You will find a huge amount of dive websites On this amazing place. Located in the centre with the Coral Triangle, the extent of maritime biodiversity located in Raja Ampat is unmatched any place else on the globe.
The northern and central locations of Raja Ampat function thrilling dives jam packed with fish, exciting drift dives and exquisite hard coral reefs. Below, the mass motion of drinking water on Every single tide attracts significant colleges of fish and many manta rays, including huge huge manta rays. Night time dives within the jetties On this spot are specifically memorable for that weird and fantastic critters you'll be able to see.
The southern location of Raja Ampat is characterised by spectacularly colourful soft corals and massive sea lovers. Marine everyday living is equally outstanding with mantas, sharks and macro existence galore.
Raja Ampat covers a massive spot, so a liveaboard is an ideal solution to take a look at The good dive web-sites. Get pleasure from Raja Ampat from your comfort of the liveaboard. Ebook with us right now!
Greatest Dive Web sites in Raja Ampat
We now have separated the very best dive internet sites in Raja Ampat into some broad areas – Dampier Strait northern dive web-sites, central dive websites and Misool.
We have now described under the top dive web-sites in Raja Ampat. There are various other fantastic dive places, but there are actually too many to say all of them. We've got covered the most popular, and those visited most frequently through the liveaboards.
Raja Ampat - Dampier Strait Dive Sites
The distances involving the dive sites from the north may be fairly extensive. For that reason, We now have break up the diving in Raja Ampat's north into individual areas.
Wayag
While in the quite north of Raja Ampat is a group of islands all around Wayag. The viewpoints right here will award the adventurous Using the atypical check out of Raja Ampat. Lots of modest limestone islands nestled in the very clear blue waters on the lagoons are a small amount of paradise.
The liveaboards predominantly stop by this spot to the viewpoint and lagoons. Young manta rays and a superb amount of black-suggestion reef sharks shelter inside the serene, shallow waters below. You could possibly do a couple of dives below beside the limestone islands. The reefs Listed here are rocky slopes with fantastic possibilities to view nudibranchs, scorpionfish, Napoleon wrasse, bumphead parrotfish munching to the hard corals and maybe a passing ray.
Kawe
The equator dissects the big island of Kawe. South of your equator is 2 amazing dive web sites.
Black Rock
Positioned on the west coast of Kawe Island this sizeable dive internet site requirements at the very least two dives to swim throughout. The typical entry issue is around the northwest A part of the dive web page exactly where there are a few small pinnacles lined with tender corals and sea supporters. Swimming to the south a gentle slope is existing with very big bushes of black corals web hosting groups of oriental sweetlips and snappers. If drifting to your southern Section of the internet site, you'll come upon big rocks with Significantly marine lifestyle to find out. Watch out into the deep drinking water for pelagics which include dogtooth tuna, Spanish mackerel along with the occasional white tip and grey reef sharks. Manta Rays have typically been observed in this article too.
Eagle Rock
Liveaboards frequently do some dives on This website as a consequence of its dimensions. Eagle Rock is home to the biggest reef manta ray population within the northern A part of Raja Ampat. Important aggregations of black snappers and yellowtail barracudas are often all over. The west Component of the positioning has huge rocks right down to 25 metres covered with sea admirers where by pygmy seahorses are seen. Ghost pipefish camouflage by themselves in the black coral bushes. Wobbegongs and stingrays are often witnessed within the cracks of the boulders. For the shallow rock, hydroids are present, which is a superb possibility to see Pontohi seahorses.
Aljui Bay
White Arrow
The wall of Aljui is rather extraordinary in places with several crevasses together the wall. Sea enthusiasts and gentle coals are current on the site. Numerous species of nudibranchs are found in this article. Deliver together a dive mild to discover the maritime everyday living that takes advantage of the compact cuts in the wall to hide from predators. Ghost pipefish, longfin comet fish, and juvenile snappers tend to be observed right here. Glance in the sea enthusiasts for that uniquely coloured yellow Bargibanti pygmy seahorse.
