Diving in Raja Ampat
I traveled to Indonesia for an eleven-day liveaboard trip to northern Raja Ampat. After several flights and layovers, totaling about 30 hours, I arrived in Sorong, the embarkation point for the trip. Sorong is a bustling city, far larger than I expected. I was met at the airport by boat staff and was taken to the harbor for a short tender ride to the liveaboard, which was anchored nearby. After getting settled in my stateroom and preparing my gear for diving the next morning, we had dinner and turned in for the night, with high expectations for the next day.
The boat sailed at night and we woke up at our first stop. As is customary, all of the diving was done from tenders. Each day three dives were offered along with a night dive. On this boat, a complimentary neck and shoulder massage were offered after every dive. No one ever passed on this wonderful perk. The boat was moved every night to a new dive location.
As the trip progressed, we made our way west and north, until we crossed the equator and dove the Equator Islands. We dove a large variety of sites, including reefs, walls, and jetties. At several sites, the current was very strong, requiring a reef hook to stay in place and watch the show. The current attracts large schools of fish, and we were never disappointed. We saw large congregations of schooling Barracuda, Jack’s, Sweetlips, and many others. The biodiversity in this area is second to none. We also saw mantas, seahorses, cuttlefish, squid, many different species of nudibranchs, Leaf Scorpionfish, Mantis Shrimp, turtles, Napoleon Wrasse, and Bumphead Parrotfish. Shark sightings included Blacktip, Whitetip, Grey Reef, Zebra, Nurse, Wobbegong, and Epaulets. Night dives were always in shallow water at muck sites. The dive guides had an uncanny ability to locate pygmy (pontohi) seahorses and we saw quite a few. During these dives, Coconut Octopuses and Dragonettes were common. We were also able to find Blue Ringed Octopuses and Flamboyant Cuttlefish. Needless to say, I checked a large number of fish and other critters off my bucket list.
The topside views in Raja Ampat are spectacular, including lush islands populated by birds and bats, and awesome sunsets. We did an off-boat excursion at Pianemo Island, where you make an easy climb of about 250 wooden steps to reach viewing platforms, which give you a breathtaking view for miles around.
Bottom line: Raja Ampat is a wild, remote area which is largely unexplored. The biodiversity is incredible, with a large concentration of fish and corals of every variety. This is truly the Holy Grail of diving!
