StephenH - Bluewater Dive Travel

StephenH

StephenH

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Reviews (2)

Diving in Raja Ampat

5
4
5
5

I joined a liveaboard trip which passed through Raja Ampat for a few days worth of dives. Raja is everything and more than the hype people share about it.

When people say "There was not a place to put your finger"; thats Raja Ampat on nearly every dive. Football fields of continuous coral. Coral growing on top of old coral for meters deep. Fish tucked into every hole, anemones the size of a diver, barrel sponges, soft corals and fans larger than a diver. The colors are extraordinary, the schools of fish are large and active, there is more macro than you can photograph on a single dive in a 5 sq. meter area.

By my California standards the visibility was amazing on nearly every dive we had around 50-100ft visibility. Many dives had a slight current to them to help push you along, some had stronger currents that required pre-dive planning. One one or two dives a reef hook came in handy (if you could manage to find a non-living spot to place it). SMBs and reels are mandatory safety tools.

The islands are beautiful and the dense jungles reminded me of Jurassic Park. The water was warm, 86 degrees F. The seas were relatively calm for our journey. The locals are incredibly helpful and friendly, one lent me a cell phone to make a call.

All in all, I suspect that my trip to Raja Ampat may rank as the best coral diving I will do in my life, and I have a lot of diving left to do. I will certainly look for an opportunity to return to Raja.

Visited on 07/2024 - Submitted on 07/12/2024
Read all Diving in Raja Ampat Dive Travel reviews

Raja Ampat Aggressor

4
5
5
4

This was my first liveaboard experience so take this perspective with a grain of salt. That being said, the boat, crew, guides, and diving were all awesome. We were on the Raja Ampat Aggressor for 11 nights and 12 days during the crossing from Sorong to Bitung.

The crew was very friendly and professional. They were very accommodating of requests and made every effort to make the stay memorable and pleasant. Rooms were cleaned and checked daily. The dive guides were fun and knowledgeable. They were able to identify everything underwater and find many creatures that would be very difficult to spot without a ton of local experience and knowledge of the sites.

The food was great. I am a bit of a picky eater and I was able to find an enjoyable plate of food for every meal. Lunch was family-style, dinner was exquisitely plated with attention to detail. Everything came out well cooked and hot right off the stove.

I expect that this trip may have been the best coral and muck diving I will do in my life, and I have a lot of diving left to do. Every dive we came up laughing, smiling and shouting about how great the dive was. If you are looking for endless corals Raja will not disappoint. If you are into weird critters for macro photography you will love Lembeh. This trip is really unique with its itinerary of a few days of coral diving, a few days of pinnacle diving, followed by a few days of muck diving. If you are looking to see a sampling of the variety of island geologies, seascapes and marine life that Indonesia has to offer, this trip is really unique in being able to provide that experience.

If you're on the fence with the Raja Ampat Agressor, I vote you book the trip. The only thing that will disappoint you is that you can't stay longer!

Visited on 06/2024 - Submitted on 07/12/2024
Read all Raja Ampat Aggressor Dive Liveaboard reviews

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