Cruising for 8 days or longer: Central and Southern Raja Ampat … or … all of Raja Ampat

Central & South – around 20 dives

This boat offers 8- and 9-day cruises through the southern and central regions of Raja Ampat. The first four days are usually spent in Misool, a remote area in South Raja Ampat made up of countless islands and small islets, renowned for its vibrant soft corals and exceptionally rich marine life. You explore sites such as:

• Andiamo: where pygmy seahorses, giant trevallies, and barracuda are often seen
• Candy Store: colourful reef with vibrant marine life
• Warna Bewarna: meaning “colourful colours” in Indonesian, a wall covered in sea fans and soft corals
• Romeo and Juliet Besar: night dives around two small islands connected by a wide coral plateau with rich marine life
• Fiabacet: coral rich ridge with pinnacles, reef sharks, and schooling fish
• Nudi Rock: a small pinnacle known for macro life
• Whale Rock and Tank Rock: both known for colourful soft corals and large schools of fish
• 4 Kings and Wedding Cake: massive underwater pinnacles where manta rays, Napoleon wrasse, and large snappers often gather
• Boo Window: an iconic site with distinctive window like swim throughs
• Magic Mountain: a legendary cleaning station frequently visited by giant manta rays, as well as schools of jacks, barracuda, and reef sharks
• Gorgonian Passage: known for dense gorgonian coral fields that are home to pygmy seahorses

Then, the next four days are spent in Dampier Strait, the richest scuba diving area in central Raja Ampat. It is home to countless dive sites, some of which are still being discovered today. Among the most iconic sites are:

• Citrus Ridge: colourful reef with vibrant soft corals and a variety of reef fish
• Mayhem: lively dive site where schools of barracuda, jacks, and trevallies patrol the currents
• Gam Ridge: scenic ridge dive with rich marine life and unique coral formations
• Arborek Jetty: colourful dive beneath the wooden jetty of Arborek village, for schooling and a wide range of macro life
• Manta Sandy: famous manta ray cleaning station where both reef and oceanic manta rays can be seen usually
• Sawandarek Jetty: beautiful reef dive nearby the Sawandarek village with pristine hard corals, giant clams, and abundant reef fish
• Yenbuba: scenic drift dive along a sloping reef, often filled with large schools of fusiliers, barracuda, and turtles
• Cape Kri: Raja Ampat’s most renowned dive sites, famous for its exceptional fish diversity and frequent encounters with large schools of fish, sharks, and pelagic species

This list is of course neither complete nor fixed, and different dive sites may be explored along the way depending on conditions. The program also includes several land excursions, such as visits to the Love Lake and village walks.

Central, North and South – around 30 dives

If your travel dates allow for an 11-day cruise, you can explore the full Raja Ampat region, from the central area to both the northern and southern zones. This is a very special itinerary, offering a beautiful combination of the dive sites listed above, with additional diving in the northern part of Raja Ampat around Piaynemo, Kawe, and Wayag. The sites usually visited there include:

• Melissa’s Garden, famous for its high density of hard coral and fish species
• Keruo Channel: fast paced drift dive with strong currents, excellent visibility, and large schools of fish
• Batu Rufus: combination of sloping reefs and walls covered with soft corals, sea fans, and colourful reef fish
• Cathedral Rock: for impressive underwater arches, swim throughs, and abundant reef life
• Ridge Rock: scenic ridge dive where schools of jacks, barracuda, and sometimes reef sharks can be observed
• Wayag Corner: beautiful site with coral covered slopes and rich marine biodiversity
• Equator Cave: unusual cave dive located close to the equator, with a unique underwater landscape
• Changgo: deeper reef site known for its striking coral formations and large schools of fish
• White Arrow and Eddy’s Black Forest: dramatic underwater scenery with dense coral gardens, large sea fans, and frequent encounters with pelagic species

This list is once again neither complete nor fixed, and different dive sites may be explored along the way depending on conditions. The program also includes several land excursions, such as visits to the Love Lake, Balbulol Lagoon, Piaynemo viewpoint and village walks.

Diving included. Private cabin with AC: Various categories available. Meals: Full board.