There's a wide number of dive web pages Within this excellent desired destination. Located in the centre on the Coral Triangle, the level of maritime biodiversity located in Raja Ampat is unmatched any where else on the planet.
The northern and central locations of Raja Ampat characteristic thrilling dives full of fish, thrilling drift dives and delightful difficult coral reefs. Below, the mass motion of drinking water on Each and every tide draws in big colleges of fish and plenty of manta rays, such as enormous large manta rays. Night dives around the jetties Within this location are especially unforgettable for the Strange and fantastic critters you are able to see.
The southern area of Raja Ampat is characterised by spectacularly colourful tender corals And large sea fans. Maritime lifetime is equally impressive with mantas, sharks and macro existence galore.
Raja Ampat covers an enormous location, so a liveaboard is a great strategy to take a look at The nice dive sites. Enjoy Raja Ampat from your convenience of the liveaboard. E-book with us now!
Greatest Dive Sites in Raja Ampat
We have divided the top dive web sites in Raja Ampat into some broad parts – Dampier Strait northern dive sites, central dive web-sites and Misool.
We have explained below the most beneficial dive internet sites in Raja Ampat. There are several other amazing dive spots, but you will find a lot of to say them all. We've got lined the most well-liked, and those frequented most often through the liveaboards.
Raja Ampat - Dampier Strait Dive Web pages
The distances amongst the dive websites while in the north could be really huge. Consequently, We now have break up the diving in Raja Ampat's north into individual spots.
Wayag
During the quite north of Raja Ampat is a group of islands around Wayag. The viewpoints here will award the adventurous Using the atypical view of Raja Ampat. Quite a few little limestone islands nestled from the obvious blue waters from the lagoons are a small amount of paradise.
The liveaboards mainly pay a visit to this spot to the viewpoint and lagoons. Young manta rays and a very good range of black-suggestion reef sharks shelter during the relaxed, shallow waters here. You could possibly do a handful of dives in this article beside the limestone islands. The reefs Allow me to share rocky slopes with very good odds to determine nudibranchs, scorpionfish, Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish munching about the challenging corals and perhaps a passing ray.
Kawe
The equator dissects the large island of Kawe. South of the equator is two great dive sites.
Black Rock
Found on the west coast of Kawe Island this sizeable dive web site needs a minimum of two dives to swim throughout. The everyday entry point is within the northwest Portion of the dive web site where by there are a few tiny pinnacles included with delicate corals and sea fans. Swimming to the south a gentle slope is current with incredibly big bushes of black corals hosting teams of oriental sweetlips and snappers. If drifting into the southern A part of the positioning, you might stumble upon big rocks with much maritime existence to check out. Watch out to the deep drinking water for pelagics including dogtooth tuna, Spanish mackerel and also the occasional white idea and gray reef sharks. Manta Rays have normally been witnessed listed here too.
Eagle Rock
Liveaboards generally do a couple of dives on this site because of its size. Eagle Rock is household to the most important reef manta ray inhabitants inside the northern Section of Raja Ampat. Important aggregations of black snappers and yellowtail barracudas are normally all-around. The west part of the site has huge rocks down to twenty five metres included with sea lovers where pygmy seahorses are noticed. Ghost pipefish camouflage on their own from the black coral bushes. Wobbegongs and stingrays are often seen while in the cracks with the boulders. In the shallow rock, hydroids are present, and this is a superb possibility to see Pontohi seahorses.
Aljui Bay
White Arrow
The wall of Aljui may be very remarkable in areas with many crevasses along the wall. Sea fans and delicate coals are current on the site. Numerous species of nudibranchs are observed in this article. Provide together a dive gentle to find the maritime lifetime that works by using the smaller cuts in the wall to cover from predators. Ghost pipefish, longfin comet fish, and juvenile snappers are often seen listed here. Look in The ocean lovers to the uniquely coloured yellow Bargibanti pygmy seahorse.
Aljui Bay Jetty
You will find a huge pearl farm inside the bay, they usually built some jetties together the coastline. Great place to do an afternoon dive to discover the sandy slope where by there are significant difficult coral heads. This is among the web pages the place wobbegong sharks are Nearly guaranteed. You will find a incredibly big resident school of yellow lined scads beneath the primary jetty. All through night time time this dive web-site transforms into one of several most productive for macro maritime existence from the north A part of Raja Ampat. Spot-tail frogfish, ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish plus the endemic walking shark (Epaulette shark) are a number of the highlights of This great site.
