Swirling Barracudas in Raja Ampat | Wallacea Dive Cruise

Wandering through the seas aboard our floating home, the MV Ambai, feels like an absolute blessing. The MV Ambai is a beautiful liveaboard that sailed us directly on the ocean and waking up at a new dive spot every single day.

Over our past few dives around Raja Ampat, we have seen so many great and majestic creatures. However, sometimes we do not need to look for the biggest animals to be amazed. Simply watching a massive school of fish moving together as one can be an unforgettable and peaceful experience for us.

Meeting the School of Barracudas

As the MV Ambai sailed toward the beautiful Togean Islands, we put on our gear on the back deck and jumped into the cool water at the Apollo dive site. As we sank deeper into the blue, a large, dark shadow started to form in the distance. We swam closer and finally saw what it was: a giant school of barracudas!

Photo Credit: dive_yulia

They moved together in a perfect, swirling circle, almost like a slow underwater tornado. Hundreds of silver bodies caught the sunlight as they swam. We just floated quietly, barely moving our fins, and watched them glide past us. It was a thrilling, almost magical moment for all of us.

Discovering Bajau Village: The People of the Sea

Visiting Sea Nomads Village | Wallacea Dive Cruise

After our amazing dive, we climbed back aboard the MV Ambai, dried off, and traveled to visit a local Bajau village. The Bajau are famous all over the world as the "Sea Nomads." Instead of living on solid land like most of us, their entire village is built right on top of the water!

They build their wooden houses on tall stilts and use small canoes to visit their neighbors. Seeing their lifestyle was eye-opening for us. For the Bajau, the ocean is everything.

It is their backyard, their grocery store, and their home. They are incredibly skilled freedivers could diving deep without air tanks to hunt for fish and collect food from the sea floor.

People Should Adapt to Nature

Raja Ampat Sunset | Wallacea Dive Cruise

Our time beneath the waves with the barracudas and above the water with the Bajau people taught us a profound lesson. The ocean can be a harsh and unpredictable place, yet instead of trying to tame it, the Bajau have learned to live in perfect harmony with it.

Rather than trying to conquer the earth or force it to fit our modern habits, we need to adapt. If we want to continue exploring wonderful places like this, we must protect nature and learn to live alongside it.

Until the next tide,

Raja Ampat, June 8, 2026

Wallacea Dive Cruise Team