“Raja Ampat is group of majestic islands, located in the northwestern tip of Papua, lies in the heart of the coral triangle, the most bio-diverse marine region on earth”
Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau.
Raja Ampat Regency is a new regency which separated from Sorong Regency in 2004. It encompasses more than 40,000 km² of land and sea, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua (province) of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya. Some of the islands are the most northern pieces of land in the Australian continent.
Raja Ampat casts a spell on all who visit – scientists, photographers, and divers alike. This group of majestic islands, located in the northwestern tip of Papua, lies in the heart of the coral triangle, the most bio-diverse marine region on earth. The most convenient way getting there is taking a domestic flight to Sorong after having arrived at the international airport of Manado (Sulawesi), followed by a boat transfer to one of the still few eco-friendly dive resorts.
In 2010 a survey was done on spot by American marine scientists and the results speak for themselves – here are just a few of the impressive numbers: 1.606 species of reef fish, 75% of all known coral species in the world, 10 times the number of hard coral species found in the entire Caribbean, etc.. A very popular and convenient way to dive as many sites as possible in this vast oceanic region are numerous liveaboard cruises, using a wide variety of vessels, even impressive traditional 3-mast Schooners, resembling floating boutique resorts with luxurious cabins.