Komodo and The Mermaid

Staff · Issue 111, Nov/Dec 2019 · pp. 67–73

Products mentioned: MV Mermaid II

Our driver weaves his way through the chaotic traffic leading to Bali’s Benoa Harbor and pulls over, “we can get out here,” he says. In a flash, our dive and camera gear are whisked down to the harbour by a friendly smiling Balinese gentleman, who I’m sure can’t believe how much gear we’ve got as he struggles with our bags. We wave goodbye to our driver and make our way down to board our home for the next week, the MV Mermaid II. As we board, I remember I still have a banana in my carry on, I quickly eat it, everyone knows that taking bananas on boats is bad luck, right? At least that’s what my dad always told me. As we approach the Mermaid, her body glistening in the sun, the hustle and bustle of Bali begins to fade. We are on our way to Komodo, a land of Jurassic proportions, where rugged coastlines and hillsides of dry savannah stretch down to brilliant sandy beaches and delicate cora…