Triton Bay
Triton Bay has a series of small islands, coral reefs, clear water and beautiful coastal and underwater views, this bay is hidden near Kampung Lobo. Now this hidden paradise is becoming known to marine biologists, divers, and those who like to come and enjoy the sunset, with spectacular views of the sky. They dubbed this location as "The Fish Empire," in addition to the nickname "City of Dusk", some called it "The Lost Paradise." These experts have managed to identify 937 types of marine fish and some of them are new species that can only be found in Kaimana. They also found 492 different types of coral reefs and 6 of them are new species that are not found anywhere else in the world and all are in good health, they also found 27 types of lobster shrimp, and 16 types of green turtles. Triton Bay is still not popular with photography lovers, or people who like to be adventurous compared to other coastal and underwater tourist locations in Indonesia, but there are some tourists who come to visit here, both foreign and domestic tourists.
West Papua is very famous for its tourist destinations especially its underwater scenery such as Raja Ampat and Wakatobi which have already become international tourist destinations. Triton Bay also offers extraordinary underwater views. Triton Bay is located in Kaimana Regency, West Papua Province, 40km southeast from Kaimana City. This area is known for its underwater beauty which is known as an underwater paradise and cultural heritage.
Like most marine tourism in Indonesia, Triton Bay has various kinds of beauty that can spoil you in a beautiful vacation. The area in Triton Bay contains 959 species of reef fish and 471 species of coral, 16 of which are new species. You can easily find Bryde's whale foraging. In addition, the corals in Triton Bay are soft corals. The abundance of fish and marine life here also makes this place suitable for fishing arenas.
Look at the Maimai area. On the wall of the cliff, about 1 kilometer long, there are ancient paintings, relics of prehistoric times. You can see various ethnic paintings of palms, skulls, and animals. What's interesting is that this painting was made in a coral cliff that is difficult to reach with bare hands. Although it has been centuries, the paintings made from natural dyes are still visible today.
The view of ancient painting sites on the cliffs is the start of your trip to Triton Bay. Another surprise can be found around Lobo Village. You will find a rare sight of giant mammal attractions around the waters of this village. As a habitat for Bryde's whales, it is not difficult to find these mammals. The spray of water into the air from the hole of whale's back has become marks this attraction that you can immediately enjoy from the boat.
The beauty is that the whales here live in harmony with the people of Triton Bay. Even though they live as fishermen, the people here do not hunt these mammals. They consider these mammals to be family and even lifesavers. No wonder that this animal, which can reach up to 12 meters, does not hesitate to appear playing around fishing boats.
When the sea is shady here, your chances of seeing Bryde's whales are even easier. For diving lovers and underwater photo hunters, the rare opportunity to play and capture this giant animal's behavior. Still in Lobo Village, you can also see the legacy of the Dutch East Indies of the "Fort du Bus" monument. From this monument, it can be ascertained that in 1828 in Lobo there was once a fortress and a Dutch East Indies administrative post named Fort du Bus.
For diving lovers, you are obliged to bring your diving equipment. In Triton Bay, the beauty of the underwater world is a heaven. Here, the most commonly visited dive sites are around Temintoi, Iris Strait. The richness of the underwater world is clearly beyond doubt. According to data from Conservation International (CI) Indonesia in 2006, the waters of Triton Bay have 959 types of reef fish, 471 species of coral (16 of which are new), and 28 species of mantis shrimp.
Satisfied with diving, the menu for the last trip is to enjoy the beautiful sunset of Kaimana. Twilight here is not just any dusk. If the weather is good enough, you can bet the sunset at Kaimana will provide unforgettable entertainment. At dusk, an orange tinge spreads across the Kaimana sky. From the Bay of Triton, you can feel the nighttime warm giant balls drowning in the ocean.
To grab the beautiful paradise in Triton Bay, the only transportation is by sea. Unfortunately, there are no regular tour boats that serve the routes above. You can reach it by using a rented speedboat from Kaimana port.
Lodging is not too difficult to find around Triton Bay, you can find it around Lobo village. One of the inns that you can find in Lobo Village is the Garuda Inn. However, if you are able to see opportunities, there are many ways you can mingle with the surrounding environment. That is precisely what is interesting about every trip you take. Your ability to negotiate and adapt to the surrounding environment becomes an ability that will also be honed as you experience more of your travels. Another option besides lodging in Lobo village, maybe by returning to Kaimana City, there hotels and inns are much more complete and available in various types.
How to get there?
To reach Triton Bay, you can fly or ship with a certain schedule to Kaimana, the only means of transportation available is sea transportation from Kaimana. A ship belonging to the local government in Kaimana which transits in several Teluk Triton villages on its way to Etna Bay. Or take a longboat or chartered speedboat to go to Triton Bay. From Port Kaimana, it will take about three hours by long boat and about one and a half hours by speedboat to Triton Bay.
