The best dive sites in Raja Ampat

Our pick for the top world-class dive sites in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat Best Dive Sites
  • The most biodiverse region in the world

    Raja Ampat is a paradise on earth, is the largest and richest Marine Park in Indonesia. This stunning archipelago is located in the Northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on Papua. They are the most Eastern islands of Indonesia. The reputation of Raja Ampat being one of the best places in the world for diving, snorkeling and underwater photography, is a title that is very well deserved. This 50,000sq km paradise is surrounded by over 1500 smaller islands and is home to the world’s highest marine biodiversity, with around 540 types of corals, more than 1,000 types of coral fish and 700 types of mollusks, around 75% of the world's species live here.

    Raja Ampat a Paradise for Macro Photographer

    Discover the wonderful Misool

    Diving Cruise RAJA AMPAT

    | 8 Days / 7 Nights | 2912 € Full Board

    Central & South Raja Ampat, Misool
    Sorong to Sorong

    Next Departure:

    2024 December 06th to 13th

    364 per day

    Up to 4 dives/day

    Please refer to the FAQ Section

    Contact us for price details.

    Boat Rating *

    Global
    9.8
    Vessel
    9.9
    Life Onboard
    9.8
    Activities
    9.8

    Click on the tabs above for more details.

    Click on the tabs above for more details.

    So many diving options

    As you can imagine, in all this territory, with all that diversity, there are countless extraordinary dive sites, for all tastes and all levels: deep dives, with none to strong currents, sheltered shallow dives, great walls, mangroves, jetties, lagoons, bays, caves, macro dives, night dives, everything is possible in Raja Ampat. Having said this, choosing the best dives sites, will depend on what you are looking for, however we can mention a few ones, to give you an idea of the spectacular marine world of this part of the world.

    Wonderpus Night Dive Raja Ampat

    Few of the best dive sites:

    Fam Islands: The Fam Islands group, located further west in the Pacific, contains some of the most stunning coral reefs in Raja Ampat. The calm water, the abundance of marine life with some of the highest diversity of reef fish species known in Raja Ampat and pristine and colorful coral, attract divers from all over the world. The range of what you can see is endless, from larger predatory species such as sharks and tuna to brightly colored reef fish and to tiny critters.

    Manta Ridge & Manta Sandy: these both sites, located near Mansuar Island in central Raja Ampat, are great sites to spot the majestic Manta Rays. The former can be affected by strong currents, however in the latter one, currents are milder, being even a great spot for snorkelers. Mantas come here either to feed or being cleaned of small parasites, so will have the opportunity to see them in groups, from 5 up to 30 Mantas.

    Blue Magic: Blue Magic dive site, is a pinnacle reef out in the open ocean, in the Dampier Strait. Blue Magic is one of the most popular sites in northern Raja Ampat. This reef starts at around 8 meters of the surface and descends down to a depth of approximately 30 meters. Everywhere you look is full with life, colors and movement. The reason why Blue Magic is so popular among divers, it is because it features lots of pelagic fish, although there are plenty of places to get down low and look for the small stuff too.

    Raja Ampat Oceanic Manta

    Thought-after dive sites

    The Passage: The Passage dive site stands out for its own fjord like characteristics. This is a narrow canyon, situated between Gam Island and Waigeo Island. Its shoreline is covered by blue mangroves and rainforest and in the shallow areas rare archer fish and soft corals can be seen. This one of a kind dive site, offers its divers numerous quiet grottoes, caves, arches and underwater passages, where to look for the wide variety of marine. 

    Fabiacet: Fabiacet is a chain of four small islands, located southeast of Misool Island. Being a quite remote area, keeps its beauty untouched, and you will feel that you are the first diver to dive here, in the best spots of Indonesia and in the whole world. The set of islands has a dramatic topography, pinnacles and submerged plateaus around the islets are surrounded by deep waters, with an amazing visibility, one of the best in Raja Ampat, reaching up to more than 30 meters, making it a true playground for wide-angle photographers. This great visibility plus a diving depth up to 40 meters, will allow you to easily enjoy the excellent fish life and colors around you.

    Sel Pele Bay: Sel Pele is a very big bay located on the Western side of Waigeo Island. This wide bay is considered the macro capital of Raja Ampat, since it is renowned as the best place in the archipelago for critter hunting.  Sel Pele is where divers can find all the rare, unique and wonderful critters that Indonesia diving is famed for. It is a paradise for macro photographers.

    Denise Pygmy Seahorse Night Dive Raja Ampat

    What are you waiting for?

    Raja Ampat is the richest place for marine life on Earth. The biodiversity is absolutely wonderful, with weird and rare underwater creatures everywhere you look. These islands are great for big fish action with many pelagic fishes, as well as they are very rich in macro life. When it comes to colors, you will find all of them, with the most pristine reefs you will ever come across.

