The beauty of exploring the Riau Islands

So here we are. Divers become explorers with MV Nautica. What do we stand for? We try to find nice sites so that we can offer a pleasant getaway from the usual normal everyday life – underwater.
Reasonably the most common question on board is: “So how is diving Riau Islands?” “What can we see here?”

Believe it or not these are the same questions we jump in the water with, every single time at Riau Islands. To look for the answers, so we can share it with you!
Allow me to tell you what I found, and how I see it!

For me the beauty of Riau Islands is hidden in the question. “How is it?”, “What can we see?” Quite frankly my answer is: I don’t know.And what fascinates me, is that I don’t think anybody does. At least I couldn’t manage to come across with anybody who did. This, itself makes my eyes shine. It makes me wonder, to me it takes diving to a whole new place. It’s exciting to me.
And there we began. We started to dive the Riau Islands. And what did we find? I can only speak for myself:

I found it all! All I was ever looking for! I found all the same things I find every time underwater. I found beauty! No, I can tell you that much, I didn’t find it in a form of whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins or 40m visibility. Not even one of these! But it didn’t change a thing for me.

Let’s just start with the fact, diving is very subjective. It is not the same for all. I consider myself very lucky to have learnt diving from the man I did. He thought me much more than my course price included. As my old friend and first instructor would say: “Diving is all about the love and respect to the sea! You pay her your respect she will do the same to you” (She would be all seas and oceans on Earth) He could have talked hours and hours about his love and respect to the sea. Dove the same sites for 15 years and never got bored of it. He taught me more than skills! His words stayed with me all along. I believe there is no such thing what they call a bad dive. I believe the more you ever give the more you can ever get. I was taught, to find the beauty of diving is all up to us! To find the beauty of Riau Islands is up to the mind set a diver ever descends below the surface. I don’t know about you, reader, but I find myself under water a visitor. We are after all in a place we do not belong! Who or what allows us to be there?The answer is arguable of course, and for sure it’s not the same for most, but I believe it’sHer. The sea, Mother Nature if you like, she allows us in their world. She keeps you safe as long as you respect her. Would you go to someone’s home only to say at the doorstep they don’t have a nice home? They would never show you their nicest rooms, hidden treasures. To me it is the same for diving. Appreciate the opportunity to even be there! Every breath, every minute, every coral, every fish! She will show you more.

Not knowing what you going to see, but believing that everything you will, is a present from the seas, it’s a privilege, what makes exploring worth doing so. To have the chance of perhaps leaving the first bubbles at places is a great deal to me. Appreciate it, and that itself can make a dive. There is always something you haven’t seen before. And even so, seeing the same fish for the fifth time is not boring for me, it’s encouraging to find out more about it. It has a name you know. Well… do you know? It is part of diving to me, part of the beauty, part of exploration.

Riau Islands for what we know have some really nice and healthy coral, some amazing marine life to offer. Wide variety of macro life – plenty of nudibranches, lots of fish, turtles. And who knows what we yet to find on the way. I am not worried! I know every day will be great when I see the sun rise from the upper deck. I know every dive will be worth diving no matter what the conditions like. I know I will find just what I’m looking for on every single dive site.

No, most probably not the sharks, the whalesharks or the mantas, but diving is not only about them.

Find out what makes you go under water! If you are one of us, if you are the one willing to see what maybe not everyone can, do you feel at all, or even just a little the same way about diving as I do? If so, I can promise you this: Riau Islands has it all, just like any other place. Come explore the islands with us, while exploring a bit of you along the process too.

Beauty is there, right under the surface! It’s all around you with every single molecules of the water! Always was and always will be! Choose to see it and you will see more and more. Appreciate the little, you will see a lot!

See you soon on board with us!

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