Raja Ampat is 40 000 km2 archipelago located off the Papua coast, offering magnificent seabed. This area is one of the rare sites ranked 5* in the world. A combination of emerald sea, lagoons, limestone islands, secret passages, mangroves and wild forest provide an outstanding environment. Scarcely inhabited and visited, the park always seems to be explored for the very first time. Mantas Rays, sharks, jacks, shoals of mackerels… We often meet here the wobbegong, an incredible specie of flat shark that lives in the region. Come to discover the « Coral Triangle », one of richest area for biodiversity on Earth. A real gem with an amazing aquatic world and fabulous birds… the pledge to a marvellous journey into the wild. Enjoy the following itinerary has been designed to access to the most engaging locations Raja Ampat has to offer, with intent to dive three times per day. Depending on the weather forecast, we will either plan a route starting from the Southern or the Northern part of the Park.
Day 1
Upon arrival in Sorong, you will be picked up at airport by our team to join the boat. Welcome drink, boat briefing including safety rules on board and introduction of the crew members. Check dive in the afternoon at one of the reefs surrounding Sorong. Overnight sailing to Dampier Straits.
Day 2 & 3
Arrive in Batanta, 2 dives. Batanta hosts some great muck dive sites where critters such as ghost pipefish. Frogfish, pigmee cuttlefish and even mimic octopus can be seen…if lucky, of course!
Balbulol 3 dives. Excursion in lagoon. Balbulol is beautiful both above and below the water. Schools of fish will divert you from the luscious walls and pinnacles. The lagoons with their turquoise water and vegetation covered limestone are a sight to behold.
Day 4 & 5
Fiabacet area. 3 dives. The colorful soft corals and sea fans make this area very special, even more so when schools of glass fish are flickering.
Wakaraket & Boo area, 4 dives. This area hosts some of the most famous dive sites of south Raja Ampat which leave you with the feeling of diving in an aquarium.
Day 6 – 7
2 dives in the morning. Afternoon start crossing to Boo. Koon offers very nice reefs and walls with vibrant marine life.
2 dives in the morning in Banda 1 dive in the afternoon in Hatta. Start crossing to Koon. The diving is also fantastic with a wide variety of terrain, corals and sea life both pelagic and macro.
Day 8
2 dives in the morning. Afternoon visit Banda Neira. Around 5pm mandarin dive. Banda Neira hass a very heavy history and was the center of the world in the 16th / 17th century for being the only place where nutmeg grew. At that time nutmegg was more valuablle than gold. Now the island has a very particular atmosphere due to its remoteness and remnants of colonial buildings.
Day 9 & 10
3 dives 1st dive at dawn to increase the chances to encounter hammerheads. Start crossing to Banda islands. Nusa Laut offers nice reefs and walls with beautiful coral. It is also a location where hammerheads may be seen.
We finally disembark in Ambon. We will say goodbye to our captain and crew and transfer to the airport for our onward travel.
The route and dives are always organized according to the weather conditions, the currents and tides.