There exists a extensive number of dive web-sites On this fantastic place. Located in the centre on the Coral Triangle, the extent of maritime biodiversity located in Raja Ampat is unmatched anywhere else on the planet.
The northern and central locations of Raja Ampat function thrilling dives brimming with fish, thrilling drift dives and exquisite difficult coral reefs. Below, the mass movement of h2o on Every tide draws in substantial educational facilities of fish and plenty of manta rays, together with monumental large manta rays. Night dives to the jetties On this area are especially unforgettable for that Odd and great critters you are able to see.
The southern location of Raja Ampat is characterised by spectacularly colourful delicate corals And big sea lovers. Marine life is equally spectacular with mantas, sharks and macro everyday living galore.
Raja Ampat handles an enormous spot, so a liveaboard is a perfect approach to investigate The good dive internet sites. Get pleasure from Raja Ampat within the ease and comfort of a liveaboard. E book with us right now!
Very best Dive Web sites in Raja Ampat
We now have divided the ideal dive sites in Raja Ampat into some wide locations – Dampier Strait northern dive web sites, central dive web-sites and Misool.
We've got explained below the most beneficial dive web pages in Raja Ampat. There are many other amazing dive spots, but there are too many to say them all. We've got lined the most popular, and those visited most often from the liveaboards.
Raja Ampat - Dampier Strait Dive Internet sites
The distances amongst the dive web-sites inside the north can be really wide. Therefore, We've got break up the diving in Raja Ampat's north into independent parts.
Wayag
Inside the quite north of Raja Ampat is a group of islands close to Wayag. The viewpoints right here will award the adventurous with the atypical perspective of Raja Ampat. Quite a few smaller limestone islands nestled while in the clear blue waters of your lagoons are a little bit of paradise.
The liveaboards mainly check out this place for that viewpoint and lagoons. Younger manta rays and an excellent range of black-idea reef sharks shelter inside the calm, shallow waters below. It's possible you'll do two or three dives below next to the limestone islands. The reefs Here i will discuss rocky slopes with great chances to find out nudibranchs, scorpionfish, Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish munching around the hard corals and maybe a passing ray.
Kawe
The equator dissects the big island of Kawe. South with the equator is 2 great dive web-sites.
Black Rock
Located about the west Coastline of Kawe Island this significant dive internet site needs no less than two dives to swim all around. The typical entry issue is within the northwest Element of the dive website in which Here are a few tiny pinnacles protected with comfortable corals and sea enthusiasts. Swimming in direction of the south a mild slope is present with very substantial bushes of black corals web hosting groups of oriental sweetlips and snappers. If drifting into the southern Component of the website, you might run into large rocks with Considerably maritime lifetime to see. Look out in the deep h2o for pelagics for example dogtooth tuna, Spanish mackerel along with the occasional white tip and gray reef sharks. Manta Rays have usually been seen here as well.
Eagle Rock
Liveaboards generally do a handful of dives on This page resulting from its dimension. Eagle Rock is household to the largest reef manta ray population during the northern part of Raja Ampat. Sizeable aggregations of black snappers and yellowtail barracudas are normally all around. The west part of the location has massive rocks down to 25 metres coated with sea supporters wherever pygmy seahorses are found. Ghost pipefish camouflage them selves within the black coral bushes. Wobbegongs and stingrays are routinely viewed inside the cracks with the boulders. Within the shallow rock, hydroids are current, and this is an excellent possibility to see Pontohi seahorses.
Aljui Bay
White Arrow
The wall of Aljui is quite extraordinary in locations with quite a few crevasses together the wall. Sea fans and smooth coals are present on the location. Lots of species of nudibranchs are observed right here. Carry along a dive light to find the maritime daily life that utilizes the smaller cuts in the wall to hide from predators. Ghost pipefish, longfin comet fish, and juvenile snappers are frequently observed here. Appear in The ocean lovers for the uniquely coloured yellow Bargibanti pygmy seahorse.