Aljui Bay Jetty
There exists a huge pearl farm In the bay, they usually crafted some jetties along the coastline. Excellent location to do an afternoon dive to discover the sandy slope wherever you can find major challenging coral heads. This has become the web sites exactly where wobbegong sharks are Virtually confirmed. There's a very big resident university of yellow lined scads under the key jetty. All through night time this dive website transforms into on the list of best for macro maritime lifestyle inside the north part of Raja Ampat. Spot-tail frogfish, ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish as well as endemic walking shark (Epaulette shark) are a number of the highlights of This page.
Penemu
This is a popular spot with the liveaboards as a result of wonderful viewpoint here. Usually there are some astounding dives listed here far too.
Melissa's Backyard
By far the most-healthier really hard coral reef in Raja Ampat. A giant plateau slopes off into sandy spots with huge coral heads. Wobbegong sharks lie less than these bommies, surrounded by glassfish. Check out throughout the plateau before heading up in the shallows. The immaculate really hard corals host A large number of colourful anthias and fish college all around this space. Blacktip reef sharks in many cases are seen cruising excessive from the corals.
Batu Rufus
Batu Rufus has an awesome really hard coral back garden within the shallows, an excellent atmosphere for blacktip reef sharks. Partitions towards the west are included with tender corals, sea fans and awesome pink anemones. Learn the insider secrets in the sandy rubble slopes towards the south with huge coral heads all along the slope the place Pontohi pygmy seahorses tend to be noticed. Take a look at the shallows perfect to do your security quit at the site and dive certainly The most well known swim troughs in the region.
Raja Ampat - Central Dive Web-sites
Dampier Strait is named just after British navigator William Dampier. The large physique of h2o separates the islands of Waigeo and Batanta. The dive websites are predominately about the northern facet on the strait around the islands of Kri and Mansuar. With all over 30 dives web sites inside of a 10-kilometre radius of these islands, there are actually too many to write down about right here. We listing several of our favourites.
Manta Sandy
Manta rays arrive below to a cleaning station. Discover a spot within the sand, kneel down, and view the clearly show! When the mantas Really don't surface, there is certainly loads of macro existence while in the sand. Look out for wobbegong sharks on the reef. There is a everlasting ranger's station designed over the sandbanks, and you may study the conservation of such majestic rays from the locals.
Arborek Jetty
One of the villages visited most during the central Element of Raja Ampat is Arborek Village. Here the locals constructed a little jetty exactly where the marine everyday living is concentrated, in the huge university of Yellow Lined Scads towards the scarce blue-ringed octopus. A delicate slope with reef and sandy regions drops right down to 25 metres. You will find large coral heads, the proper habitat for wobbegong sharks. Arborek Jetty is The best dive web site to do inside the afternoon and is usually dived at nighttime. Reef manta rays are viewed swimming by a result of the vicinity of Manta Sandy.
Cape Kri
Cape Kri could be the dive web-site that set Raja Ampat around the map. Situated in the central area of Raja Ampat, while in the Dampier Strait. Dr Gerry Allen recorded 374 different species on an individual tank dive at this stunning dive web site. Schooling sweetlips, jacks, surgeonfish, barracudas, fusiliers and batfish is often sighted all together this dive web-site. Blacktip reef sharks swim while in the shallows, and grey reef sharks cruise from the deep. Turtles, napoleons and bumphead parrotfish are usually spotted listed here.
Sardine Reef
Sardine Reef is Among the most famed dive internet sites from the Dampier space due to superior concentration of fish motion. Barracudas, batfish, bumphead parrotfish, black snappers, sweetlips And large educational institutions of neon fusiliers are constantly current on This website. If The existing is managing black suggestion, white suggestion and grey reef sharks will likely be patrolling the reef. There are several big boulders on the sting in the reef coated in gentle corals, fantastic spots for the wobbegong sharks to hide. Mainly because of the vicinity on the dive internet site Blue Magic, huge manta rays tend to be noticed listed here along with turtles especially in the shallows with the reef. The identify Sardine Reef is because of many of the marine daily life getting packed into one particular dive site similar to a can of sardines.
