Beautifully Bolii (Boli’i)

Bolili. It is perhaps on the middle-of-nowhere for snorkeling lovers, diver or even backpacker. Yes, I do realize that Bunaken, Wakatobi, Takabonerate or Togean have been far internationally famed over the years as iconic tourism sites in Sulawesi. But Bolili (some local people call it Boli’i) with its unique inner beauty offers us a fascinating place around Luwuk, Banggai Central Sulawesi. If you prefer remote hidden island without crowded noisy tourists then this secret little spot will satisfy your desire.

Our quest to a new amazing undiscovered place around DSLNG Site project is always begin with satellite vision survey, thanks to google map. It helps us finding shallow coral for snorkeling and how exactly to get there. Burdened by bitterly disappointed internet connection in the middle of jungle which made GPS or googlemap no longer available outside Luwuk, we never give up. We rely on printed map, compass and information from villager. To reach Bolili district we have to drive 45 minutes from nearest city Luwuk. Be careful with heavily damaged roads and the slippery sharp turn. Follow the main road. When you see the first junction, go straight take the Balantak direction (do not turn left since it is heading to harbor city Pagimana). Approximately 30 minutes later you will see Uwedikan Tourism Village board in our right. Then turn right, follow the narrow coarse road that will bring you into the fishermen village.

Routes to Bolii. One month ago some of us dispatched to look for new snorkeling spot that ended up in a private owned island (marked by: trip 1). Yesterday route is marked trip 2

I saw old rusty board near the area where we parked our rented cars. This board showed islands map, some prohibitions for visitor, and it explained location of main and buffer zone too. The board also told us that here is a marine eco-park intended to preserve mangroves, corals, and all marine creatures inside. We talked to local fishermen to rent their boats and buy their fresh catch for lunch. Moment later, leaving the mainland we cruised for 10 minutes with three motorized canoe boat (ketinting in Bahasa) to an inhabitant island that would be our snorkeling spot today. Only five adult people could be accommodated by each boat, therefore those three boats had to go back and forth since we were all 31, plus our foodstuff and snorkeling set.

CCW: The board map Pasokan and Balean islands. The Uwedikan villagers’ wooden houses viewed from sea side. Balean Island beautiful scenery.

As our boat moving slowly I looked around from my seat in rear to the awesome view. I saw wooden houses belong to the Uwedikan villagers. Those brownish houses look antique. I saw women villagers washing dishes. I saw group of children running and laughing on the piers. I saw happy life above the water. Somehow I felt they’re gonna tell us how beautiful live a simple humble life. If you need food just take your rod and fishing from your backyard. Many kind of fishes, shrimps, squids, oyster, anything the ocean provided freely for you. I imagined that life wil become so relaxing if we would not have to queue entering jammed highway every morning, or get our car stuck between metromini, bajaj, dump truck, bus and motorists on a rush office hour in place named Jakarta, capital city of Indonesia. Ahh I wish =(

Traditional wooden boat is just like canoe, except the motor. Photo by Yuto Hori

Yeahh. Finally we happened to set foot in the beach. From map on the board I read before, I thought we are in Balean Island. Snorkeling spots are available around. The clear shimmering water surrounding this island makes it cozy place to swim or just walking along the white sandy beach. Compared to another beautiful underwater marine environment in Pulau Dua, Tinalapu, Togean or Bunaken, Bolili is different. It has a vast sandbank with sea grass before its coral-dominated seabed. A lot of tropical fishes live in this corally sandbank, from chromis, neon goby fish, sergeant major fish, canary damsel, four stripped damsel, even clown fishes 😀

Linckia Sea Star Blue (Linckia laevigata) and Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus). Photo by Ikhwanudin

The saddleback clownfish or yellowfin anemonefish (Amphiprion polymnus), Blue damsel (Chrysiptera cyanea), and Domino damsel or three spot damsel (Dascyllus trimaculatus) in shallow sandbank region. Photo by Ikhwanudin

Uww! I saw dazzling butterfly fishes and surgeon fishes swimming in and out their homey corals just in front of my goggle. As I went further to the trench and sometimes swim deeper, a lot of colorful tropical fishes appeared. Quite a lot indeed.

