Who are those 4 Kings everyone is talking about ?
Raja Ampat (The 4 Kings) is a group of 4 main islands (Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati et Misool) and some 600 other small ones, cays or shoals, located in Indonesian West Papua, next to Sorong.
Raja Ampat is all about biodiversity! It’s said to be one of the few hotspots of underwater biodiversity on earth. In the whole area scientists have counted more than 1800 different species of animals, more than anywhere else in the world!
Some of its remarkable inhabitants are the Carpet Sharks (Wobbegong), several species of Pygmy Seahorses living in stunning colorful reefs, and not forgetting the graceful Manta rays, whose 2 species (reef and oceanic) can be found here.
The “right” season runs from November to April, giving us enough time to properly explore the area. To get the most of these wonderful places, we recommend that you take your time and we offer this itinerary lasting 10 days : South Cruise, around the incredible Misool and its Ntional Park, Boo Windows or the “3 Sisters”
Join us for a journey through “royal” waters on the Tidak Apa’Pa!
Length: 10 Days / 10 Nights (Approximately 30 dives in total)
Experience level: Open Water – 30 minimum logged dives required.
While this is the description of a typical dive trip, actual trips may vary due to wind and sea conditions, weather or guests preference.
Itinerary
Day 1
SORONG
Pick up from the airport and transfer to the boat. Welcome drink and introduction of the boat, cruise and team. We require a minimum level of Open Water – 30 logged dives.
Dive 1: First dive check in Lampu Merah, Sorong area
Overnight sailing to Misool
Day 2
DARAM (MISOOL)
Dive 1,Vibrant Color and Dive 2, Warna Berwarna:
As the name tells you, the coral garden here is amazing, covered by orange or pink soft coral and huge sea fans where we’ll look for the Pygmy Seahorse!Dive 3: Candy Store, the wall will leave you speechless, from its beauty, color, and density. School of fish are expected here, such as Barracudas or fusilliers, playing in the current.
Navigation to Fabiacet.
Day 3 – 5
FABIACET, BOO, WAYILBATAN…
10 – 12 dives in those spots, night dives possible:
- Fiabacet Ridge, Underwater ridge linking Tank Rock and Nudi Rock dive sites. Wobbegong, groupers and yellow fins barracudas.
- Fiabacet, pinnacle famous for the numerous schools of fish.
- Nudi Rock: this site is a must for critter enthusiasts and macro photographers.
- Whale Rock, just like almost everywhere in Misool, you can find here a great variety of pygmy seahorses such as Barbiganti and Denise.
- Magic Mountain, another highlight! Seamount in the Eastern part of Warakaraket, a theater of marine life at its best. Sharks and pelagics are part of the show!
- Boo Windows, for the wide angle photographers!! After spending your non-decompression time following the ridge and the pinnacles of the site, you will be excited to cross a beautiful 10 meters deep plateau covered of bid boulders and surprised by the famous Boo windows in the last 5 meters. By calm sea, you would have fun to cross this passage back and forth.
- Yiliet Kecil, famous for all the red sea fans covered with white dots.
- Dunia Kecil, is a superb site to spot for pygmy seahorses and “lady bugs”
- Barracuda Rock, wall with overhangs and lots of fish action. Solitary and yellow fins barracudas. Giant trevallies are well-known to be resident there.
- 4 Kings, one of the highlight of Misool. 4 submerged pinnacles in the middle of nowhere. Pelagic action, soft corals, fishes and fishes…
Day 6 – 7
FARONDI – BALBULOL
6 – 7 dives in those spots:
- Wagmab, looking for wobbegong sharks resting under ledges or on top of cup corals.
- Farondi Cave, surprising site with a cave, a swimthrough and a nice wall with overhangs.
- Dinghy ride around the splendid lagoon of Balbulol. Sugar leafs, crystal clear water and amazing landscapes.
- Goa Besar, consists of super cial shelved gardens of yellow-coloured soft corals, wall tops blanketed with plate corals, leather corals, yellow and purple sea squirts and rounded hollows filled with coral shrubberies.
- Macro Rock, will let the photographers satisfied as well.
- Love Potion, getting a bit more current here! Let’s be part of the jacks or batfish gathering!
- No Contest, a submerged ridge in the Balbulol area.
Overnight sailing to Batanta
Day 8
BATANTA
Dive 1: Reflexion Reef, paradise for macro lovers!
Dive 2: Happy Ending, is another of Batanta’s best critter sites.
Dive 3: Algae Patch, this is one of the leading muck dive sites in Raja Ampat and divers often spend an entire day diving here.
Overnight sailing to Fam Island.
Day 9
FAM
Dive 1: Melissa’s Garden, Another chance to visit the fabulous coral garden.
Dive 2: My Reef, is a submerged ridge with a wonderful hard coral garden and a hotspot for fish activity.
Dive 3: Keruo Channel, is a spectacular wall covered in colourful sponges and nudibranchs.
Amazing landscapes and bays, climb Pianemo hill for the MUST Shot !
Day 10
DAMPIER STRAIGHT – SORONG
Dive 1: Manta Sandy, cleaning station for manta rays.
Dive 2: Cape Kri, one of the Dampier Straight highlight. An impressive marine life. Large school of barracudas, big eyes trevallies, sweatlips, snappers, Encounter with grey reef and blacktip sharks, spanish mackerel, turtles…Intense!
Heading back to Sorong (4-5 hours), dinner on land and night on board.
Day 11
SORONG
End of the trip and transfer to airport according to your flight schedule.
The route and dives are always organized according to the weather conditions, the currents and tides.