Penemu
This is a well-liked spot to the liveaboards due to fantastic viewpoint listed here. Usually there are some wonderful dives here as well.
Melissa's Backyard garden
The most-nutritious hard coral reef in Raja Ampat. An enormous plateau slopes off into sandy areas with big coral heads. Wobbegong sharks lie less than these bommies, surrounded by glassfish. Discover across the plateau right before heading up in the shallows. The immaculate hard corals host A huge number of colourful anthias and fish university all around this region. Blacktip reef sharks will often be observed cruising over the top of the corals.
Batu Rufus
Batu Rufus has an awesome challenging coral garden from the shallows, an ideal natural environment for blacktip reef sharks. Partitions to the west are protected with smooth corals, sea supporters and astounding crimson anemones. Learn the secrets of the sandy rubble slopes into the south with large coral heads all together the slope the place Pontohi pygmy seahorses are sometimes witnessed. Investigate the shallows fantastic to accomplish your security prevent at the internet site and dive definitely one of the most popular swim troughs in the region.
Raja Ampat - Central Dive Web-sites
Dampier Strait is named following British navigator William Dampier. The large system of drinking water separates the islands of Waigeo and Batanta. The dive web pages are predominately on the northern facet on the strait throughout the islands of Kri and Mansuar. With all around thirty dives web pages within a 10-kilometre radius of those islands, you will find too many to put in writing about below. We listing many of our favourites.
Manta Sandy
Manta rays occur in this article to some cleaning station. Look for a spot from the sand, kneel down, and watch the display! Should the mantas Do not seem, there is certainly an abundance of macro daily life from the sand. Watch out for wobbegong sharks about the reef. You will find a long term ranger's station created over the sandbanks, and you may find out about the conservation of those majestic rays in the locals.
Arborek Jetty
One of several villages visited most while in the central Component of Raja Ampat is Arborek Village. Below the locals crafted a small jetty exactly where the maritime lifestyle is concentrated, from the big faculty of Yellow Lined Scads towards the uncommon blue-ringed octopus. A gentle slope with reef and sandy parts drops all the way down to 25 metres. You can find enormous coral heads, the best habitat for wobbegong sharks. Arborek Jetty is The perfect dive internet site to perform within the afternoon and is frequently dived at nighttime. Reef manta rays are seen swimming by a result of the vicinity of Manta Sandy.
Cape Kri
Cape Kri may be the dive internet site that set Raja Ampat within the map. Located in the central space of Raja Ampat, from the Dampier Strait. Dr Gerry Allen recorded 374 diverse species on just one tank dive at this impressive dive website. Education sweetlips, jacks, surgeonfish, barracudas, fusiliers and batfish might be sighted all together this dive web site. Blacktip reef sharks swim inside the shallows, and grey reef sharks cruise in the deep. Turtles, napoleons and bumphead parrotfish also are often spotted here.
Sardine Reef
Sardine Reef is One of the more well known dive web sites during the Dampier place due to superior focus of fish motion. Barracudas, batfish, bumphead parrotfish, black snappers, sweetlips And big educational facilities of neon fusiliers are constantly present on This great site. If The present is operating black idea, white idea and gray reef sharks will probably be patrolling the reef. Here are a few significant boulders on the edge in the reef protected in comfortable corals, best regions for that wobbegong sharks to hide. Mainly because of the vicinity on the dive website Blue Magic, large manta rays in many cases are seen in this article in conjunction with turtles especially in the shallows on the reef. The identify Sardine Reef is due to the many maritime lifetime remaining packed into 1 dive internet site similar to a can of sardines.
Blue Magic
A little pinnacle that claims magic! Grey reef sharks prowl large schools of jacks, snappers and fusiliers. visit Wobbegong sharks lie underneath the coral heads. And big manta rays love to come back right here for just a thoroughly clean. Located in the vicinity of Mioskon island, this pinnacle is a must in your visit to obtain the magical knowledge with the largest ray inside the ocean. Together the shallows of the head, there are a few major boulders dwelling to frogfish, Pontohi seahorses and sometimes blue-ringed octopus.
