We continued our voyage
cruising smoothly eastwards to the island of Morotai in the North
Maluku Archipelago. In the first light, we approached Daruba, the
main port of Morotai. In September 1944, American soldiers under General
MacArthur came ashore here overrunning the Japanese forces. A handful
of Japanese soldiers retreated into the mountain forests. In 1959,
9 soldiers came down from the forests to surrender.In 1974, 30 years
after the war had finished, a Japanese Sergeant walked out into the
modern world. These islands are a forgotten corner of the world. But
for a few months, they played a vital role in General MacArthur's
Pacific Campaign.We encountered plenty of Second World War heritage
found in the locality of Daruba.
Daruba Bay Morotai
It was here that the Americans
started their allied invasions against the occupied Philippines and
South Pacific Islands. General MacArthur resided on a small island
close to Daruba from where he planned and coordinated countless air
strikes, sea invasions and counterattacks against his enemies. The
American built Daruba Airfield has three runways and can still be
sighted today. Due to the enormous amount of explosives, ammunition
and guns still to be found in the shallow waters, the island remains
out of bounds for the majority of foreigners who want to travel, survey
or dive here. These had been abandoned by the armies who occupied
the territory around the coastal areas of Morotai.
Daruba - local Gendang group
However, we were always
fortunate in that we were always able to penetrate into areas where
very few had been before. Just south of Morotai on the island of Halmahera,
several Second World War wrecks can still be explored in Tobello Bay.
These sites are really off the map and beaten track locations and
totally unexplored, predestined for all devoted adventurers and dedicated
wreck divers. Apart from that, the region offers an unparalleled "Robinson
Crusoe" atmosphere, as there is absolutely nothing apart from
beautiful coral islands and pure nature.
