Triton Bay and Kaimana

Below the throat of New Guinea’s Birds Head, the remarkable Triton Bay extends many miles into the jungle and was only partially surveyed by marine scientists in 2006. Remote from human habitation, except for tiny villages, the forest-fringed bay is scattered with rising, castle-like islands of Karst limestone, strewn with orchids. It is a wonderland of plants and birds, from insect-eating Nepenthe flowers to parrots and hornbills. The mouth of the Bay is a nursery for sharks, turtles and Bryde’s whales, and deep in the jungle the bay still nurtures corals and reef fish.

Either side of the mouth of Triton Bay streams of freshwater extends far into the sea, effectively acting as protective arms for the saltwater nurseries of the bay itself. Amongst the islands at the bay’s mouth, we can also swim with the whale sharks, which are attracted to the villager’s (bagans) fishing platforms. Adjacent to the bay, and only a few hundred yards from it, marine scientists have observed several saltwater pools, which mysteriously exhibit a completely different tide cycle and uniquely different life forms from the bay itself. For intrepid mariners, the region still has much to explore, and new species are being discovered every year.

Below the throat of New Guinea’s Birds Head, the remarkable Triton Bay extends many miles into the jungle and was only partially surveyed by marine scientists in 2006.

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Remote from human habitation, except for tiny villages, the forest-fringed bay is scattered with rising, castle-like islands of Karst limestone, strewn with orchids. It is a wonderland of plants and birds, from insect-eating Nepenthe flowers to parrots and hornbills. The mouth of the Bay is a nursery for sharks, turtles and Bryde’s whales, and deep in the jungle the bay still nurtures corals and reef fish.

Either side of the mouth of Triton Bay streams of freshwater extends far into the sea, effectively acting as protective arms for the saltwater nurseries of the bay itself. Amongst the islands at the bay’s mouth, we can also swim with the whale sharks, which are attracted to the villager’s (bagans) fishing platforms. Adjacent to the bay, and only a few hundred yards from it, marine scientists have observed several saltwater pools, which mysteriously exhibit a completely different tide cycle and uniquely different life forms from the bay itself. For intrepid mariners, the region still has much to explore, and new species are being discovered every year.

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