Raja Ampat - Misool Dive Sites
The dive sites On this southern part of Raja Ampat are concentrated in the area southeast of Misool island, among the list of 4 kings. Misool has countless dive web sites it will be unachievable to mention them all.
Misool is a vast region. Many liveaboards will invest the whole working day in a single area of Misool. We've listed beneath a number of the most popular parts and our favorite dive internet sites within just them.
Fiabecet
An unlimited ridge connects the two significant islands of Kalig and Boo. The ridge rises to the surface in various areas, producing magnificent dive sites.
Nudi Rock
Over drinking water, this rock looks like a nudibranch. Beneath the surface area is a considerable dive web site plastered with colourful comfortable corals. The health of the reef draws in plentiful marine existence. Pygmy seahorses, education barracuda, wobbegong sharks, turtles, hunting jacks, reef sharks, colourful anemones internet hosting anemone fish, gentle coral pipefish and of course nudibranchs.
Batu Kecil
"Batu" suggests rock and "Kecil" indicates little. The tiny rock is the only Portion of the site that breaks the surface but underwater it truly is the other. With partitions within the north and also while in the south, this massive dive site is often dived Anytime from the day. On both sides, the wide volume of gentle corals is past belief. Huge Napoleon wrasse swimming about are normally a treat. Hawksbill turtles are virtually resident to this site.
Whale Rock
The title originates from by far the most prominent rock shape that is sort of a whale. An unlimited technique with an excessive amount to determine in just one dive, the positioning consists of two islands. A single compact and a person larger, and in between There exists a coral head with one of the most amount of smooth corals you'll at any time see! You can find not a cost-free space over the rock For additional corals to increase on it. Below the currents run from north to south which is why the center rock is paradise for divers and to the corals that improve there. You'll find always nutrients passing by all day extensive. White tip reef sharks typically patrol the center rock. The challenging coral gardens on both equally islands are healthful as is often. You will discover good opportunities to view blacktip reef sharks and turtles swimming all over while in the shallows.
Boo & Close by
Boo Home windows
An legendary shallow swim-by is one focus of the superb dive web-site. It has even showcased over the entrance include of a reserve about Raja Ampat. An additional is the extensive ridge That could be a hub of action. Unsuspecting snappers college higher than camouflaged wobbegong sharks. Manta rays come to the cleaning stations right here. Gray reef sharks patrol the deep and curious blacktip reef sharks look into the divers inside the shallows. As with virtually all dive web sites in Misool, the immense number of colourful tender corals could possibly blow your thoughts! A necessity-do dive web site in Misool.
Shadow Reef
Shadow Reef aka Magic Mountain is near to Boo. Listed here you could see reef and giant manta rays, one among a only a few sites on earth in which you can see both equally species on 1 dive. In addition, The complete pinnacle is wholly lined in fish everyday living! That is an especially popular dive web site, and you will see why when you soar in. This significant pinnacle is extremely active! Snappers, barracuda, jacks, batfish, fusiliers, grey reef, groupers to call a few of the resident fish in this article. With the lucky divers, a dolphin may well move by way too.
Yuliet
This dive web site is an in depth underwater reef That always confuses divers due to the dimension from the compact rock that comes out of the drinking water. The northern Component of the positioning has remarkable partitions right down to thirty metres with a huge colony of sea enthusiasts web hosting the Denise pygmy seahorse plus the Bargibanti pygmy seahorse. Light slopes are during the east and west with substantial barrel sponges and whip corals. A little ridge for the south of the internet site is exactly where, dependant upon the recent, You can find routinely a sizzling location for large concentrations of fish such as Chevron barracudas and spadefish. The shallows of Yuliet have extremely significant bommies lined completely in smooth coral and some difficult corals, the proper spot to perform the protection cease.
