Yenwaupnor, Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Today, it was an early wake-up call to have breakfast at 3:30 AM and set off for birdwatching at 4:30 AM. This meant first taking a Zodiac from the ship to the village of Yenwaupor and then hiking for an hour up a slippery hill to observe birds of paradise displaying at sunrise. Out of the roughly 200 passengers, 46 joined this excursion.

Everything went smoothly; however, the birds of paradise were not particularly active. Apparently, there were only two males present, with no females in sight, so they didn't put on much of a show. We were able to see them fly and catch glimpses of them perched high in the trees. In one picture, you can see a bird of paradise sitting behind a branch, of course backlit during twilight. On the bright side, there were beautiful butterflies.

Afterwards, we visited the village of Yenwaupor. It seems quite tidy overall. The houses are impressive, there are the usual small shops, and good, paved roads, along with schools where active, interested children have access to appropriate teaching materials, toilets, etc.

Here, it is not only green but also truly fertile. There are many fruit trees, and the trees, palm trees, ferns, and other plants are enormous.