Adventure Diving in Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Indonesia

Friendly wildlife at Gapang Beach Topside photos: Charlotte Boan Onboard Lumba Lumba dive boat Clownfish peeks out of his anemone Photo: Armin Trutnau Colourful reef at Canyon dive site Photo: Alex Blanckley Local children at Gapang Beach Oarangutan at Gunung Leuser National Park Map of Sumatra Fishing boats in Banda Aceh Heading for Gapang Beach house reef Surfacing at Pulau Weh Gorgonian fans at Canyon Reef Photo: Alex Blanckley Moray Eel Photo: Alex Blanckley Beach huts at Pulau Weh Porcelain Crab Photo: Armin Trutnau 5km inland as a result of the tsunami Charlotte on board the ferry with Ben and Sarah Banda Aceh coastline The devestating tsunami left this boat on top of a house The mosque at Banda Aceh A river boat provides access to Leuser National Park Leuser National Park Mama Doughnut is a particular favourite with visitors Street traders at Pulau Weh Charlotte captures an orangutan on camera Jungle transport Ben and Charlotte prepare for the river journey A relaxing moment by the river

The sunlight dancing on the mellow surface showed little sign of the wild currents on the reef below. As I rolled backwards off our wooden vessel and descended to 35m to a sandy slope peppered with eels, the force of the water quickly began tugging at my regulator and mask.

As the flow picked up speed, we raced past the cluster of colourful giant gorgonian fans and twisted and turned through the labyrinth of large volcanic boulders. Every few minutes, we clung to the corner of a boulder to take a breather from the ever-changing current. Splaying fins to stay with the small group, I appreciated that this exposed, high-energy dive site would not have been forgiving to the inexperienced.

Arun, our seasoned local guide, was beaming as we broke the surface following our hour-long ride. ‘Strong current!’ he noted – in case any of our windswept but happy-looking group hadn’t.

I was on one of the northernmost points of Pulau Weh, a remote volcanic isle to the northwest of Sumatra, the largest island wholly within Indonesia. Northern Sumatra is the trump card in diving holiday destinations offered by British-owned travel company Dive Safari Asia (DSA), which claims to put the adventure back into diving. With five more days’ diving on this dramatic coast, followed by white-water rafting through the jungle and a meeting with the endangered orangutans of Bukit Lawang, I was to find out if these ambitious claims were true.

Ben Stokes and Sarah Kemsley, the couple who run DSA, have lived and worked in many diving destinations across Southeast Asia. Ten years in the water has done nothing to wither their enthusiasm or their passion for the environment. They have built strong relationships and even friendships with local businesses throughout Sumatra – essential for ease of passage in a place with little tourist infrastructure.

Pulau Weh was once part of the Sumatran mainland, but became separated by sea following the volcano’s last eruption around a million years ago. The dense rainforest on the island is fringed with healthy and vibrant coral and a spectacularly diverse collection of Indo-Pacific marine life. Sunfish, mantas and whale sharks often pass through its deep volcanic channels, and thresher sharks have also been sighted here. Even the extremely rare and elusive megamouth shark has been spotted by divers twice in the last four years – one washed ashore on the Gapang Beach house reef in 2004, while another swam by a wreck at 50m the following year.

The island’s 20 or so dive sites offer a varied selection of reef walls, deep and shallow wrecks, sloping house reefs, underwater hot springs and excellent drifts. Just a few steps down to Gapang Beach from the dive centre, the house reef is packed with macro life including ghost pipefish, pegasus sea moths, seahorses, squat lobsters and psychedelic nudibranchs. On nearly every dive you will see abundant moray eels of different size and species. It is fascinating to witness how Sharia law, while controversial to many in the West, has all but eliminated illegal fishing here. It seems that being turned over to the authorities is too much of a risk.

The Canyon stands out as one of the area’s most exhilarating dives. It has everything: caves, arches and walls, and an excellent chance to see Napoleon wrasse, groupers, bumphead parrotfish, hunting trevallies, lionfish, sharks, mantas and barracuda. Sunfish occasionally come here to be cleaned and, during plankton blooms, whale sharks arrive to feed. Batee Tokong is another current-fuelled site, featuring forests of gorgonian fans.

Another highlight is the Hot Springs site, where you dive above volcanic vents and through bubbles of sulphur rising from large cracks in the sea bed – a unique experience. Although no mixed gas is available at the centre, suitably experienced divers do have the chance to dive the 134m-long Second World War wreck Sophie Rickmers, which sits at a maximum depth of 55m. Covered with corals, the wreck is home to giants: morays, trevallies and a grouper. The wheelhouse is at 37m, the decks are around 45m, and the straight bow rests on the bottom at 55m.

Conflict and tsunamis Despite its diverse sites, abundance of life, genuinely pristine corals and visibility, Palau Weh remains a little-known secret among divers. The remote area has suffered both political turmoil and environmental disasters, which has meant a trip here has always been a lengthy and challenging one.

