Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat ("Four Kings") is an archipelago of more than 1,500 islands off the north-west tip of New Guinea. Its reefs hold the highest recorded diversity of hard corals and reef fish of any comparable area. Diving splits into a central/north part (Dampier Strait, Kri, Fam, Wayag), known for current-swept reefs, manta cleaning stations and jetties, and the remote south around Misool, famous for soft-coral-covered pinnacles, karst lagoons and a large no-take zone.

Facts

Best season: October – April (calmer seas; the south is best Oct–Apr, the north also works in summer)
Water temperature: 27–30 °C
Visibility: 10–30 m (plankton-rich water brings mantas but lowers visibility)
Getting there: Fly to Sorong (SOQ) via Jakarta, Makassar or Manado; public ferry Sorong → Waisai (~2 h); liveaboards embark in Sorong
Permit: Mandatory marine park entry card (PIN) per visitor; check the current fee with your operator
Currents: Often strong, tide-driven; reef hooks and a surface marker buoy are standard kit

Season

Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
Acceptable: May, Sep
Poor: Jun, Jul, Aug
Water temperature: 27–30 °C

Best diving is October to April; July and August bring the heaviest rain and roughest seas, and some sites can close for safety. Sources differ on the edges (wet season from May, September–October a quiet shoulder).

Dive sites (70)

Farondi & Pele

3 Rocks – intermediate
Goa Farondi – intermediate
Kaleidoscope – 5–34 m, advanced
No Contest – intermediate
Pele's Playground – intermediate
Toblerone – intermediate

Batanta

Algae Patch – 3–20 m, intermediate
Arefi Reef – 5–25 m, beginner
Leo's Reef – 1–10 m, beginner
Yellow Coco – 3–20 m, beginner

Daram

Andiamo – 5–25 m, intermediate
Candy Store – 35 m, intermediate
Living Colours – 5–25 m, beginner
Warna Berwarna – beginner

Fam & Penemu

Anita's Garden – 5–25 m, beginner
Batu Rufus – 3–25 m, beginner
Fam Slope – 2–25 m, beginner
Keruo Channel – 3–25 m, intermediate
Melissa's Garden – 5–25 m, beginner
My Reef – 5–30 m, intermediate
Piaynemo Jetty – 3–20 m, beginner

Dampier Strait

Arborek Jetty – 2–18 m, intermediate
Blue Magic – 7–30 m, advanced
Friwen Wall – 2–26 m, beginner
Manta Ridge – 3–20 m, intermediate
Manta Sandy – 5–16 m, beginner
Mike's Point – 2–35 m, intermediate
Mioskon – 5–25 m, beginner
Otdima – 5–25 m, intermediate
Sawandarek Jetty – 4–20 m, beginner
Wai (P-47 wreck) – 26–33 m, advanced
Yenbuba Jetty – 3–25 m, beginner

Misool South-East

Barracuda Rock – intermediate
Boo West – 5–30 m, intermediate
Boo Windows – 5–30 m, intermediate
Fiabacet – 5–30 m, intermediate
Four Kings – 7–40 m, advanced
Magic Mountain – 6–40 m, advanced
Misool House Reef – 1–25 m, beginner
Neptune's Fan Sea – 5–30 m, intermediate
Nudi Rock – 5–28 m, intermediate
Tank Rock – 5–30 m, advanced
Wedding Cake – intermediate
Whale Rock – intermediate
Yillet Kecil – 5–30 m, intermediate

Gam & Waigeo South

Batu Lima – 3–25 m, beginner
Citrus Ridge – 5–27 m, intermediate
Mayhem – 5–30 m, intermediate
Saonek Kecil – 3–28 m, beginner
The Passage – 3–25 m, intermediate
Uri – 3–20 m, beginner

Wayag & Kawe

Black Rock – 5–30 m, intermediate
Chango – 5–30 m, intermediate
Eagle Rock – 5–25 m, advanced
Wayag Gate – 5–20 m, beginner

Misool North

Blue Water Mangrove – 20 m, intermediate

Kri & Mansuar

Cape Kri – 3–40 m, intermediate
Cape Mansuar – 3–25 m, beginner
Chicken Reef – 3–30 m, intermediate
Crossover – 5–30 m, intermediate
Ransiwor – 3–25 m, beginner
Sardine Reef – 3–30 m, intermediate
Sorido Wall – 5–30 m, intermediate
West Mansuar – 5–30 m, intermediate
Yenkoranu – 3–25 m, beginner

Kofiau

Gladden Spit – 25 m, intermediate
Kampung Deer – 18 m, beginner
Walo Bommies – 18 m, beginner

Sorong & Salawati

Sagewin Island – 3–20 m, intermediate

Waigeo North

White Wall (Alyui Bay) – 5–25 m, intermediate

Operators (27)

Sorido Bay Resort (Papua Diving) – resort, Kri Island, Dampier Strait
Kri Eco Resort (Papua Diving) – resort, Kri Island, Dampier Strait
Misool Eco Resort – resort, Misool (southern Raja Ampat)
Meridian Adventure Dive Resort & Marina Club – resort, Waisai, Waigeo
Papua Explorers Dive Resort – resort, Gam Island area
Cove Eco Resort – resort, Yeben Island
Waiwo Dive Resort (Dive Into Raja Ampat) – resort, Waisai, Waigeo
Raja Ampat Dive Lodge – resort, Raja Ampat (about 90 min speedboat from Sorong)
Raja Ampat Biodiversity Nature Resort – resort, Raja Ampat (near Waisai)
Lotus Papua Paradise – resort, Raja Ampat
Agusta Eco Resort – resort, Private island, about 2 h from Sorong
Wai Private Island Resort – resort, Wai Island
Raja4Divers – dive centre, Pulau Pef
Damai Liveaboards (Damai I & II) – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Dewi Nusantara – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Calico Jack – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Mermaid Liveaboards (Mermaid I & II) – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Tiare Liveaboard – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Blue Pearl – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Manta X – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
La Galigo – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
MV Samambaia – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Blue Dream Phinisi – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Teman Liveaboard (KLM Teman) – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Aqua Blu (Aqua Expeditions) – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
The Seven Seas – liveaboard, Sorong (embark)
Epica Liveaboard – liveaboard, Waisai (embark)

Routes (17)

Site positions are approximate unless marked otherwise and are for orientation only — never for navigation. Always dive with a local guide; conditions change with tide and season.