Raja Ampat Island

Papua is known by most people for its culture, the unique clothing and the immense tropical forests, but not for divers. They know Papua for its amazing underwater world. One of these places in Papua is Raja Ampat, a big island on the northwest side of Papua. This area is dubbed 'a coral reef paradise' by Divers Dunia, a divers association in Indonesia.

Raja Ampat is not only the largest Marine National Park in Indonesia, but it is according to Conservation International, also the largest marine biota in the world and part of the largest coral triangle, the Filipine, Indonesian and Papua New Guinea Coral Triangle, which is protected by international marine conversationalists. Of the 600 known coral species, over 75% can be found in the waters around Raja Ampat.

The waters around Raja Ampat are wide and rich in marine life and beautiful underwater scenery. Divers can choose many places to start their dive. One is in Pulau Kri where you will find many types of fish: groupers, barracudas, reef sharks, tuna and many other tropical fish. At the Sardine Reef, at a depth of only 10 meters you can see many parrot fish with brilliant colors. Or Kabai Bay Rock, on the main island there is a this bay which has a tunnel underneath. Nearby are also caves inhabited by hundreds of bats. Divers interested in history can explore the warships and fighter planes which sunk here in the Second World War. But there are many other interesting diving spots, best to inform locally.