Blue Magic
A little pinnacle that guarantees magic! Grey reef sharks prowl substantial universities of jacks, snappers and fusiliers. Wobbegong sharks lie beneath the coral heads. And giant manta rays appreciate to come right here for any thoroughly clean. Found near Mioskon island, this pinnacle is essential on your take a look at to find the magical expertise with the most important ray while in the ocean. Together the shallows of the top, Here are a few significant boulders dwelling to frogfish, Pontohi seahorses and occasionally blue-ringed octopus.
Raja Ampat - Misool Dive Websites
The dive web sites On this southern part of Raja Ampat are concentrated in the region southeast of Misool island, among the four kings. Misool has numerous dive web-sites It will probably be extremely hard to say all of them.
Misool is an unlimited region. Several liveaboards will devote The full day in a single area of Misool. We have shown down below a number of the most popular places and our favorite dive internet sites in them.
Fiabecet
A vast ridge connects the two big islands of Kalig and Boo. The ridge rises to the floor in many regions, building magnificent dive web-sites.
Nudi Rock
Higher than h2o, this rock appears like a nudibranch. Underneath the surface is a large dive website plastered with colourful soft corals. The wellness of this reef draws in abundant maritime everyday living. Pygmy seahorses, schooling barracuda, wobbegong sharks, turtles, hunting jacks, reef sharks, colourful anemones internet hosting anemone fish, delicate coral pipefish and naturally nudibranchs.
Batu Kecil
"Batu" suggests rock and "Kecil" usually means modest. The small rock is the one A part of the location that breaks the floor but underwater it is actually the alternative. With partitions while in the north in addition to inside the south, this large dive website could be dived at any time in the working day. On each side, the broad volume of gentle corals is over and above belief. Major Napoleon wrasse swimming all-around are usually a address. Hawksbill turtles are just about resident to This page.
Whale Rock
The identify originates from one of the most popular rock condition that is like a whale. An unlimited method with far too much to check out in just one dive, the site contains two islands. Just one compact and one more substantial, and in between There's a coral head with quite possibly the most number of tender corals you may at any time see! There's not a free of charge Place on the rock For additional corals to expand on it. Right here the currents operate from north to south and this is why the center rock is paradise for divers and for that corals Get More Information that expand there. You will find generally nutrients passing by all day long. White idea reef sharks normally patrol the center rock. The hard coral gardens on both of those islands are balanced as could be. There are actually excellent opportunities to view blacktip reef sharks and turtles swimming all around from the shallows.
Boo & Close by
Boo Windows
An legendary shallow swim-by means of is one emphasis of the superb dive web site. It's even highlighted within the front cover of a guide about Raja Ampat. A further will be the extended ridge that is a hub of exercise. Unsuspecting snappers school above 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 from the shallows. As with nearly all dive web-sites in Misool, the immense volume of colourful delicate corals may well blow your intellect! Essential-do dive web-site in Misool.
Shadow Reef
Shadow Reef aka Magic Mountain is close to Boo. Listed here you are able to see reef and giant manta rays, one among a not many locations on the planet in which you can see equally species on a single dive. In addition, the whole pinnacle is wholly included in fish existence! This is a very well known dive site, and you may see why as soon as you bounce in. This large pinnacle is quite busy! Snappers, barracuda, jacks, batfish, fusiliers, gray reef, groupers to call a few of the resident fish here. For the Fortunate divers, a dolphin could move by as well.
Yuliet
This dive website is an extensive underwater reef that often confuses divers a result of the dimension of the tiny rock that arrives out of your drinking water. The northern Component of the website has extraordinary walls right down to 30 metres using a significant colony of sea enthusiasts internet hosting the Denise pygmy seahorse as well as the Bargibanti pygmy seahorse. Gentle slopes are from the east and west with sizeable barrel sponges and whip corals. A little ridge to the south of the website is wherever, based on the recent, there is frequently a warm location for large concentrations of fish for instance Chevron barracudas and spadefish. The shallows of Yuliet have very massive bommies protected fully in smooth coral and some tricky corals, the ideal location to try and do the security halt.