Aljui Bay Jetty
There is a large pearl farm In the bay, they usually built several jetties alongside the coastline. Ideal destination to do an afternoon dive to examine the sandy slope where by you can find large really hard coral heads. This is amongst the web-sites the place wobbegong sharks are Pretty much guaranteed. There's a incredibly big resident college of yellow lined scads underneath the primary jetty. For the duration of night time time this dive website transforms into one of the most efficient for macro maritime lifestyle in the north part of Raja Ampat. Location-tail frogfish, ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish along with the endemic going for walks shark (Epaulette shark) are a number of the highlights of this site.
Penemu
This is a popular location for your liveaboards a result of the amazing viewpoint right here. There are several astounding dives here far too.
Melissa's Backyard
By far the most-healthy tricky coral reef in Raja Ampat. A large plateau slopes off into sandy spots with massive coral heads. Wobbegong sharks lie below these bommies, surrounded by glassfish. Explore round the plateau in advance of heading up to the shallows. The immaculate difficult corals host Many colourful anthias and fish faculty throughout this area. Blacktip reef sharks in many cases are seen cruising over the top of the corals.
Batu Rufus
Batu Rufus has an amazing hard coral garden while in the shallows, a wonderful natural environment for blacktip reef sharks. Partitions towards the west are included with comfortable corals, sea admirers and incredible purple anemones. Learn the secrets in the sandy rubble slopes for the south with major coral heads all along the slope in which Pontohi pygmy seahorses tend to be observed. Discover the shallows ideal to complete your protection cease at the site and dive genuinely Just about the most famed swim troughs in the area.
Raja Ampat - Central Dive Internet sites
Dampier Strait is named following British navigator William Dampier. The large physique of water separates the islands of Waigeo and Batanta. The dive sites are predominately on the northern facet on the strait across the islands of Kri and Mansuar. With about 30 dives sites in just a 10-kilometre radius of these islands, you will discover too many to put in writing about here. We listing some of our favourites.
Manta Sandy
Manta rays appear in this article into a cleansing station. Locate a location from the sand, kneel down, and view the display! If the mantas Never surface, you will find a lot of macro daily life from the sand. Watch out for wobbegong sharks within the reef. There's a permanent ranger's station created about the sandbanks, and you may study the conservation of such majestic rays through the locals.
Arborek Jetty
Among the list of villages frequented most inside the central Section of Raja Ampat is Arborek Village. Below the locals crafted a small jetty where the maritime life is concentrated, with the massive faculty of Yellow Lined Scads to the scarce blue-ringed octopus. A gentle slope with reef and sandy parts drops all the way down to twenty five metres. You will find huge coral heads, the best habitat for wobbegong sharks. Arborek Jetty is The perfect dive web-site to do within the afternoon and is often dived during the night. Reef manta rays are witnessed swimming by due to vicinity of Manta Sandy.
Cape Kri
Cape Kri will be the dive web page that set Raja Ampat within the map. Situated in the central place of Raja Ampat, during the Dampier Strait. Dr Gerry Allen recorded 374 distinct species on one tank dive at this amazing dive site. Education sweetlips, jacks, surgeonfish, barracudas, fusiliers and batfish is often sighted all alongside this dive website. Blacktip reef sharks swim while in the shallows, and gray reef sharks cruise while in the deep. Turtles, napoleons and bumphead parrotfish may also be normally noticed below.
Sardine Reef
Sardine Reef is one of the most famed dive web pages within the Dampier spot a result of the substantial focus of fish motion. Barracudas, batfish, bumphead parrotfish, black snappers, sweetlips and massive universities of neon fusiliers are generally present on This web site. If the current is working black idea, white idea and grey reef sharks will probably be patrolling the reef. There are several large boulders on the sting with the reef lined in gentle corals, perfect parts for your wobbegong sharks to cover. As a result of vicinity of the dive internet site Blue Magic, huge manta rays are sometimes witnessed right here in conjunction with turtles especially in the shallows from the reef. The name Sardine Reef is due to all the marine life becoming packed into a person see this dive web page like a can of sardines.
Blue Magic
A little pinnacle that promises magic! Gray reef sharks prowl significant colleges of jacks, snappers and fusiliers. Wobbegong sharks lie under the coral heads. And large manta rays adore to come back in this article for a clean. Situated close to Mioskon island, this pinnacle is a must in your go to to find the magical practical experience with the most important ray while in the ocean. Alongside the shallows of the pinnacle, There are several massive boulders dwelling to frogfish, Pontohi seahorses and sometimes blue-ringed octopus.
