IT was still dark when Tempo was woken up and taken to the pier. “We can’t see the birds unless it’s very early,” said Utari Obon, a member of the Raja Ampat Marine Festival committee, two weeks ago.

Around 4am, a group of journalists from Jakarta reached the small quay in the capital of Raja Ampat regency, Waisai. Moments later a motorboat arrived to pick up the reporters. Without lamps, the boat sailed to Wasinggrai, one of the islets