Dive Raja Ampat departing from Sorong

From pelagic drift dives to magical muck dives and even some habitats that are special to Raja Ampat such as clear water mangroves with corals growing right next to them; There are thousands of potential dive sites in Raja Ampat. Exploration is still continuing and on every trip there are chances for new and amazing discoveries.

Highlights for 10 night trips

• 3 days in the Misool area

• Fam Penemu & Yangeffo islands

• Citrus Ridge (Wonderful soft corals)

• Airborek Island (Famous pier dive)

• Mansuar (Manta Ray action)

• Dampier Strait (seahorses to pelagics)

• Cape Kri and Sardine (speedy drift dives)

• Triton Bay (Whale sharks)

Raja Ampat favourites

Here is a small selection of the most popular and well known dive sites that we like to visit in the Raja Ampat area.

BOO WINDOWS, MISOOL - Offers superbly colourful corals, schools of snappers, trevallies, batfish and large Napoleon wrasse. Smaller creatures sucha as ghost pipefish can be found in the shallow water and the “windows”- two rock formations with holes eroded through- is an awesome spot for some dramatic photography.

GORGONIAN PASSAGE - Has huge sea fans in which a variety of pygmy seahorses can be found including Bargibanti and Denise. We also see many types of sweetlips here and some smaller creatures such as peacock mantis shrimp and juvenile razorfish.

NUDI ROCK, MISOOL - Marine life from big to small can all be seen at this stunning site. Black tip, white tips, grey reef sharks and dog tooth tuna can all be seen cruising by whilst hiding amongst the corals are cowries, nudibranchs, porcelain crabs and mushroom coral pipefish.

KARANG BANYANGAN, WARAKARAKET - provides a very fishy dive with sightings of yellow fin & chevron barracuda, batfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, sweetlips, midnight snappers and blue-fin trevally. Wobbegong sharks and bearded scorpion fish are amongst the camouflaged benthic fish that can be seen here also.

CITRUS RIDGE - Between Gam & Yangeffo Islands, this stunning reef is named after the carpet like orange, pink, yellow and green soft corals that cover the entire area. Gorgonian fans shelter pygmy seahorses, jaw fish bob out of their ground holes, wobbegong sharks rest lazily amongst table corals and harlequin sweetlips can be found tucked into the many bommies that are dotted over the reef.

MANTA SANDY AT MANSUAR ISLAND - At just 18m on a sandy seabed is where we divers rest and wait for the spectacular shows performed by the manta rays. Several mantas are regularly seen at one time cruising in the narrow channel and to two coral bommies to be cleaned or just get an up close look at a curious diver! The mantas’ wingspans reach up to 5m, some are totally black whilst others have various white markings making them identifiable. A site not to be missed and we will often dive here more than once.

ARBOREK PIER, MANSUAR ISLAND - A stunning site for a sunset dive with superb atmosphere as the light changes. The pier supports have many soft corals and sponges with various nudibranchs such as “blue dragons” being found crawling about. Tiny baitfish form huge schools that swarm about underneath the pier and schools of batfish may also be seen.

SARDINE, DAMPIER STRAIT - Offers fish, fish and more fish…. over 970 different species have been recorded here. White tips, black tips and wobbegong sharks, turtles, morays and giant clams, schools of big eye jacks, sweetlips and bumphead parrot fish swarm over the reef and the occasional marble ray can also be spotted under table corals. This site has so much of interest that one dive never fees like enough.

MIKE’S POINT, DAMPIER STRAIT - As we approach the tiny island known as Mike’s Point, eagles can be seen resting in the tree tops. Underwater the site offers varied topography with one side full of overhangs and crevices whilst the other has “steps” dropping down to the deep with a field of whip corals adorning the slope. With the right current this site is superb and the island can be circumnavigated in one dive seeing sweetlips, batfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, grey reef sharks and wobbegong sharks.

HAPPY ENDING, BATANTA ISLAND - Known as one of the great critter diving sites of northern Raja Ampat, this shallow dark sand slope offers the keen-eyed diver the opportunity to spot mimic and wonderpus octopus, crocodile fish, snake eels and “solar powered” Phyllodesmium nudibranchs. Or simply follow one of our experienced guides and have all these wonderful creatures pointed out to you!

TRITON BAY - This area features one of the most diverse eco-systems in the world. Around 70% of the world's variety of corals can be found here, and more than 1,000 species of fish. All wide-angle dive sites are rich in marine life, with a huge variety of schooling fish orbiting colorful reefs that reach up to 30cm below the waterline. When not diving the fishy sites, there is amazing macro diving to be had. Big, fat candy crabs and other species of decorator crabs can be spotted even by the less trained eye. All five species of pygmy seahorse can be found with solid predictability – not only Denise and Bargibanti, also the very tiny species of Pontohi and Sotomi.  While the whale sharks mostly feed at the surface, the bait fish that sink to the bottom are scooped up by Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins. This site has it all.