Raja Ampat Dive Sites
Manta Ridge
This is one of the larger islands in the archipelago. The stunning reefs around Misool offer a breathtaking kaleidoscope of colour which offers a nice contrast to all the big stuff on other dive sites. Sloping walls are carpeted with soft corals of every colour imaginable housing all manner of critters from ghost pipefish to harlequin shrimp to pygmy seahorses.’
Cape Kri
This reef is one of the more popular dive sites of Raja Ampat and its no surprise why. Marine Biologist and respected author of a number of marine reference books Dr. Gerald R. Allen said “On my last trip to Raja Ampat, I recorded 283 fish species during a single dive near the Kri Island resorts. This is the most fishes ever seen on a single dive over a career spanning almost 30 years.”
Divers here can look forward to being literally engulfed by fish, huge swirling schools of dogtooth tuna, jacks, giant trevally and chevron barracuda. In addition to these expect to see large napoleon wrasse, car sized Queensland groupers and reef sharks as you drift along with the fish. Coral growth here is also diverse with all manner of hard and soft varieties. It is best to stay deep here to avoid the stong surface currents.
Sardine Reef
Sardine reef is a large off shore reef that slopes down to around 25 meters. There are no actual sardines here but the fish are so tightly packed that it derives the name of the dive site. Great schools of fish block out the light, jacks, tuna, trevally, they’re all here in huge numbers. There are also Australian Wobbegongs to be found here hiding under ledges and table corals. This dive really is a fish frenzy, you even need to stay close to your buddy if you want to keep them in sight for the living walls of fish.
Cross Wreck
Named after a cross marking the landing spot of the first Christian missionaries to Irian Jaya this wreck is upright on the sandy bed at 18 meters. The Japanese patrol boat is the most accessible of all Raja Ampat wrecks, depth charges and the ships lamps can still be seen. Penetration is possible to the communications room, engine room and front hold where features such as the switchboard and ammunition can be seen. Coral cover is good and plenty of reef inhabitants now call the wreck thier home, these include lionfish, huge napoleon wrasse, humphead parrotfish and all manner of critters that come our especially at night.
Critters Corner
At the end of the Cross Wreck is this delightful little area back towards the beach. In amongst the sand and rubble are a vast array of critters including frogfish, leaffish, devil scorpionfish, seahorses and mantis shrimp.
Shinwa Maru
This WWII cargo ship wreck is one of the more impressive, she lies on her port side from 16 to 34 meters. Two huge bomb damage holes on the starboard side are visible and all manner of debris including mine sweeping equipment, technical equipment, car batteries, cables ammunition and sake bottles is strewn around. Two diving helmets make a great photo opportunity. This wreck is not as densely covered in corals as the Cross Wreck, but is home to many schooling jacks and plenty of pipefish. The wooden floors of the bridge have collapsed and most of its contents are still there.
Aircraft Wrecks
There is a wrecked P40 that was shot down and now lies at 27 meters, the plane which is still largely intact was discovered in 1999.
The Passage
The passage lies between the islands of Gam and Waigeo. It is only about 25 meters wide and looks more like a river from the surface. A jumble of rocks marks the entrance to this enchanting looking dive site, the coral almost grows to the surface here. There is not much choice but to drop in and drift down the channel, pausing in bays where the current is more forgiving. Plenty of life can be found here including octopus, flatworms and cuttlefish, even the Wobbegong shark can be spotted on occasion. Schools of bigger fish await out in the current such as jacks, tuna, barracuda and sharks. Caves and arches also make up some of the topography here.
Pef house reef
The house reef of Pulau Pef offers good diving and snorkelling opportunities, with a great variety of fish and critters. Night dives are convenient, colourful and productive, with the endemic Raja Ampat Walking Shark often sighted. At times a school of Batfish reside under the pier making for good photographic opportunities, and often baby Blacktip Sharks can be seen playfully hunting small fish in the shallows under the restaurant. A snorkel along the house reef reveals colourful coral gardens and whatever your are lucky to encounter: Clownfish in anemones, schools of Bumphead Parrotfishes, every shape and size of reef fish, octopus, cuttle fish, resting Wobbegong Sharks, nudibranchs , Mandarin Fishes – the possibilities are endless.
Boo Island
From the surface area you will find a couple of boulders set aside through a little expanse of water, down below you will find Raja Ampat’s wealth underwater life at the ready to be discovered.
From the surface area you will find a couple of boulders set aside through a little expanse of water, down below you will find Raja Ampat’s wealth underwater life at the ready to be discovered. The very first thing you will find while you go down your BCD and plummet through to this vivid reef, can be a huge swim through in superficial water where a few divers can sink into all at once. This can be typically done by the end with the dive as there is a lot to check out before carrying this out.
Initially you will work the right path across a wall that typically features a great deal of the reason why Raja Ampat is extraordinary. Dendronephyta soft corals, barrel sponges, gorgonians as well as other varieties of acropora just about all contend for breathing space of such a brilliantly colored panorama of the blue. You should definitely check out the seawhips as well while you might be ready to see little commensal shrimps hanging on them, hidden within an indistinguishable green to that within their houses.
