November 22, 2002

Pindito anchored at Sorong (00° 35' 97" S, 131° 13' 76" E)

So here it is, the day we never thought would dawn! After twenty-two days of amazing sights, experiences, and scientific marveling, the trip has finally come to an end. Today we all go our separate ways, most to Denpasar and Jakarta,

To close, lets leave the final words to the participants themselves…….

Rod Salm: the great spirit of collaboration among team members, the stimulus of different perspectives reflecting the observations of different disciplines, a comfortable boat crewed by patient and competent staff, a surrounding of exquisite beauty, and the stimulus of new and exciting findings, all contributed a most successful expedition and rewarding experience. When do we start the next round? Sign me up!

Gerry Allen: This is the last day of the expedition. The three weeks went by really fast, which is always a good sign of a productive field trip. The fish component of the survey was really rewarding. A total of 828 species was recorded on the basis of visual sight records while scuba diving. This brings the total number of species known from the Raja Ampats to about 1,050, a very remarkable figure considering the limited survey time. There is no doubt that this area supports the world's richest assemblage of coral reef fishes. The REA was an enjoyable experience and I look forward to future expeditions to this very exciting area. There is still much to be done as far as documenting the basic biodiversity.

Ryan Donnelly: Befitting a voyage through the core of diversity, the expedition has provided a mosaic of experiences, a plethora of unforgettable moments for self evaluation, and has stimulated the juices for our love of the natural world. ………From a personal point of view, after three weeks of participation in the various components of this multidisciplinary expedition, the voyage has been truly rewarding and a pleasure.

Fery A.M. Liuw : Wow, sungguh menyenangkan bisa menemukan air di Kawe island ditanah yang gersang, dan bisa menemukan spesies Psychotria baru, hanya kurang sempurna hampir setiap hari masuk hutan harus puasa makan siang karena dari tanggal 31/11 s/d 20 november menunya itu aja nasi PLUS mie atau sebaliknya, eh; eh terlambat di reformasi kali ?!!

Johanis P. Mogea: Senang berpartisipasi dalam REA, dapat pengalaman baru, teman baru, kemungkinan jenis baru, rekord baru, dan interview Jungle Run Team.
Semua yang baru-baru itu sangat bermanfaat dalam perjalanan hidup saya… lepas dari field trip REA ini, semoga semua pihak sukses dalam kegiatan rutinnya masing-masing atau menghadapi peluang baru yang lebih hebat lagi.

Duncan Neville: The trip of a lifetime! Besides the amazing flora, there have been times when the whole experience has been breathtaking - the limestone ridges of Wagmab, the amazing red soil and metal mountains of Kawe, and most of all the sunset at Kofiau, which encompassed the whole landscape - land, sea, and us.

Jemmy Souhoka : Betapa indah harinya saat kupandang hari-hari yang indah bersama TNC dalam kegiatan Survey " Raja Ampat " Menyenangkan, mengembirakan bahkan banyak yang belum saya kenal maupun saya pelajari dengan teknik maupun metoda yang baru terutama tentang Coral dan Ekosistemnya. Saya berterimah kasih kepada semua teman - teman yang terlibat dalam kegiatan ini yang dalam suka maupun duka telah melakukan semua pekerjaan sampai akhirnya.

Agus Sumule: A great and world-class expedition! It has been an honor for me to participate and interact with international acknowledged experts whom have been invited by TNC to share their knowledge about what needs to be done to conserve and promote the rich biodiversity of Raja Ampat area. I am looking forward to be involved more with TNC and other conservation community in promoting the conservation and sustainable development for Raja Ampat and its people.

Wayne Takeuchi: This was a very successful survey from the botanical point of view; personally I had a lot of new experiences - new sites and new communities. Many thanks to TNC and my counterparts on the land expedition.