Raja Ampat - Misool Dive Websites
The dive web pages During this southern A part of Raja Ampat are concentrated in the region southeast of Misool island, one of many 4 kings. Misool has so many dive sites It's going to be unattainable to mention them all.
Misool is an enormous place. Quite a few liveaboards will devote The entire day in a single spot of Misool. We've got detailed down below a few of the preferred regions and our favourite dive sites inside of them.
Fiabecet
A vast ridge connects The 2 big islands of Kalig and Boo. The ridge rises on the floor in many parts, developing magnificent dive web-sites.
Nudi Rock
Over drinking water, this rock appears like a nudibranch. Under the surface area is a large dive web-site plastered with colourful delicate corals. The wellness of this reef appeals to ample marine daily life. Pygmy seahorses, education barracuda, wobbegong sharks, turtles, searching jacks, reef sharks, colourful anemones internet hosting anemone fish, smooth coral pipefish and naturally nudibranchs.
Batu Kecil
"Batu" suggests rock and "Kecil" indicates tiny. The compact rock is the only real Element of the positioning that breaks the surface area but underwater it's the alternative. With walls from the north in addition to in the south, this big dive site could be dived at any time of your working day. On both sides, the wide number of comfortable corals is outside of belief. Massive Napoleon wrasse swimming around are always a deal with. Hawksbill turtles are practically resident to This page.
Whale Rock
The identify arises from the most outstanding rock shape that is like a whale. An enormous process with too much to determine in just one dive, the positioning is made of two islands. A single tiny and just one greater, and in between There's a coral head with the most level of tender corals you'll ever see! There may be not a cost-free Place about the rock For additional corals to mature on it. Right here the currents operate from north to south and this is why the middle rock is paradise for divers and for that corals that develop there. You can find often nutrients passing by all day long long. White tip reef sharks usually patrol the middle rock. The really hard coral gardens on each islands are healthy as can be. You will find terrific options to check out blacktip reef sharks and turtles swimming all-around in the shallows.
Boo & Nearby
Boo Home windows
An legendary shallow swim-as a result of is 1 emphasis of this amazing dive website. It's even showcased within the front go over of the e book about Raja Ampat. An additional is definitely the long ridge That may be a hub of activity. Unsuspecting snappers university over camouflaged wobbegong sharks. Manta rays come to the cleaning stations in this article. Grey reef sharks patrol the deep and curious blacktip reef sharks look into the divers during the shallows. As with nearly all dive web-sites in Misool, the enormous quantity of colourful smooth corals may possibly blow your thoughts! A must-do dive website in Misool.
Shadow Reef
Shadow Reef aka Magic Mountain is near to Boo. Below it is possible to see reef and giant manta rays, amongst a very few destinations on the earth where you can see equally species on one dive. Additionally, the whole pinnacle is wholly lined in fish life! That is an extremely well-liked dive web site, and you may see why once you jump in. This massive pinnacle is extremely hectic! Snappers, barracuda, jacks, batfish, fusiliers, grey reef, groupers to call some of the resident fish listed here. For the Blessed divers, a dolphin may well pass by far too.
Yuliet
This dive site is an extensive underwater reef That always confuses divers because of the sizing of the small rock that comes out of your water. The northern Element of the website has dramatic walls down to thirty metres with a large colony of sea followers web hosting the Denise pygmy seahorse and the Bargibanti pygmy seahorse. Mild slopes are from the east and west with significant barrel sponges and whip corals. A small ridge for the south of the positioning is where by, depending upon the present, There exists routinely a scorching place for big concentrations of fish which include Chevron barracudas and spadefish. The shallows of Yuliet have very significant bommies covered solely in comfortable coral plus some difficult corals, the perfect spot to try and do the security prevent.