Across the wall, and everywhere else in this particular dive site really are a large number of nudibranchs and this includes Phyllidia nigra, Phyllidia elegans and Chromodoris willani. The wall will morph right into an inclined reef prior to giving route to a reef ledge, while you cruise across throughout scenery that appears to alter every matter of minutes.
Fabiacet
Fabiacet is known as a breath of refreshing air for everyone that aspires we’re able to often dive on coral reefs along with marine life as abundant as nature planned. If you are a worn out and exhausted grumpy aged diver, well then you should not sit this site out.
Fabiacet is known as a breath of refreshing air for everyone that aspires we’re able to often dive on coral reefs along with marine life as abundant as nature planned. If you are a worn out and exhausted grumpy aged diver, well then you should not sit this site out. Take your nitrox certification with you as this extraordinary Raja Ampat dive site is certainly one place in which you will surely be seeing to dwell down only if your air lasts.
Nearby rich waters all over such peaks and isles are incredibly deep and crystal clear. At this dive site, you will discover a number of the finest visibility in the beautiful Raja Ampat of around 40 meters and also the marine life is absolutely superb , hence take your wide-angle photographic camera lenses. Fantastic hammerhead sharks can be seen right here, given that the surrounding water is significantly deep as well as occasionally move towards not so deep water to find out about the boisterous, black and yellow rubber-clad, bubble-puffing critters are doing within the water.
The outside wall shallows are overpowered with brown, beige and cream leather corals as well as sponges. Neon fusiliers shine beyond and also the schooling ashen-lipped surgeonfish dive within a greater depth of water while you swim beyond. Green turtles sometimes appear busy consuming the sponges, and monochrome banded angelfish are typical at this dive site.
Farondi Island
Farondi Island highlights 2 famous dive sites. The Goa Besar and the Verena’s Garden. Among Raja Ampat dive destinations, Farondi Island is said to be the most favorite of all divers because of its distinctive seascape.
Goa Besar
Goa Besar is situated around the southern area of Farondi Islands. You are going to go down in a tiny southwest facing inlet upon a superficial wall top blanketed with plate corals, leather corals and yellow and purple sea squirts. Chromis and azure damoiselles indicate your dive to be the glint all over within the bright light.
Go to northwest part across the superficial shelved garden of yellow-colored soft corals and downward a wall within an underwater round gap. This hollow is filled with green, white and red black coral shrubberies, twine corals and covering sponges. Red ornamental ghost pipefish grasp undetected within the black corals.
Certainly the wall caves in to an overgrown shelf. Go along with this lowering towards the east and you will definitely experience a tunnel throughways colliding with about 25 meters along with green soft coral trees as well as yellow sponges. The tunnel is approximately 20 meters in length and 10 meters in width. Typically, you will discover nighttime snapper as well as sweetlips hanging out within the darker edges.
Off the right across the wall are incredible assortments of green, purple and orange soft corals, tiny fans, foxtail corals as well as whip corals. Take a look at the whip corals seeing that they coordinate whip coral gobies and hidden shrimps.
On the left of the channel, in the event a current is running, you could possibly observe countless lean fusiliers and huge fusiliers spilling on the wall. Around 20 meters you are going to encounter one more overhang that has fans as well as purple twine corals, shielding pound for yellowtail damsels and young coral demoiselles.
Gamfi Damu Island
The currents could very well be strong all across Gamfi Island however it is consistently good news given it produces nutrients towards the reef and you will probably discover the soft corals at their finest. Nearly all are at maximum extension, all set to capture and feed on any free hovering food items, including tiny sea water shrimp.
Jef Fam Group
Jef Fam Group of islands is another fascinating site in the Raja Ampat Archipelago. Jet Fam is composed of scenic group of several islands and islets that are lying straightly west of Batanta island.
Kaleidoscope
Getting a break from all of those large things you will probably want to try out the brilliantly colored wonders with this Misool Island dive spot. Even though you might have got to look beyond several Napoleon wrasse and mobula rays so you can get an infinite sight, what you will really find out is definitely a reef which showcases an irresistible variety of coloration.
Manta Ridge
With a beginner’s dive at only 6 meters, Manta Ridge is one of the shallow dive spots in the Raja Archipelago. It is located between the islands of Mansuar and Airborei, in the middle section of Raja Ampat.
Sel Pele Bay
Sel Pele Bay is considered as the macro underwater photography diving capital of the Raja Ampat archipelago. Here you will find lots of unique and weird seldom critters that basically made Indonesia diving very popular.
The bay is very wide and is situated o the west of Waig
South Penemu Island Pinnacle
Located near the southern part of Penemu Island, South Penemu Island Pinnacle is a less famous pinnacle that is usually visited by dive masters who jump in the blue water to bring a beacon in place. In the shallower portions of the pinnacle, there are many nice colorful anemones and soft corals covering the sections.