Underwater enthusiasts flock to this region because it offers the world’s best marine sights. Two days earlier, some of these travelers had been at a deafening corner of a tourist trap in Bali. Once they took their flight to the bird head of the island of Papua everything changed as they embarked on a diving tour of a lifetime. In the Raja Ampat islands, divers can explore vertical underwater walls. The thrill of drift diving is another great challenge. These are the awesome experiences you will find in Raja Ampat.
Meanwhile, on this tour several divers were well equipped and looked advanced. The territory within the islands of the Four Kings is enormous, An experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and National Institute of Oceanography (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) have done a rapid assessment in 2001 and 2002. The result, they noted in these waters there are more than 540 hard coral species (75% of the total species in the world), more than 1,000 species of reef fish, 700 species of molluscs, and the highest record for gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of the world's coral species in Raja Ampat. None of the places with the same area has a number of coral species as much as this. When divers first arrive here their excitement is palpable. It’s common to hear people praise God as they take in the remarkable scenery. Others prefer to remain in silence taking in the overwhelming sight of so many islands with crystal clear water that softly brushes over the white sandy beaches.
While the landscape may look like a dream, this is not an illusion. As you embark on your dive, the phrase ‘Attention to detail’ takes on new meaning as pigmy seahorses swim around your fingers. Manta Rays and wobbegongs will glide right by you. Tuna fish, giant trevallies, snappers, and even barracudas are there to complete your underwater ‘meeting list’. Not to mention the friendly assistant of the dugong, and a busy colleague, the turtle. Natural and untouched beauty is the main attraction here. With no unnecessary adages, the sky, the lush islands, the sea, and everything above and under it is genuinely saying ‘Welcome to Raja Ampat Islands; your personal Disneyland of diving sites’.
Please explore this site to find information on breathtaking diving opportunities, travel logistics, Raja Ampat’s new tourism entrance fee (which directly supports conservation and community development), and the tremendous conservation effort taking place in Raja Ampat. Biodiversity Features in Raja Ampat and the greater Bird’s Head Seascape (Dec 2010) :
- 1,606 species of reef fish in the Bird’s Head Seascape
- 1,397 species of reef fish in Raja Ampat
- 35 species of endemic reef fish found only in the Birds Head Seascape
- 603 species of hard coral recorded in the Bird’s Head Seascape
- 75% of all known coral species in the world
- 10 times the number of hard coral species found in the entire Caribbean
- 57 species of Mantis Shrimp in the Birds Head Seascape
- 13 species of Marine Mammals in the Bird’s Head Seascape
- 5 species of endangered sea turtles in the Bird’s Head Seascape
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