From the Dampier Strait to the gorgeous Wayag, this cruise offers worldclass diving and some stunning landscapes. This loop, compared to the Southern one, will fit to people not only focused on scubadiving, but also keen on discovering the Raja Ampat archipelago on land.
As for the divers, we can reorganize the route to Misool where the best spots are waiting for you!
Our first stop will be in the Dampier Strait, that sits directly in the path of the Indonesian throughflow. On most of the dive sites of the area, the sweet spot is where the current hits the reef, bringing some high concentrated nutrients waters. Schools of fish, cruising pelagics and sharks are all concentrated on that strategic point. Famous also for its birds of Paradise, labyrinthine mangroves, lush forests, white sand beaches and traditional Papuan villages, The Dampier Strait is full of surface interval activities.
In the rich waters of Aljui Bay, chosen by the Atlas farm to grow its high value pearls, you will dive steep walls covered with soft coral, sponges and invertebrates. Kawe has great dives to offer. Eagle Rock and its cleaning station for Manta rays surrounded with swimthrough, overhangs, pinnacles and schools of fish or Black Rock, a large plateau with massive boulders covered with black coral bushes.
The visit of the inner lagoon of Wayag is the highlight of the cruise and definitely the most spectacular landscape of the Raja Ampat archipelago. You will climb the Mount Pindito and explore this last Eden on earth. Numerous karst rock formations with white sand beaches and crystal clear waters are standing in the middle of nowhere and create a perfect protected area to moor up. We will also dive around those mushroom-shaped rocks.
The end of the cruise will be split between the underwater exploration of Penemu island and the North of Batanta with a final walk to its splendid waterfall.
Itinerary
The route and dives are always organized according to the weather conditions, the currents and tides.