INDONESIA TOURS

Raja Ampat (translated as “Four Rajas”) is an island reserve located west of Irian Jaya (Indonesia). The local islands are very beautiful places, a bit like Micronesia. Green islands with white beaches are scattered among the sea, rich in underwater life.

Raja Ampat is a place known as the World Richest Reefs, or the world’s most populous coral reefs. In the waters off the Bird’s Head Peninsula, the highest concentration of hard corals known to science is recorded – more than 250 different species of them per hectare. This is more than four times the number of coral species in the entire Caribbean. The number of soft and hard corals in these places, as well as the types and forms of underwater life on them, is incalculable. 2 new species of epaulette shark (Epaulette Shark and Woobegong Shark) have been discovered, so named for the spots on the sides that resemble military uniforms. These elegant fish grow up to 1.2 meters in length and, moving along the bottom, rest on their pectoral fins. And also 8 new shrimp species, 24 fish species and 20 corals, many of which are endemic. These reefs are literally “species factories”. These places are known for giant shells – tridacnes, capable of hiding a large animal, the size of a dog, in their valves. And flocks of “jacks”, “surgeons”, barracudas, bet-fish, “parrots” can swirl around you in such a dense mass that you will not see your buddy! In the spring you can see manta rays, dolphins and even whales.

The Raja Ampat archipelago consists of 4 large islands – Misul, Salavati, Batanta and Waigeo, surrounded by more than 1,500 small islets and reefs. The reefs on Raja Ampat are as varied as the marine life. Walls, heaps, roofs, seamounts and peaks, mangroves and lagoons. The reefs are beautifully pristine, with miles of excellent hard coral and many colorful soft corals. In this area, weak currents are common, bringing nutrients to a myriad of fish and corals: therefore, the dives are mostly drift. Currents, although usually mild, can be severely intensified or absent. Visibility is generally very good, but it can vary with the best visibility in the morning, so don’t miss your dives before breakfast!

Nature here, both on land and under water, is pristinely beautiful, like nowhere else. One of the reasons for the amazing abundance of living organisms in these places is the extremely low density of the human population. The remoteness and lack of economic infrastructure hinder the development of tourism.

Raja Ampat is a veritable frontier of diving. From the upper deck of the yacht you can see the islands stretching to the very horizon, they are practically uninhabited. At night, only rare lights on fishing boats near a few coastal settlements flicker in the darkness, and in more distant waters, only one light on the horizon can flicker through the night.

Species diversity at Raja Ampat and Birds Head Marine Park:

• 1,356 species of reef fish in Birds Head
• 1,223 reef fish species in Raja Ampat
• 25 endemic reef fish species in Birds Head alone
• Birds Head’s 600 hard coral species represent 75% of all known coral species, and 10 times more than the entire Caribbean
• 57 species of stomatopods in Birds Head
• 13 species of marine mammals in Birds Head
• 5 endangered sea turtle species at Birds Head