Wayilbatan
Neptune's Supporter Sea
For a lot of scuba divers, This website becomes their favourite site after a couple of minutes of your dive. The dive site is situated while in the channel produced by Wayilbatan Island and Warakaket Island. The northern section includes a very Mild slope right down to 35 meters that transforms into a wall that might be among the richest in gentle corals and sea fans in the area. You click for more info can find great marine lifestyle to determine. Pygmy seahorses are often observed, and now and again, the greatest reef-linked fish on the earth the giant grouper is frequently observed in the midst of the channel resting or swimming by along the wall. The shallow, tricky coral backyard garden while in the south of the dive site is mind-blowing, the best spot to perform the final 3 minutes with the dive.
Marriage Cake
One of the more extraordinary underwater topography in the area, with ledges slopes and walls, this site has all of it. In November and December Wedding Cake performs host to big universities of silverside fish which happen to be the favorite foods of your Mobula rays. Frequently observed here are massive groups of Mobula feeding around the silverside fish, and that is an experience of the lifetime. While in the west, during the sandy slope Section of the positioning, turtles and a few unique fish like the pink eye goby along with the wonderful colourful flasher wrasse males exhibiting their pectoral fin to draw in the women will often be seen.
Wayili Rock
This web site is consistently dived within the afternoon or as a night dive. In this article it is usually Attractive to begin to see the presence of a huge college of spadefish and barracudas. Slopes towards the east Section of the internet site and spectacular mini walls in the west kind this excellent dive. Wonderful really hard coral gardens inside the shallows are the place reef octopus and turtles appear to scrub from the late afternoon. Over the evening dives the endemic epaulette shark is almost assured. Many divers listed here have also viewed the smallest pygmy seahorse on earth, the Satomi pygmy seahorse.
Daram
Sweet Retailer
The Candy Retail outlet partitions are entirely covered in marine existence. There is a lot delicate coral and whip corals there are not several vacant places along the partitions, dropping down to 35 metres as well as. The coral is so colourful that divers made a decision to give This great site the name of Candy Retail store as a result of a lot colour in one location. The tough coral from the shallows is superb, and also the better part is that it's at the ideal depth to carry out the safety quit. Napoleon wrasse, turtles along with a resident faculty of neon fusiliers make This great site a great choice to dive Anytime on the day.
Andiamo
Andiamo is an enormous site with amazing maritime existence living on it. On the east of the internet site, You will find a pinnacle the place a huge university of barracudas and spadefish have adopted it as their residence. The top itself is covered with soft coral and gorgonian sea admirers. Pelagics, sharks and also big manta rays have been witnessed right here. Just after within just 35 minutes it is possible to swim to the most crucial rock. The deep wall over the north or even the slope spot about the south, in the two directions, are coated with maritime lifestyle. Educational facilities of yellow snappers are constantly ready in the shallows. Here the barrel visit sponges grow to incredible dimensions creating them one of many highlights of the positioning.
Other Actions
A lot of liveaboards will pay a visit to the realm of Penemu to the viewpoint there. Simple steps to the top will award you with a beautiful see throughout the limestone formations during the crystal-clear waters down below.
Arborek Village is usually a favourite spot for liveaboards to go to. The youngsters right here really like site visitors and can abide by you around this beautifully kept village. Convey together provides for the school or treats for the children for excess smiles!
Tomolol Cave is an extremely exclusive practical experience. Have a journey through the pearl farm in the bay into the maze of limestone formations. At the end of The gorgeous tour, a massive cavern will all of a sudden surface. You'll be able to swim via this large cavern and become shocked via the rock formations. Substantial stalactites and stalagmites are already forming within Tomolol Cave for thousands of a long time.
Lots of parts of Raja Ampat are only waiting being explored. The endless limestone islands and rocks produce magic formula lagoons. Liveaboards may well take you over a lagoon tour to enjoy these attractive seascapes.
Beaches are everywhere in Raja Ampat! Just inquire your liveaboard to fall you off among dives to check out a Seashore all to yourselves.
Marine Park and Conservation in Raja Ampat
The Raja Ampat Marine Shielded Space community covers a place of 1,185,940 hectares. It had been created in 2002 and it is comprised of 7 unique marine safeguarded regions. These are managed because of the Raja Ampat Regency and also the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in partnership with area communities and with assistance from Intercontinental NGOs.
All visitors to Raja Ampat are necessary to get a allow which can be valid for twelve months. The cash collected goes towards the operational fees of retaining the MPAs and to community conservation and development initiatives.