The crossing by speedboat to Maratua. Be careful! The small speed boats are not equipped for this crossing of about thirty nautical miles unless the sea is calm and the weather is nice. Speed boats have absolutely no safety equipment and the boatsmen lack navigation skills and cannot cope with bad weather. The boats lack radio, charts, some have no compass, they have no laternas or flares, no life raft/lifeboat. Celebes Sea is a rough sea with large tidal differences, greatest at the full moon, which affects currents and whirlpools. Make sure to take note of weather forecasts before the crossing and the trip back. If there is doubt regarding the weather, stay overnight and wait for better weather.
Balikpapan, East Kalimantan