Canary Damsel (Chrysiptera galba) and Blue-Green Chromis (Chromis viridis) dancing between staghorn corals. Photo by Ikhwanudin

A Sergeant Major Fish (abudefduf saxatilis) and what are those swimming vertically fishes? Photo by Yuto Hori

Three stripe damsel (Dascyllus aruanus) between the Antler coral. Photo by Yuto Hori

As we were snorkeling away from the shallow sandbank to the deep trench region there were pack of white transparent irregular rounded shape flying up and down repeatedly hit my face, goggle, hands as well my arms that finally I recognized those are the jellyfishes. I touched one of them with my bare hand and few minutes later nothing was happened. Hmmmm maybe they’re the stingless Jellyfish? The same stingless jellyfish live in Togean Island? Who knows.

Swimming with packs of white stingless jellyfish. Photo by Yuto Hori

Honestly, I still couldn’t believe the fact that jellyfish family, a soft cute fragile-looked invertebrate have such defense (and attacking) mechanism with ability to kill a man within seconds so that they are one of notorious human killer from sea. But anyway, swimming together and surrounded with jellyfish was fun 😀

I saw a Chevron Butterflyfish for the very first time (I guess). Then seconds later came her friends emerged from their perfect hideout between pits in corals. It was wonderful seeing the way they swim. Like a dancing queen they change direction, gently turn around using their waving dorsal fin.

Chaetodon trifascialis is known as the Chevron Butterflyfish, Triangulate Butterflyfish or V-lined Butterflyfish. Photo by Yuto Hori

Both small inhabitant islands in Bolili district named Pasokan and Balean is just two of 13.466 islands Indonesia had (since our islands have reduced from 17560 islands —>http://www.metrotvnews.com/metronews/read/2013/10/18/1/188980/Jumlah-Pulau-di-Indonesia-Berkurang-4.042-Buah). I believe that somewhere in the remote isolated Island surrounded by wide blue ocean, there will be more awesome, distinctive, and extraordinary underwater-world that we Indonesians must be proud of. I also believe that somewhere deep inside our rich ocean there are still plenty of unclassified marine creatures species that are waiting to be explored before they get extinct. Above all, those abundant marine resources are truly huge potential booster for economical growth.

Dragonface pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus) or Messmate pipefish is relative of seahorse.

Had Bolili’s beautiful islands and awesome coral ecosystem properly managed under the Ministry of Tourism rather than owned by private rich individual, local fisherman here would most likely enjoying benefits as their living getting better from both tourism and fisheries sector. I think there are potential incomes from marine resources. For example: when daytime they could rent their boat to visitors and tourists go for snorkeling, diving, fishing, island hopping, or only sightseeing. When night falls of course they could go fishing or net trawling for their livelihood.

Colony of sponges and turnicates. Photo by Yuto Hori

It was the hourly beeping sound from my watch that woke me up when I was stunning enchanted by the beauty around the cliff sea bed separated shallow region and the deep one. Already 11.00 am and the stream was starting to be swift. Time to go up then. Happy to know that the strong tide was toward to the beach this time, so it dragged me and with a little paddle I already reached the beach just in couple of minutes. Hungry tummy needed to be fed. The instant Indomie noodle and sotong (giant squid) and fried clams were our menu for lunch. Yummmy!

Been at Bolili, a truly remarkable experience indeed 😀

Delicious lunch: Indomie noodle, 3 kg chopped sotong (giant squid) and clams

What makes an adventure heart-beating yet fun is the fact that we have many unpredictable things ahead. That’s why we have to enjoy for sudden changes of plan. Even a perfect plan has a potential little deviation until a total different. It is normal I think, as long as not a catastrophic failure. However, a ruined plan is always possibly happened. Don’t worry, just try to minimize the risk and enjoy being impulsive 😀 because

worrying gets you nowhere
― (Trinity, The Naked Traveler 3)

Special Thanks. Terimakasih buat semua yang udh ngeramein trip ke Bolili part-2 kemaren. Terimakasih bwt semua yg udah bantuin dari awal sampe selesai. Terimakasih saran dan masukan-masukannya kakak Joanne, om Yulian, Hands, dan dewan syuro nyilemers laennya. Terimakasih Bang Donald, Pak Ikhwan dan Hori san for the cool photographs. Atas nama EO mohon maap kalo banyak salah dankekurangan. See you on another trip 😀

cheers!