri last year.
On 7 April, we documented a coral spawning event at the Scuba Republic House Reef, observing the release of Porites eggs followed by sperm approximately 10 minutes later. This provides valuable information on the reproductive timing of this important reef-building coral.
During the quarter, we completed 11 benthic surveys alongside regular visual monitoring of the shallow house reef. Extremely low daytime tides in June temporarily exposed sections of the reef, causing localized bleaching in Pocillopora, Porites, and Acropora colonies. Encouragingly, most recovered within two weeks, highlighting the resilience of these coral communities.
As we entered the south wind season in July, increased wave action impacted the shallow reef (0.5–3 m depth), particularly tabulate Acropora colonies, many of which were dislodged by strong surge.
Coral Restoration
Coral restoration has remained an important part of our work. During this period, we completed two coral restoration dives and eleven coral maintenance dives.
We repaired our existing floating rope coral restoration system, which was originally supported by wooden poles. However, as the wooden supports deteriorated and eventually failed, we replaced the system with four new restoration table structures constructed from metal rebar. These new structures allowed us to rescue and reattach coral fragments that had fallen onto the seabed, providing a more durable foundation for future restoration efforts.
Algae Project
The Hotspot Algae Project (IOP Site Raja Ampat) remains an active long-term monitoring program and will continue through next year. The project continues to contribute valuable information on algal dynamics and reef ecosystem health within Raja Ampat.
Working as a marine biologist in Raja Ampat has shown me that reef monitoring extends well beyond scheduled surveys. It requires continuous observation, rapid responses to environmental changes, and long-term commitment to understanding and protecting one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems. Witnessing coral spawning, monitoring the effects of El Niño, conducting biodiversity surveys, and participating in coral restoration have made these past six months an invaluable experience, both scientifically and personally.
Abd Sulaeman – Research Assistant
Marking my second quarterly report also means celebrating half a year since I joined the Indo Ocean Project (IOP). Living and working alongside the jungle family for six months has brought a profound realization: while navigating an environment with a constantly rotating team can be challenging, it also highlights just how many irreplaceable moments we share. Saying goodbye is never easy, but it is the ultimate proof that we have created unforgettable memories and truly meaningful times together.
Community Outreach: Connecting Next Door
Our community outreach sessions continue to be filled with adorable smiles and genuine enthusiasm. From dynamic discussions about dolphins, dugongs, and octopuses, to hands-on creative activities like sculpting nudibranchs from Play-Doh, every moment has been deeply rewarding. Furthermore, we have strengthened our community bonds by taking our outreach directly to our immediate neighbors, making these educational initiatives even more impactful and personal.
Marine Debris: A Promising Shift
Our waste collection metrics showed a noticeable decrease compared to the previous quarter. During our beach cleanups, we collected a total of 183.3 kg of debris. Meanwhile, our Dive Against Debris surveys on the house reef yielded 13.23 kg of marine trash. While low underwater visibility on the house reef occasionally posed a greater operational challenge than the trash itself, the reduction in collected debris is certainly good news for our local marine environment.
Restoration & Research: Coral Divers and Macroalgae Management
Over the past three months, we proudly certified 12 Coral Divers, who will continue to spread coral restoration knowledge across other reef ecosystems. In addition to their training, these divers actively contributed to our ongoing research project on the house reef, focused on managing macroalgae competition (Dive Against Algae). Given the high growth rates of algae and sponges in the area, we are examining coral recruitment dynamics by selectively clearing competing organisms across designated plots to give young coral recruits a better chance to thrive.
As mentioned, change is a constant part of this journey, and saying goodbye to friends is always bittersweet. But just as the ocean works, the tide continuously brings amazing new individuals who arrive to add their own unique colors to our jungle family.
Want to join the team?
We are always seeking hard working and enthusiastic ocean lovers to join our award-winning and innovative divemaster and research diver internship. Contact us and apply online today!
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