There is a great place to dive in the off-shore of Sorong, precisely situated on RAJA AMPAT ISLAND GROUP. The Raja Ampat area of Northwest Irian Jaya is filled with islands, surrounded by reefs and inundated with fish! After 9 years in the area we have only begun to discover the natural treasures awaiting us on each dive.

The Raja Ampat island group spreads out over a huge area and consists of over 610 islands. The four largest islands are Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool and are located at the Westside of the "Bird head peninsula" in Irian.

The Raja Ampat has only recently been discovered by scientist to house world's richest reefs systems. The group of islands is situated on the equator, is part of Papua and counts more than 600 islands. Till this very day the area is virtually unexplored and unknown due to its size, what we do know is that it has revealed to harbor an amazing diversity of breathtaking underwater life. The first dives in this area was pioneered in 1990.

The area's reefs are covered in a diverse selection of both hard and soft corals. Most of the areas reefs are pristine, with mile after mile of perfect hard corals, drift after drift of Dendronephya (soft) corals of many species and colors ranging from brilliant red, to shocking yellow pretty pink and exotic purple. Most reef dives are very colorful.

Among, above, and on top of the corals are fish. Schooling fish, solitary fish, beautiful fish, ugly fish, large fish, small fish! Some fish that are considered to be rare in many parts of the world are abundant in the Raja Ampat area. For example, many Sargassum Frogfish are found in the floating weed in front of the dive resort.

Wobbegong Sharks are found on many dives, often lying atop perfect table corals like a fish carefully arranged by a chef on a dinner plate. The Epaulette Shark, a small shark only a foot long, is numerous and found very often on night dives in the seagrass or even on the shelf of a wall dive.

Giant Clams are found at many of our dive sites. These clams are large enough to swallow a child, but are embedded in the reef and covered with soft corals, tunicates and sponges so thick they can barely close their shells. Wai Island has a "Giant Clam Area" just off the beach.

The offshore reef sites, especially those near Kri Island are poplulated with MEGATONS of schooling fish! Many different species school in the current sometimes mixing so that a diver is surrounded by a chaotic mass of fish life. The most common to see are barracuda, jacks, bannerfish, surgeonfish, fusiliers, parrotfish and snappers. All in many species. The fish are so dense that they sometimes block the view of your dive buddy or the surface!

The Raja ampat area is not only stunning underwater. Topside, the islands have a very diverse topography with steep mountain shores and deserted white sand beaches. The area is far off the beaten track and is rarely visited by foreigners. The raw beauty of the islands will fascinate you. It's dense jungle interior is known for its many orchids and the paradise birds. Waigeo and Batanta have the Wilson's and the Red Bird of Paradise both endemic to this area, as well as abundantly present Lorikeets, Parrots, Kingfishers, Eagles and Hornbills.

RAJA AMPAT DIVING RESORTS

As you might have notice that the Raja Ampat island group spreads out over a huge area and consists of over 610 islands, there are two resort for accommodation on the Raja ampat Islands:
Kri Eco Resort and Sorido Bay Resort.

KRI ECO RESORT

This is the longest established resort consists of traditional buildings over the water, along a jetty and offers traditional Papuan accommodation with excellent food and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

SORIDO BAY RESORT

The new "Sorido Bay Resort" offers western comforts in traditional Papuan setting. It is a combination of modern and traditional building methods to create a balanced and comfortable resort. This resort is built for the more demanding diver and specially the underwater photographer.

Source: www.adventureindonesia.com

Image Source: National Geographic, konservasipapua.blogspot.com