Tropical rainforest in Mountains Along the Northern coast of Manokwari

Three days ago I wrote about Tropical rainforest of Arfak Mountains. Now I am going to share you my story about Pantura. Tropical rainforest in the mountains along the north coast of Manokwari is still in very good condition. It is also high in biodiversity both in the mountainous region and in the coral reef around some rock islets and Kaki island. You might wonder why I consider coral reef as tropical rainforest of the ocean. It is indeed a tropical rainforest because it absorbs CO2 gases through photosynthesis processes, that we emit everyday, balancing the earth's biosphere. In addition, the coral reef has a lot of species of marine animals. The biodiversity of coral reef is even higher then the tropical rainforest. I have been there several times guiding tourists on snorkeling trip or hiking with a friend of mine surveying some nice places to be promoted for my eco-tourism project.

The northern coast of Manokwari is also called Pantura meaning in Indonesian language Pantai Utara or "Beach North." I like hiking in the rainforest of Pantura because it can be visited by public transportation or ojek - a motorcycle taxi which is the cheapest way to travel around the region. In one tour, I can enjoy both the beauty of the beach and the tropical rainforest.

The easiest way to see the insects, birds, and mammals or reptiles is by entering the forest through a river. There are a lot of small rivers in the area. My favorite one is Asai. The water flows slowly enabling us to cross it or to walk along its banks without any difficulties. More animals can be found in the forest near the river because they depend on water.

While I was standing deep in the forest of the Asai river several kilometers from the main road, I had a chance of taking some nice pictures of tiger beetle. There were two of them mating on the sandy sediment of river bank. These insects were not afraid of me while I was slowly approaching them with a digital camera in my hands. I tried not to make many movements that could scare them away. After taking their pictures, I continued my exploration inside the forest. Above my head was the sound of sulphur-crested cockatoo breaking the calmness of the surrounding environment.

I also saw some nice birds catching fish in shallow water. I was sad that I did not bring a long lens camera to shoot them. I promised to myself that one day if I returned to this river again, I would bring a better camera. After eating lunch and taking a break for one hour, I walked back to the main road. I had not been walking for fifteen minutes when suddenly I saw a snake on the branches of a tree. It was going down the tree. I tried to move closer to this exotic reptile. I was surprised to see through the LCD screen of my digital camera that it was coming closer to me.

I was nervous actually when I realized about the situation. I could feel my hands trembling with fear guessing that it could bite me I did not step back immediately. Well, I managed to take some pictures of this wonderful reptile although most of them were blurred due to my trembling hands.
If you are interested in visiting Manokwari to enjoy the beauty and see the high biodiversity of the coral reef and the tropical rainforest, you can contact me, Charles Roring, via my email peace4wp@gmail.com. I will be happy to guide you around this wonderful nature.
Also read:
Birds from the tropical rainforest of Manokwari Papua
Arfak mountains
Tropical rainforest preservation in district Senopi