The Indonesian phinisi charter company and Cookson Adventures offer a spring 2027 itinerary focused on leopard shark conservation in Raja Ampat.

Silolona; Photo: Cookson Adventures & Silolona Sojourns

Silolona Sojourns has partnered with luxury travel agent Cookson Adventures to launch an exclusive new charter expedition called the ‘Lost Sharks of Raja Ampat’. Scheduled for March 25-April 4, 2027, the 11-day/10-night trip will combine a luxury charter experience with active conservation work to protect critically endangered leopard sharks in the Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia.

‘Lost Sharks of Raja Ampat’ will be led by conservation experts Dr Mark Erdmann and Nesha Ichida, Executive Director and Program Manager respectively at ReShark, an Indonesian organisation dedicated to the scalable rewilding of sharks and rays.

“It’s not every day that non-scientists can make a real difference in the live evolution of wildlife projects, and we’re very proud to be hosting guests onboard to share our passion for Raja Ampat’s marine life with them,” Dr Erdmann said.

Photo: ReShark

Offering availability for up to 14 guests, the tandem charter itinerary will be hosted on board both the 50m Silolona and 40m Si Datu Bua, both phinisis built and operated by Silolona Sojourns.

Sarah Seery, Director of Silolona Sojourns, said: “It has always been a core goal of our company to create ambassadors of the ocean via our guests and guest experiences. We are thrilled to be working exclusively with longtime partners and friends Cookson Adventures to launch this very special trip.

“We have worked with Dr Erdmann, Nesha Ichida and the whole ReShark team for over two decades, so partnering with them on this project and participating in their work felt natural.”

Si Datu Bua; Photo: Cookson Adventures & Silolona Sojourns

Destinations on the 10-day itinerary include Misool, the Fam Islands, Balbulol and Wagmab islands, and Mesempta.

Activities will include visiting shark nurseries and tagging pups, alongside scuba diving, watersports sessions, hikes and cave explorations. The charter guests will also be joined by a film crew, who will produce a cinematic documentary at the end of the charter to capture the memories and help spread awareness.

Nick Davies, Managing Director at Cookson Adventures, said: “We’re proud to curate an itinerary where guests can make a meaningful impact to leopard shark conservation, in a way where the experiences will be unique, fun and engaging. I think this itinerary will prove very popular with families who want to engage in a very special and meaningful conservation experience that will really make a difference.”

Cookson Adventures is offering the ‘Lost Sharks of Raja Ampat’ charter adventure from £368,000 / US$485,000 for a group of up to 14 guests onboard Silolona and Si Datu Bua.
silolona.com

cooksonadventures.com