This luxurious sailing vessel charters small-group voyages to visit some of the countrys most remote costal destinations.
Salt water flooded my snorkel, making me gag.
Below the surface, monumental forms drifted like icebergs.
The Vela enters Batu Moncho Bay, in Komodo National Park.Credit:Emilio Kuzma-Floyd/Courtesy of Vela
But then my guide, Yoyok Hariawan, took my hand in the water, which instantly calmed me.
The two specimens, though juveniles, each measured more than 20 feet in length.
As I watched them, my fear faded into quiet awe.
From left: A guest snorkels in the waters of Batu Moncho Bay; a work by Javanese artist Dini Nur Aghnia inside Vela’s lounge.From left: Emilio Kuzma-Floyd/Courtesy of Vela; Tommaso Riva/Courtesy of Vela
Its name comes from the constellation Vela the Sails, which is seen mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
(The wordvelameans sail in Latin.)
An innovative air-conditioning system uses seawater to keep the rooms cool.
Vela’s main deck.Tommaso Riva/Courtesy of Vela
Courtesy of Vela
As we sailed east, each day brought more views of verdant islands and blue waters.
The balletic rays, some with wingspans as long as sofas, soared close to me.
In a truly transcendent moment, one of them circled curiously, then dramatically swooped right under me.
One of Komodo National Park’s famous “dragons”.Courtesy of Vela
It was about the profound impact the creatures have on every person lucky enough to encounter them.
Vela passengers can swim in the Satonda Caldera, in the Lesser Sunda Islands.iStockphoto/Getty Images
