The Hidden Beauty Of Raja Ampat Islands Papua

The archipelago is an archipelago located in the western province of Papua Indonesia in the West, precisely at the head of the birds of Papua. The islands are a destination divers who are interested in the beauty of the underwater scenery. Four of these islands is the largest island, namely:

* Island Waigeo
* Island Misool
* Island Salawati
* Island Batanta

The archipelago is a place that has the potential to serve as a tourist attraction, especially diving tourism. The archipelago waters according to various sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it may also be recognized as number one for the completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time.

Dr John Veron, coral experienced experts from Australia, for example, in a site was revealed, The archipelago is located at the westernmost tip of New Guinea, about 50 miles northwest of Sorong, has the best reefs in Indonesia. Approximately 450 species of coral had been identified during the two weeks of research in the area.


A team of experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and National Institute of Oceanography (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) had done a quick 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. Nowhere in the same area has a number of coral species as much as this.

There are some reefs are still very good condition with the percentage of live coral cover by 90%, which is in Dampier Strait (the strait between Waigeo P. and P. Batanta), Kofiau Islands, Islands and South East Misool Wayag Islands. Types of coral reefs in Raja Ampat is a fringing reef generally to the contours of the steep ramps up. But it also found the type of atoll and the type of burn or taka. In some places like the village Saondarek, when the lowest tides, coral reefs can be seen without the diving and the adaptation itself, the coral is still able to live even in the open air and exposed to direct sunlight.

Unique species that can be found at the diving is some kind of pigmy seahorse or mini kudalaut, wobbegong and manta ray. There are also endemic fish of Raja Ampat, namely Eviota king, which is a kind of fish gobbie. At the supernal point Manta Arborek Dampier Strait, you can dive with Manta Ray was accompanied by a tail like a tame when you dive in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If you dive at Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be surrounded by thousands of fish. Sometimes a collection of tuna, giant trevallies and snappers. But the tense when we are surrounded by a collection of barracuda fish, even though it is relatively harmless (which is dangerous if we see a solitary barracuda or alone). Reef sharks are also frequently seen, and with luck you can also see the turtle is still eating sponge or swim around you. In some places like in Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo also seen Dugong or sea cow.

Because the area of ​​many islands and narrow straits, then most of the dive at a particular time has a strong current. It is also possible to do a drift dive, dive, following a strong flow of water is very clear with her through the collection of fish. There is also a plane wreck of World War II relics can be found in several places to make diving a great place to wreck dive as in P. Wai. And much more real reef sites have never been touched. This makes diving in Raja Ampat was more challenging.