Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine August 2016 | Page 146

142

Travel | Halmahera

HALMAHERA
Entering through Ternate,
Colours explores Halmahera
and its surrounds: charming
port towns, great beaches
and wonderful reefs
Words and photography by Tim Rock

We were undersea off
the isles near Tobelo along
a stunning wall of soft corals
when a most unusual thing
happened. A large school of
tiny ocean catfish moved near
us and then extended out
into the water column.
Like a fish tornado, they moved with such
strange precision that we were instantly
mesmerised by their fluid movement into
the blue water. They put on quite a show
for us and then returned to the safety
of the reefs. The waters of Halmahera
never cease to surprise.
More and more, Halmahera, the largest of
the Maluku islands, is garnering attention
from travellers, adventurers and ocean lovers.
With Ternate, a bustling port city full of
history, as the Garuda Indonesia gateway to
this island, one can experience true
adventure around North Maluku and
Halmahera. Ternate has a stunning seaside