Getting to Palau Weh from the Sumatran city of Banda Aceh involves a two-hour ferry trip followed by a bumpy two-hour car ride across the mountainous island – and, until recently, this was the easy part of the journey for UK divers. During the conflict between the Acehnese independence movement and the Indonesian army, which only ended in 2005, it was impossible for tourists to fly straight to Banda Aceh, as no visa would be granted. Guests coming to Gapang Beach – the location of Lumba Lumba dive centre – had to arrive by police escort.

Lumba Lumba was set up in 1998 by Dutch couple Ton Egbers and Marjan van der Burg. Both dive instructors, they had dived throughout the region while backpacking in the late 1980s and fell for its rugged topside and underwater life. However, they have faced a tough ten years, battling civil war, political red tape and one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent memory.

On 26 December 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake’s epicentre, and suffered further damage when a tsunami struck shortly afterwards. An estimated 130,000 people died and many more were injured.

Miraculously, no one at Lumba Lumba or in the immediate village was killed. The diving centre and surrounding huts were battered, although the main structure remained. ‘We had no choice but to pull ourselves together,’ says Marjan. ‘There were lots of emails of support. Friends, family and old customers donated money: enough for us to try again. We bought the essential tools. Our customers at that time were mostly relief workers.’

In the four years since, Lumba Lumba has grown into an extremely professional and well-equipped centre. Little or no damage has been documented on the surrounding reefs, though rebuilding work continues on the beachfront, where locals run basic restaurants and guesthouses. Divers are a valuable source of income here and are welcomed.

Lumba Lumba and its staff are very much part of the community. Many locals have been trained as divemasters and work at the centre. Particularly popular with guests, is a lady who is affectionately known as Mama Doughnut – a very welcome sight after an energetic dive. Her doughnuts are the best I’ve ever tasted.

Jungle boogie

Included in the holiday package were a few days for visitors to learn more about the country and experience some of the best topside attractions on offer. All, of course, stick to the adventurous travel theme. On the route back from Pulau Weh to the Sumatran capital of Medan, Ben and Sarah took us to Banda Aceh. Like much of Sumatra, a thick smell of clove cigarettes hangs in the air, and everywhere are noisy mopeds expertly negotiating challenging road surfaces.

The tsunami has left its mark both physically and emotionally in Banda Aceh, which still houses a large community of relief workers. The money has not been there to speed up the process. Roads and houses are still being rebuilt and repaired, and there are washed-up boats scattered across the town, including a huge ferry that bizarrely sits 5km inland.

After a short internal flight to Medan and a three-hour trip on yet another uneven road, we arrive at Bukit Lawang, a small community on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park that comprises a dense network of alleys along a mountain river. Visitors are well catered for with a series of guesthouses, bars and shops.

Our guide Agun’s gentle, friendly character epitomises the laid-back and warm vibe here. He has been working with tourists since the age of ten and regularly runs trips inside the national park. He certainly knows all there is to know about the jungle and its inhabitants.

An orangutan conservation programme has been operating on the eastern edge of the park since the 1970s and is one of the few places where encounters are virtually guaranteed. These huge, hairy, orange mammals are mesmerising. Their human-like eyes watch your every movement – it’s every bit as special as encountering a large creature underwater.

On the last part of our Sumatra journey, we venture on yet more uneven track through local villages and nutrient-killing palm oil plantations – the latter sadly dominate much of the landscape. The white-water rapids along the Wampu River are thankfully tame. River dinghy is a good way to see the rainforest and its life, including monitor lizards, parrots and cheeky Thomas’s leaf monkeys. We are even greeted with the odd wave and laugh from children in fishing communities dotted along the way.

At sundown, we return to our camp along the Bohorok River and make the most of the evening’s electricity allowance – a few hours from the generator. Armed with a guitar, Agun and his friends treat us to some songs.

Looking back, after ten days of fast currents, jungles, white-water rapids, fascinating wildlife, unique culture and friendly people, I felt I had been on a true diving adventure. There had been few creature comforts and manoeuvring heavy dive bags on ferries, taxis and planes had, at times, been frustrating and exhausting. However, I came away feeling that I had experienced the culture, the real lives of the Sumatran people, and good diving where few people have finned before.

While this type of hands-on adventure isn’t every diver’s dream holiday, it gave me a taste of that pioneering spirit, when every dive is a descent into the unknown. ■

NEED TO KNOW

A trip to northern Sumatra with Dive Safari Asia costs £1,950, excluding international flights from London to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Other holiday destinations include Sulawesi and Raja Ampat in Indonesia, plus Thailand and Malaysia. Each tour lasts approximately 14 days. For more information, phone 0845 468 0226 or see the website at www.divesafariasia.co.uk .

For more information about Lumba Lumba dive centre, see the website at www.lumbalumba.com