    Raja Ampat is like heaven for underwater photography with magnificent hard and soft coral, clear water and a teeming reef life.  The best way to enjoy this amazing archipelago is with a liveaboard, since it will give you the opportunity to enjoy more dive sites and also the further ones. Besides, diving in Raja Ampat is excellent all year round, and given it is a quite remote area, it won’t be crowded as other parts in Asia. So don’t wait any longer and come and discover by yourself this wonderful part of the world!!

    Raja Ampat Best Dive Sites Cruise

    THE CRUISE OF YOUR DREAMS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

    Whether you're looking for a private charter, or to live an adventure on the sea while discovering new landscapes & meeting new people, We can help you make your dream come true.

    FAQ

    To enter Indonesia your passport must have:
    •  Expiration date of the applicant’s passport must be at least 6 (six) months at the date of entry.
    •  At least one blank visa page
    •  Round-trip airplane ticket

    There is no Visa required for 61 countries and 1 region.
    Maximum length of stay without Visa is 30 Days, if you are planning to stay up to 60 days, you can buy a visa on arrival for 35 US$ at Airports and Seaports.
    For more details about COVID restrictions, please contact the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia.


    We choose to work with people we know for years, all offering a high quality service on perfectly maintained Phinisi.

    All boats, Cabins & on-board furniture's have an authentic and sophisticated design, made with quality materials.


    Spacious and Comfortable
    shared space, Lounge, Sun Deck, Restaurant will grant you a maximum comfort.

    You will also enjoy free access to kayaks and stand-up paddles (SUP) if you wish to explore the surrounding.
    Then it's up to you to chose if you want to enjoy a stunning sunset from the lounge with a fresh drink or from the SUP in the middle of pristine water.

    One of the most, if not the most important part of your cruise, The Crew. They all are experienced, they know when to be discreet and how to treat you well.

    Another important part of your journey, the Food., you will enjoy some great dishes cooked with love by some skilled chef. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, you will be delighted all day long. 


    You can refer to the label on the boat description to have a quick overview about the class of the cruise.
    Luxury
     All cabins are equipped with Air conditioning and Private bathroom (ensuite). 
    Comfort: All cabins are equipped with Air conditioning and some cabins may have shared bathroom (Max 2 cabins).

    You should definitely consider the full charter option especially if you are planning this cruise with your family or friends. It will make the experience even more exceptional. As we offer a large choice of boat, no matter if you are 6, 10 or more than 12 we will find the best vessel according the standing you are expecting. From 1000$ per night in adventure standing, 2000$ per night in Comfort standing and from 3000$ in Luxury standing. Contact us for more informations.

    Not at all, beginners can do discover scuba diving during the cruise (let us know to arrange it)


    Open water certified divers or equivalent will have access to most of the dive sites, but to make the best of the cruise Advanced level and experience in drift dive is recommended. You can spend a few days with us in Bali before starting your cruise, by joining our Safari tour or to get your Advanced certification in one of our four dive centers, it will allow you to dive up to 30m depth, to join night dives and be more confident and comfortable while drift diving.

    For an even better training we recommend you to join the drift specialty in Nusa Lembongan.

    If you are more into Leisure, Yoga or Surfing, we can offer you some great cruise experience while practicing some of your favourite activities. Contact us for more informations.

    Indonesia spread over its more than 5000 km along the Equator which offers a tropical climate with only two season, dry & wet.

    Dry season is mainly from May to October Wet season from November to April.
    Keep in mind that Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, so you can visit year-round as wet season won’t start in the same time in different places.

    Landscapes are also pretty different due to Tropical rainforest climate and Tropical savannah climate.

    Komodo: All year around
    North Komodo: April to December
    South Komodo: January to march
    Raja Ampat: October to May
    Banda Island: September to November
    Alor: May to November

    We do recommend you to bring your own gears if you already own it. If not it’s not a big deal, you can rent the full set onboard, some of our partners provide rental equipment for free, maximum you can expect another 60$ per day.
    As a reminder, every scuba diver should be equipped with: Wetsuite/BCD/Regulator set/Fins/Weight system/Dive computer/SMB/Torchlight/Compass.


    Nitrox tanks are available on most of the boats, please refer to the boat description.

    Included: Transportation between airport & boat (return)/ Accommodation/ Meals and snacks/ non alcoholic beverage/ 12L tanks and weight system for divers

    Not Included:
    Marine park and Port authority fees / International and domestic flights/ Traveling - Diving Insurance / alcoholic beverage & espresso/ massage/ 15L tanks and dive gears rental for scuba divers

    Most of the time €, Us$ are accepted onboard, but we do recommend you to bring enough cash in local currency IDR. Payement by card are available on some boats, please refer to the boat description.
    Most of electric outlets on board are European type.

    Tipping from 5 to 10% of the cruise amount are expected, it express your satisfaction level. Tips are also an important income part for crew members.