Diving in Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat is truly a divers' paradise. It is picturesque both below and above the sea. It is not easy to get to and those that brave the journey will truly be rewarded. Most trips to Raja Ampat will start from Sorong in West Papua. The easiest way to get to Sorong is via Makassar in South Sulawesi or Jakarta. When I last traveled to Sorong in April 2013, I took a direct flight on Express Air from Jakarta at 1:10am.
To truly maximize your dive experience, I would suggest a liveaboard for at least 8 days. Raja Ampat covers nearly 50,000 kmsq and traveling from one island to the next is by sea. Misool in the South has some amazing coral life. You will find some very colorful dive sites here. Pygmy seahorses, whitetip reef sharks, trevallies, fusiliers, barracudas, jacks, glass sweepers, groupers, sweetlips, bumphead wrasses and snappers are common here. Some of my favorite dive sites are Boo Windows, Magic Mountain and Farondi Caves. Some of my most memorable dives are at Magic Mountain. When the time is right and the current picks up, you will find hunting whitetip sharks, bluefin and giant trevallies patrols the reef.
Balbulol is a great place for non-diving activities such as kayaking and speedboat tours. The limestone islands seem to be “floating” above water and there are secluded lagoons you can swim in.
To the North, some of the popular dive sites are the salt water mangroves of Yangeffo, Manta Sandy, Mioskon, Blue Magic, Cape Kri and Sardines. Blacktip reef sharks, large schools of sweetlips, fusiliers, trevallies, barracudas, jacks and turtles are common here. Some of the diving here is like diving in fish soup! So packed with fish you would not even know where to look. Wobbegongs and epaulette sharks are common in Yangeffo and Manta Sandy is a manta cleaning station. While waiting for the mantas to show up, explore the sands and you might find sea moths, upside down jellyfish and pipefish among others.
Papua has some beautiful birds of paradise. Some Raja Ampat liveaboards might offer guests an option to see them.
Water temp: 28 – 30C
Recommended for: Advanced divers
Dive conditions: Mild to strong currents
Note: Raja Ampat waters are rich with plankton that attracts fish so, visibility at some sites is not great. A reef hook is useful for many of the dives here.
