Let yourself be tempted by a diving trip to Papua Barat. It is the most beautiful underwater ecosystem in the world!
The northern part of New Guinea is home to the province of Papua Barat, formerly Irian Jaya. This province is divided into several regions, some of which, such as Raja Ampat, is now world-famous for diving. Some other provinces, deserve to be visited as well.
In Papua Barat, 12 areas are classified as “District Marine Conservation Area”, including Misool, the Dampier Strait to the north, and Triton Bay. Cenderawasih Bay is classified as “Marine National Park”, it is the largest national park in Indonesia.
A diving holiday in Papua Barat, and particularly in Raja Ampat, promises beautiful underwater encounters, but not only! These lush islands which are scattered over turquoise lagoons are inhabited by a population proud of its traditions, who will welcome you with a smile.
Access to Papua Barat is long and tiring, but it is also what protects this area from pollution and mass tourism.
Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat, also called “the 4 kings” is an archipelago made up of over 1,500 paradisiacal islands, of which the 4 main ones are Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo. Even if the region remains authentic and relatively uncrowded, diving trips and diving cruises on Raja Ampat are many. So, you can discover diving around Misool by staying at the Misool Eco Resort or even test the North region and the Strait of Dampier, by staying on Kri Island or Batanta. The diving cruises, which program Raja Ampat combine these 2 sites.
Northern Raja Ampat
Read more about this HERE.
Misool – Southern Raja Ampat
Read more about this HERE.
Triton Bay
Read more about this HERE.
Cenderawasih
Read more about this HERE.
The Best Season To Dive In Papua Barat
October to April are the best months to dive in Papua Barat, it is the dry season; it is also the period when the visibility is the best (however, November and December are the rainiest months of the dry season). From June to September it is the monsoon period. The climate is tropical and the water temperature is around 28 degrees.
The underwater fauna of Papua Barat
Papua Barat and Raja Ampat can be proud of offering the world record diving site of underwater species. It was listed 374 species in a single dive at this place. One renown biologist declared that the Cenderawasih region was the Galapagos of Indonesia.
If many species are present, it is also the density which is impressive: schools of giant trevally, barracudas, dogtooth tuna.
You will also observe many sharks, the gray reef shark, the white tip shark, the hammerhead shark on some sites, and rarer species such as the wobbegong shark (carpet shark), or the walking shark, a recently discovered species. in 2013!
Groupers, wrasses, wrasse, and parrotfish are visible on many dive sites, often in large numbers, and of impressive sizes!
Many deserted beaches are home to turtle nesting sites, so when diving, you will come across nice-sized turtles.
Rays are also very present, giant black manta rays as on the site of Manta Sandy, near Kri Island, or even mobula rays.
Another endangered species: the dugong. If luck smiles on you, you may spot it around Misool, Kri, Sorong, or Batanta. The species аре now protected, but it is difficult to observe them.
This region of Indonesia is also famous for its macrofauna. The pygmy seahorse (Denise or Bariganti), nudibranchs, or rhinopias (leafy scorpionfish), will delight divers. Note also that 57 species of mantis shrimp (mantis shrimp) have been recorded.
From the smallest to the largest: Papua Barat is home to the bay of the “bird of paradise”, Cenderawasih, an evocative name which invites discovery.
This bay, which is fast becoming the “must” for diving in Indonesia, is home to the largest fish in the world: the whale shark.
Around the islands, dolphins like to accompany the boats, so many species frequent the waters of Raja Ampat.