A Kid with Big Fishy

On my story to Krakatau, I did tell you that I “crossed path with the most gigantic non-whale fish I ever seen with my very own goggle” — right?

Well now, I’d like to talk more about this.

No, no, I didn’t change the script. I still have no evidence. The photograph is still non-existed. I was fool enough to get down the water camera-less, fool enough not to borrow any from my friends who got GoPro back then, or AT LEAST, any camera from ANYBODY who were swimming around me—yes, I was that fool.

Then the story has been left unveiled. I get to swallow what I saw all by myself. I’m feeling like Harry when he escaped from the graveyard in “The Goblet of Fire”—returned from a shocking scene he just witnessed with his very own eyes, only to be blamed by everybody about Cedric's death. But our things are different on so many level. Mine is real, and the struggle to convince people is, real.

I failed reassuring in real life, but who knows if I can succeed here?

It was in an island called Labuan Cabe. One of many pearls scattered throughout Mount Anak Krakatau. As usual, to get away from those amateur snorkelers, I swam around the area alone. Far away from the boats, far away from people who was floating with heavy, fat life-jackets. Maybe it was like, around one hour of swimming, until finally I heard the signal that our time was up and we needed to return to the boat.

Labuan Cabe from my camera

I, of course, reached the boat a little bit faster than anybody else. But seeing people still struggling to drag their sea-turtle-weighed body back to our station, I eventually ran out of patience and did some more swimming—you know, rather than doing nothing and just wait.

So I snorkeled just nearby. Just around the other boats, around other people, with shallow seabed, and... This gargantuan fish swimming still by the shore.

I stopped moving. My eye caught his –not sure tho if it was a male or female but, let’s just say it’s a he. His size stunned me. His flat figure reminded me that I saw that kind of fish at least once on TV, but my logic was distorted due to fear. Fear, because he was just there, floating like a dead body-less fish head, not moving either, being the biggest thing I ever seen in my underwater life.

Well I swam with whales in Philippines but that was totally secured, with guides, and fishermen and stuff. Plus, it was a whale. Everybody expected whales to be big, so I was mentally prepared before I dived back then. This one, was A FREAKING FISH! A fish in adult pig size, apparently existed just near the place we were swimming—who would’ve not panicking!?

The fact that I was alone, accidentally spotting him without prior warning, and that he was just there, petrifying –I had this terrible feeling that he might have been shocked too, seeing me seeing him, and he was planning to attack in 3… 2… 1—I left as fast as I could. As a matter of fact, I was literally screaming in panic. Salt water rushed into my snorkeling pipe, filled my throat but fuck I don’t care, I have to fucking run away from fucking here.

I told everybody about that fish. They seemed to trust me, but they also laughed. It was like being a kid again, when I tried to tell my dad that I just saw a Godzilla following us when we were driving, then he obviously pretended to be scared and told my mom to take cover—only to make it seem like what I saw was real, and he believed it.

Those kind of responses stopped me from telling more about the fish. But I promised myself that I would definitely see that fish again so I can proof to people that I didn't tell a lie. But then, long ago I also promised myself not to visit the same destination twice so—I changed my promise to AT LEAST, make myself sure that the fish I saw, was real.

So I began my observation.

Collecting pieces of my memories about that fish –it was ruined, really, his color, his figure, I was too frightened by the size and his eyes– Googling “largest fish in Krakatau”, “largest fish in Indonesia”, browsing anything I could do to find the best visual to restore my mental picture of him. A guy I met on my trip to Krakatau said that it could be an ayam-ayam fish, but when I googled that, no, it wasn’t him.

I met a dead end. All keywords I browsed didn’t match with that fish. Until today, several weeks after I left my case untouched, I came back with smarter mind.

And smarter keyword: “Largest Fish List”

Wikipedia appeared with its page. I opened it up, felt nervous, and finally stopped scrolling when I saw a picture of “The Ocean Sunfish”.

Because well, this is it—it's him.

Obviously, what I saw was smaller than these. Pics are from here, here and here.

I swear, this is just what I bumped into. The size, the figure, it all matched. I didn’t remember if he had dorsal and ventral fins but—I swear, this is him. I opened the links to all types of fish mentioned on that page in Wiki, but no, nothing came closer to sunfish—because I swear, this is him. So I dig deeper about this fish, and after reading sentence “The species is native to tropical and temperate waters around the globe”, I stopped reading—that's when I'm sure enough to swear, that this is him. Or at least it's close to him.

