No
doubt about it, the Raja Ampat is
definitely the richest place for
fish, that I have ever been.
Dr G.R.Allen
" I was like a five-year-old,
seeing a reef for the very first
time. I was awestruck, held by the
incredible power of this richest
reef. We must, with all available
resources, preserve the beauty of
Raja Ampat. This may be the last
frontier. Michael Aw
"I love the people, I love the
diving, It's super!! I've never been
for a second time to the same dive
destination but now I'm thinking
about going back for the third
time!! Should I say more?"
Peter van Dalen
(Taken from
www.iriandive.com)
Raja Ampat Island is the most
western district of the Indonesian
province
of Papua. Raja Ampat consists of an
area surrounding four major island
off the western coast
o
f
Birds Head Panisula of New Guinea
Island. The western half of which is
Indonesia and the eastern half,
Papua New Guinea. The province was
called Irian Jaya, and its a cluster
of over 1500 small Islands.
Raja Ampat is the most bio-diverse
location in the world more than 3000
species of fishes and over 300
species of corals have been
identified here, in a single one and
half hour dive you can identified
more than 282 fish species and more
than
400 species. Till this very day the
area is virtually unexplored and
unknown due to its size. This area
as there are still many remnants of
WW II.
The Roughest seas and decreased
visibility in the Raja Ampat area
are from mid-June until the end of
August. During the rest of the year,
the sea is mostly very smooth whit
good visibility.
Dive sites in Raja Ampat Island:
-
Kri Island: Kri has
several sites and Cape Kri
is one of the fishiest. The
fish numbers and variety are
truly amazing. The site is
current dependent. Generally
it's a steep slope with
beautiful coral growth, lots
of reef and schooling
fishes, including the giant
Queensland Grouper.
-
Sardine Reef: Sardine
Reef has really giant clams
at 10m (33ft) but it's all
about non-stop fishes here.
There's a resident school of
bumphead parrotfish in the
shallows, colorful soft
corals and plenty of
critters.
-
Kaboei Bay Rock Islands:
The bay is a labyrinth of
rock islands. Visibility
isn't great but this is a
great place for macro and
finding odd nudibranches,
mollusks and the pictured
dragonet. Bat caves and
skeletons are found on some
of the islands.
-
The Passage: This is
a drift dive through a
narrow channel near Waigeo.
Look for archerfish among
the mangroves, orange cup
corals, seahorses, and
percula clownfish.
-
Fam Island: Several
sites near Fam have stunning
coral growth. Sponges and
soft corals add color and
fishes keep it going. Sites
include walls, sloping
reefs, and muddy bays.
-
Misool: Misool is
awash in fish life and huge
sea fans. Caverns and
boulders mark several sites.
The schooling fishes seem
endless and pygmy seahorses
live in less than 10m
(33ft). Some sites are
current dependent.
At a Glance Irian Diving
-
Reef type: Vertical
walls, Lagoon channels,
caves, platform reefs, etc.
-
Access: By boat from
base camps.
-
Visibility: Very
good, 20-45 meters.
-
Current: Moderate,
excellent for drift diving.
-
Coral: Excellent "
abundant & divers.
-
Fish: Variety &
abundance guaranteed.
-
Highlights:
Snorkeling with dolphins
near the Wai base camp (5m);
White-tip sharks under P47B
wing; finding new wrecks
untouched/complete.
It is easiest to fly through to
Sorong via Jakarta or via Singapore.
Merpati, Pelita and Lion/Wings
Airlines operate daily flights from
Jakarta to Sorong (with stopovers in
Ujung Pandang/Makassar and/or Manado),
whereas Silk Air operates regularly
from Singapore to Manado. Daily
flights to and from Sorong by
Airlines Merpati, Lion/Wings or
Pelita.
Raja Ampat Island have several
accommodations with traditional
design, and there many boat you can
rent for a stay. If you using dive
operator they will arrange for your
base came.
Other Things to See or Do
Raja
Ampat islands have a very diverse
topography with steep mountain
shores and deserted white sand
beaches. Explore the land on foot.
Use a boat to move from one dive
site to another dive site.
Dining
Guide
There are several restaurants and
cafes throughout Sorong. Try their
specialties: traditional irian
foods!
Souvenir
Tips
There
are many traditional souvenirs made
from wood.
Moving
Around
You can visit gorgeous waterfalls,
ancient burial sites, bat caves and
stunning waterways breathtaking
limestone landscapes and Manta ray
spotting and bird watching.
-
To enter Papua itself, you
need a surat jalan (Travel
Permit) which is issued by
the local police. Please
bring: 3 Passport Photos, 3
Copies of the photo page of
your passport and 3 Copies
of the passport page with
the Indonesian Visa.
-
Guide Book : Diving
Indonesia (a guide to the
world's greatest diving),
Periplus Action Guide, Kal
Muller.
-
More Information about Irian
Jaya Dive, contact: Sorong,
Indonesia Office: Papua
Diving. Phone: +62 (411) 401
660, Fax: +62 (951) 325 274.
www.Iriandiving.com
