When Wakatobi was no longer able to welcome guests due to the coronavirus pandemic, it left the crew of the dive yacht Pelagian with some unexpected downtime. This hiatus from service provided an opportunity to perform thorough maintenance routines, and the yacht remains in prime condition, ready to return to service once international travel resumes.

Pelagian Cruise Directors Ramon Crevilles and Judith Terol Oto have remained at Wakatobi, and are standing by eagerly anticipating a return to their regular cruising itinerary. Photo by Chris Gloor

The suspension of Pelagian’s schedule also gave cruise directors Ramon Crevilles and Judith Terol Oto an unexpected opportunity to rediscover the resort’s underwater attractions. “We’ve remained at Wakatobi and are diving two or three days a week, sometimes with the Wakatobi boats, or with the taxi boat or doing a House Reef dive,” writes Judith. “We’re visiting a range of sites to make sure protected areas are being honored, and to clean up any debris that might have drifted onto the reefs.”

“We also have had an opportunity to practice our skills with underwater cameras, and from now on we will be even more patient and understanding with our photographer guests.” ~ Ramon and Judith

Spending more time than usual at the resort has given them a new appreciation for all that Wakatobi has to offer. “On a Pelagian cruise, we usually dive just five or six sites around the resort during our Welcome Dive and on returning at the end of the cruise. These past months have been a great time to discover more of the resort dive sites as most of them were unknown for us,” adds Ramon. “We have enjoyed looking for new dive sites and exploring the sites we usually dive but with different profiles. We also have had an opportunity to practice our skills with underwater cameras, and from now on we will be even more patient and understanding with our photographer guests,” he says.

Pelagian crew, and Judith and Ramon, have maintained Pelagian throughout the pandemic. Photo by Chris Gloor

Pelagian has been kept in top condition. There have been six crew members maintaining the yacht throughout the pandemic (two captains, two engineers, and two tender drivers), with a rotating schedule of two months onboard and one month off. “Some of the crew did DSD [Discover Diving] dives (Captain Rudy, Engineer Beny, and Driver Nandi), and they loved it,” says Ramon. “It was a real treat to see them enjoying the world below the surface.”

Why not make your visit a “double-dip”? Guests conveniently board Pelagian right from the resort. Photo Wakatobi Resort

Ramon, Judith, and the rest of the Pelagian crew continue to stand by in anticipation of returning to their regular cruising itinerary. The exact date at which operations will resume is not yet known, but the resort is encouraging guests to plan for late 2021 and 2022 reservations.

Learn about the Pelagian Difference > here 

Why not book a Pelagian/Resort combo for next year? Inquire with us >here.