Wayilbatan
Neptune's Fan Sea
For lots of scuba divers, This great site results in being their favorite internet site after a few minutes of your dive. The dive web page is situated in the channel developed by Wayilbatan Island and Warakaket Island. The northern part contains a really Light slope right down to 35 meters that transforms into a wall that is probably among the list of richest in gentle corals and sea supporters in the region. There is great marine lifetime to see. Pygmy seahorses are frequently seen, and occasionally, the largest reef-linked fish on the globe the large grouper is usually seen in the middle of the channel resting or swimming by together the wall. The shallow, challenging coral yard while in the south of the dive web-site is mind-blowing, the proper spot to try and do the final a few minutes in the dive.
Marriage Cake
Just about the most dramatic underwater topography in the area, with ledges slopes and walls, This great site has everything. In November check it out and December Wedding day Cake performs host to large schools of silverside fish which can be the favourite food stuff of your Mobula rays. Usually observed Listed here are massive groups of Mobula feeding about the silverside fish, and that's an knowledge of a life span. From the west, from the sandy slope Section of the location, turtles plus some unique fish such as the pink eye goby as well as the amazing colourful flasher wrasse males exhibiting their pectoral fin to entice the ladies are often noticed.
Wayili Rock
This site is regularly dived in the afternoon or as an evening dive. Here it is usually Pretty to see the existence of a major school of spadefish and barracudas. Slopes to your east part of the site and dramatic mini walls from the west sort this superb dive. Incredible tough coral gardens within the shallows are wherever reef octopus and turtles appear to wash in the late afternoon. In the night dives the endemic epaulette shark is almost guaranteed. A lot of divers right here have also viewed the smallest pygmy seahorse on earth, the Satomi pygmy seahorse.
Daram
Candy Keep
The Sweet Retail store partitions are fully included in maritime life. You can find a great deal of delicate coral and whip corals that there are not numerous empty spots together the walls, dropping right down to 35 metres in addition. The coral is so colourful that divers chose to give This web site the identify of Sweet Keep because of a lot colour in one locale. The difficult coral from the shallows is fantastic, as well as the best part is that it is at the perfect depth to perform the safety prevent. Napoleon wrasse, turtles plus a resident university of neon fusiliers make this site an awesome option to dive Anytime with the day.
Andiamo
Andiamo is an enormous internet site with outstanding maritime lifetime residing on it. To the east of the internet site, You will find a pinnacle where an enormous university of barracudas and spadefish have adopted it as their residence. The top by itself is roofed with soft coral and gorgonian sea supporters. Pelagics, sharks and in some cases huge manta rays are viewed listed here. Soon after within 35 minutes you can swim to the principle rock. The deep wall within the north or even the slope space on the south, in both Instructions, are lined with maritime lifetime. Schools of yellow snappers are always waiting from the shallows. In this article the barrel sponges mature to incredible dimensions producing them one of several highlights of the positioning.
Other Activities
Quite a few liveaboards will go to the world of Penemu to the viewpoint there. Straightforward measures to the very best will award you with a beautiful view across the limestone formations in the crystal-distinct waters below.
Arborek Village is a favourite spot for liveaboards to go to. The youngsters right here like people and can follow you all around this beautifully stored village. Provide alongside provides for The varsity or treats for the kids for additional smiles!
Tomolol Cave is a really distinctive practical experience. Have a ride through the pearl farm from the bay into your maze of limestone formations. At the conclusion of the beautiful tour, a large cavern will suddenly appear. It is possible to swim via this large cavern and become stunned through the rock formations. Substantial stalactites and stalagmites have already been forming within Tomolol Cave for A large number of a long time.
Lots of regions of Raja Ampat are just waiting around for being explored. The countless limestone islands and rocks create magic formula lagoons. Liveaboards could possibly choose you on the lagoon tour to enjoy these wonderful seascapes.
Beaches are all over the place in Raja Ampat! Just question your liveaboard to drop you off among dives to check out a beach all to yourselves.
Maritime Park and Conservation in Raja Ampat
The Raja Ampat Marine Secured Area community addresses a location of 1,185,940 hectares. It absolutely was established in 2002 which is comprised of seven distinct marine shielded places. They can be managed by the Raja Ampat Regency and also the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in partnership with regional communities and with guidance from Global NGOs.
All guests to Raja Ampat are essential to invest in a allow and that is valid for 12 months. The cash gathered goes in the direction of the operational expenses of maintaining the MPAs also to community conservation and advancement initiatives.