ANIMA HAI - Cenderawasih Bay and Raja Ampat Expedition
MV Gaia Love 20 - 31 August 2027
from $US 7180 pp
Make your reservation now – only 20 spots availble
Focus:
- Biodiversity hotspots
- Endemic species and whale sharks
- Community stewardship and traditional guardianship
*caters for snorkellers & scuba divers
This expedition journeys into the very bullseye of marine biodiversity on Earth.
Cenderawasih Bay and Raja Ampat sit at the core of the Coral Triangle—the global epicentre where coral and fish diversity reach their greatest expression anywhere on the planet. Here is the epicentre, where evolution flourished through the rest of the coral kingdom.
Cenderawasih Bay, often described as the “Galápagos of the East,” is a place shaped by deep time. Once an enclosed bay during the last Ice Age, its isolation became a crucible for life. As sea levels rose, this natural laboratory emerged as a factory of endemism—producing species of fish and corals found nowhere else on Earth. Today, its calm, nutrient-rich waters are also home to one of the world’s most reliable gatherings of whale sharks—gentle giants that move with ancient grace through a sea dense with life.
From there, our expedition continues to Raja Ampat—the beating heart of reef biodiversity. Nowhere else holds such an extraordinary concentration of corals, reef fish, sharks, and invertebrates within a single seascape. Every dive reveals abundance layered upon abundance, shaped and protected for generations by traditional custodians whose stewardship remains inseparable from reef survival.
No other places offer such biological wealth, thus the urgency to protect. This ANIMA HAI expedition is both a celebration and a responsibility—to witness, document, and help safeguard the living heart of our ocean while it still beats strong.
Official ANIMA HAI Expedition Platform — Cenderawasih Bay & Raja Ampat
MV GAIA LOVE
Expedition package: Live-aboard 11 nights / 12 day, twin sharing, meals, soft drinks, all dives. Nitrox included.
Dates: 20-31 August 2027
Departure - Manokwari, end Sorong. Fuel surcharge will apply
Prices: Lowerdeck – USD 7180 : Upperdeck – USD 7860 : Port, Park and booking Fees: tba
DEPOSIT – USD $2000
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More about the Vessel - Gaia Love:
The MV Gaia Love stands as one of the most celebrated expedition vessels in the Coral Triangle—an icon of purpose-built exploration where comfort, capability, and conservation converge. Since her launch in 2017, Gaia Love has hosted more than seven major expeditions with Ocean Geographic, earning a reputation for excellence across Indonesia’s most remote and biologically rich waters. In 2018, she was selected as the official expedition vessel for Elysium: Heart of the Coral Triangle—a benchmark project that set new standards for immersive, conservation-led exploration in the region.
Designed for extended voyages in challenging and remote seas, Gaia Love pairs refined luxury with expedition-grade performance. Expansive decks provide space for observation, filming, briefings, and shared reflection, while elegant, spacious cabins offer restorative comfort after long days underwater. Her efficient dive operations, stable cruising, and highly experienced crew allow seamless access to locations few vessels can reach—without compromise.
Designed for extended voyages, Gaia Love offers expansive observation decks, elegant and spacious cabins, efficient dive operations, and a highly experienced crew—creating a seamless rhythm between exploration, documentation, and reflection. From the endemic-rich waters of Cenderawasih Bay to the unrivalled biodiversity of Raja Ampat, she carries ANIMA HAI expeditions into the very heart of marine life.
In places where biodiversity peaks and the stakes for protection are highest, Gaia Love remains a vessel of trust—quietly enabling the stories that matter most to be told.
Beyond exploration, Gaia Love is also a creative platform. She is the official production vessel for SOULS—the memoir and film documentary chronicling legacy, purpose, and the human connection to the ocean, featuring Dr Sylvia Earle, Michael AW, David Doubilet, Jennifer Hayes, Richard Pyle, and Brian Greene. From deck to dive platform, the vessel enables intimate conversations, field observations, and cinematic storytelling where ideas are shaped by the ocean itself.
Every ANIMA HAI expedition contributes to:
- A Collector’s Edition Book
- A global travelling exhibition series (2029–2031)
- A geo-referenced digital archive, to be revisited in 2051 — when the same reefs will be re-documented to reveal humanity’s choices in the climate era
Participants are not tourists. They become Cimate Avengers and contribute to the expedition's purpose and goals.