Well this is the best I can do.

I don’t have the visual proof, I can’t even make sure the real name of that fish, this is the best I can do and I hope it’s near the reality.

I hope it was really a sunfish that I stared at,
I hope there’s actually a sunfish living in Sunda Strait,
And I hope I’m right about what I saw because otherwise—

It means that I’ve been telling a

Stupid kid nonsense

Hello, You Beautiful Thing

For you who started to think that I began losing interest in my “Conquering Indonesia” project, you’re wrong.

I know I skipped a month. After Harapan in May and Pahawang in June, I should have gone somewhere in July. But don’t you dare blaming me for that. My beloved office didn’t give me even one day off for Eid break so, ya, there I was, trapped in Jakarta while everybody else flew out and about.

Then came August, thank God, finally. Another long weekend was waiting for me in the middle of the month, and guess what—

It was the Independence Day of Indonesia.

What an occasion, no? That could be my chance to show how I really meant getting to know my own country. How I would explore my national treasure ‘till the last second of its big day, despite the fact that on the next day I should go back to my routine. It was just the time.

So I deliberated to myself, “hmm where can I go in just three days, somewhere colossal, and different from my previous two trips?”

I know.

K R A K A T A U

What’s not ‘colossal’ about this? I’ve been exposed to the name since I was still 8. One of those famous names printed on my social science modules along with Danau Toba, Way Kambas, Taman Laut Bunaken, Pulau Komodo—I mean, names like Ora, Derawan, or Raja Ampat were just noticed in recent years, but those four, as well as Krakatau, were classics.

As usual, the process to reaching Krakatau was also ‘colossal’. I booked a spot on an open trip long before my departure day on August 15^th, but guess what—on August 13^th, the operator told me that my reservation didn’t come in. Oh, what the hell, universe, please. Not today, not for the Independence Day, not when I have a long weekend to—done, I booked another spot with another operator, while my mouth kept complaining. And that is just why I love myself.

More obstacles got in my way. From super slow bus, freaking wheel pulled off of my ride to the pier –yes, it broke off the main body of the car, and I saw it rolling away from the road, amateur sailors, mosquito raids, annoying participants—God, there were so many obstacles.

But then, the ocean always knew how to soothe my anger.

Underwater Krakatau was mesmerizing. I must say that it wasn’t anything better than Pahawang or even Harapan but, I still felt that it was worth the sacrifices. I got down the water twice, and got up the boat with an amazing souvenir each: scratches, cuts and blood from the first spot, and - this one is crazy - a story of me crossing path with the most gigantic non-whale fish I ever seen with my very own goggle on the second spot. Once again, this one is crazy. Bad news was I didn’t bring any underwater cam so I couldn’t get any proof to the land but, I swear starting from now, I’ll make my own research about this fish.

So. Three days trip, in a colossal place…

What made it different from Harapan and Pahawang?

The majestic Anak Krakatau, that inherits the grandeur of its long gone mother.

I’m not a mountain guy. All these years, have you read anything mountainy? No. But this is a special case. I want something for this year’s Hari Merdeka. Plus this mountain is not that MOUNTAIN like Semeru, Kerinci and all those sleeping giants people seem kept hiking lately. Anak Krakatau is still a kiddo so guess what—amateurs including me, can climb the path all the way to the highest point allowed.

So right on August 17^th, my group and I trekked up Anak Krakatau. We all wore red and white outfits, brought our best spirit up the new mountain. And we had a little ceremony. Gathered together, sang “Indonesia Raya” and “Hari Merdeka” oh God, I got goosebumps when singing those. I even get chills on the back of my neck just now when I remembered that moment and typing it down here.

Then everybody got busy with their own photo session. I, remembering that I was on my own as usual, spent my time standing there, enjoying my on-top-of-the-world moment, seeing the endless horizon before my eyes. Mt. Rakata and Lang Island were there too, completing my scenery with their gallant existence. And the mighty sun slowly climbed up the sky of Lampung, was hidden behind clouds but somehow could find a way to break through and spot its fluorescent ray on Sunda Strait.

I never seen such picturesque landscape. It’s like the universe—the ocean, the hills, the mountain, the sky and the sun, were conspiring to make the most of my Independence Day contemplation.

It was calm, despite the crowd.

It was warm, despite the breeze.

Fuck, I really love this country.

Well.

The biggest fish I ever saw in Indonesian beach,

The biggest frame of Indonesia I ever saw from above.

Now guess what—

I’ll be back, you beautiful thing