Liveaboard Diving in Raja Ampat
What To Expect on a Raja Ampat Liveaboard
Liveaboards in Raja Ampat are the perfect way to explore this excellent dive area. Allowing divers to visit remote and unspoiled regions in Indonesia. Synonymous with stunning islets, crystal-clear water, and beautiful white-sand beaches, Raja Ampat is one of Indonesia's most beautiful regions. The archipelago comprises more than 1,500 islands scattered across a large section of the Coral Triangle near New Guinea, making it ideal for divers to explore on a liveaboard. Its fortunate position between the Indian and Pacific oceans makes it one of the world's wealthiest areas of marine life.
Besides the numerous smaller islets, there are four main islands that Raja Ampat liveaboards visit: Salawati, Batanta, Waigeo, and Misool. These islands give rise to the name of the archipelago, ‘the Four Kings’. Local legend tells of how four kings emerged from eggs found by a woman. After they hatched, they each became a ruler of one of the main islands.
Europeans subsequently conquered the area, and it was briefly under Dutch control. In modern times, the primary industry is tourism; the population is Indonesian, and most work in the tourism or fishing industries. The area has recently introduced a marine park fee for liveaboard visitors to support conservation efforts in Raja Ampat. This fee helps to support patrols and projects to conserve the reefs. Despite the blossoming tourist industry in Raja Ampat, the area retains its untouched feel, especially on a liveaboard anchored off mostly uninhabited islands.
Raja Ampat underwater
The biodiversity of Raja Ampat is second to none; scuba diving here is sure to delight all divers. It was declared the world's most biodiverse place in 2002. The marine park area is home to over a thousand fish species and more than 500 coral species. Much of the diving in Raja Ampat is on reefs amongst the scattered tiny islands, so a dive cruise suits visiting this area perfectly. These reefs are glorious with an array of colours and unique fish of all shapes and sizes. Visibility can be slightly variable, but around 25-30 meters is the norm.
There are plenty of sharks to be seen in Raja Ampat, from white- and black-tipped reef sharks to whale sharks and even some rarer species, such as the wobbegong shark. Wobbegong sharks are fascinating bottom-dwelling sharks, flat with long tails and what looks like a beard on their mouths. They really are a photographer’s dream.
Mantas are also frequent visitors to Raja Ampat, and they can be seen in sizeable groups passing over the reefs. Turtles can often be seen grazing on the coral reef, and in some areas, pods of dolphins can also pop by to delight divers.
There is a wide variety of Raja Ampat liveaboards to suit all budgets, from 5-day liveaboard tours to luxury liveaboard vessels offering 2-week dive trips.
Dive sites of Raja Ampat
The dive sites of Raja Ampat can be varied in the fish and critters living on the different reefs, but they are almost all spectacular in their own way.
- Misool Island, nicknamed ‘the kaleidoscope’, is special because of the riot of colours across the reefs. Macro lovers will be mesmerised with a wide variety of corals full of all kinds of critters and small reef fish. Pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, and a rainbow of nudibranchs make ideal subjects for macro photographers.
- Waigeo is similarly blessed with a wide variety of fish life. Lionfish are hanging around between rocks, and you might also catch a glimpse of a juvenile emperor angelfish with its hypnotic colour scheme and clownfish peeking out of an anemone. Fish life is also the main spectacle in Dampier Strait, with shoals of trevallies and tuna that can be so large they affect visibility in places. The current is tough in this area, and it is usually a drift dive—a must-visit during your dive safari.
- Mansuar is the place to be for bigger stuff. Here is where the groups of mantas can be seen gracefully swooping past. Turtles are also frequent visitors feeding around the reef, along with a host of fish life and beautiful corals.
- Cenderawasih Bay, on the other hand, is where you can go to try to find whale sharks. There is a special relationship between these gentle giants and the local fishermen who believe in their luck. They traditionally give fish to whale sharks to bring them luck, which means there can be several in this area at a time. There isn’t really a season for whale sharks here either, so there really is a good chance to dive with them all year round.
Top Tips for Divers
- Sea conditions are usually good here, but the currents are pretty strong, so this isn’t really a place for brand-new divers.
- There is a one-hundred-dollar marine park fee to be paid upon entering the protected area. This fee pays for the continuation of conservation in the region.
- October to April is the most popular season for diving liveaboards here, though you can dive year-round.
- The water is warm, 26-30 degrees, but be mindful of fire urchins when choosing your skin coverage.
Getting to Raja Ampat
Although getting to Raja Ampat is not difficult, it does require several flights and boat journeys as there are no direct international flights. You can fly to Sorong from Jakarta and some other larger airports. From here, the most popular way to reach the dive sites is by diving on an Indonesian liveaboard. There are a few resorts, but the vast majority of diving is from dedicated dive cruises.
There are both motor-boat dive cruises and the more traditional sailing tours on the grand Indonesian Phinisi sailboats on offer. These beautiful boats offer a peaceful, authentic diving safari experience as you explore this isolated, stunning place.