Wayilbatan
Neptune's Supporter Sea
For most scuba divers, This web site results in being their favourite site just after a few minutes on the dive. The dive web page is situated while in the channel made by Wayilbatan Island and Warakaket Island. The northern part consists of an incredibly Light slope right down to 35 meters that transforms right into a wall that is most likely on the list of richest in smooth corals and sea enthusiasts in the region. There is certainly great marine lifetime to discover. Pygmy seahorses are frequently witnessed, and now and again, the most important reef-related fish on earth the enormous grouper is often found in the course of the channel resting or swimming by along the wall. The shallow, challenging coral yard while in the south on the dive website is thoughts-blowing, the proper spot to try and do the final a few minutes of the dive.
Wedding Cake
Probably the most extraordinary underwater topography in the area, with ledges slopes and walls, this site has everything. In November and December Wedding ceremony Cake plays host to massive faculties of silverside fish which happen to be the favourite food items from the Mobula rays. Often observed Listed below are big groups of Mobula feeding about the silverside fish, and that is an experience of a lifetime. During the west, while in the sandy slope part of the internet site, turtles and many individual fish such as the pink eye goby and also the great colourful flasher wrasse males exhibiting their pectoral fin to attract the women in many cases are viewed.
Wayili Rock
This website is on a regular basis dived in the afternoon or as a night dive. Below it is usually lovely to see the existence of a huge faculty of spadefish and barracudas. Slopes towards the east Element of the location and remarkable mini partitions in the west variety this excellent dive. Amazing hard coral gardens from the shallows are where reef octopus and turtles appear to scrub in the late afternoon. Throughout the evening dives the endemic epaulette shark is almost confirmed. Lots of divers right here have also witnessed the smallest pygmy seahorse in the world, the Satomi pygmy seahorse.
Daram
Sweet Retail outlet
The Sweet Keep partitions are solely included in marine life. There is much soft coral and whip corals there are not several empty spots alongside the partitions, dropping down to 35 metres in addition. The coral is so colourful that divers chose to give This website the identify of Candy Shop as a consequence of so much colour in one locale. The difficult coral in the shallows is fantastic, as well as best part is that it is at an ideal depth to try and do the safety prevent. Napoleon wrasse, turtles and a resident university of neon fusiliers make this site a fantastic option to dive Anytime in the day.
Andiamo
Andiamo is a huge web page with incredible maritime life living on it. Into the east of the location, You will find a pinnacle exactly where a big faculty of barracudas and spadefish have adopted it as their house. The head alone is covered with delicate coral and gorgonian sea followers. Pelagics, sharks and perhaps big manta rays are noticed right here. Just after within just 35 minutes you'll be able to swim to the most crucial rock. The deep wall on the north or the slope space around the south, in both directions, are protected with marine life. Educational facilities of yellow snappers are always ready within the shallows. Listed here the barrel sponges increase to remarkable sizes building them one of several highlights of the website.
Other Functions
Many liveaboards will stop by the world of Penemu for your viewpoint there. Easy techniques to the very best will award you with a gorgeous watch throughout the limestone formations inside the crystal-crystal clear waters beneath.
Arborek Village is really a favorite place for liveaboards to visit. The kids here really like readers and can observe you all over this beautifully saved village. Carry along provides for the school or treats for the kids for added smiles!
Tomolol Cave is a very exclusive experience. Take a journey with the pearl farm in the bay in the maze of limestone formations. At the conclusion of the beautiful tour, a massive cavern will quickly seem. You'll be able to swim by means of this wide cavern and become surprised through the rock formations. see this Enormous stalactites and stalagmites are forming within Tomolol Cave for thousands of several years.
A lot of regions of Raja Ampat are only waiting to get explored. The countless limestone islands and rocks generate solution lagoons. Liveaboards might acquire you over a lagoon tour to get pleasure from these stunning seascapes.
Shorelines are almost everywhere in Raja Ampat! Just ask your liveaboard to drop you off between dives to examine a Seaside all to yourselves.
Maritime Park and Conservation in Raja Ampat
The Raja Ampat Marine Guarded Region community handles a region of 1,185,940 hectares. It was produced in 2002 which is comprised of seven distinct marine protected places. They can be managed through the Raja Ampat Regency plus the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in partnership with nearby communities and with guidance from Worldwide NGOs.
All readers to Raja Ampat are necessary to buy a permit and that is valid for 12 months. The cash gathered goes in direction of the operational fees of preserving the MPAs and also to Neighborhood conservation and advancement initiatives.