Triton Bay and Kaimana are now essential stops on diving cruises in Papua Barat. Kaimana is a small port in the province’s south of Papua Barat. In 2008, Kaimana Bay, Triton Bay, was declared a protected area. The place is authentic and very wild, the landscapes alternate between cliffs, lush jungle, and white sand beaches.
Triton Bay is difficult to access, and that is good, because here, again, the biodiversity is exceptional. It is a laboratory for scientists, many new species have been listed there, such as the “walking shark”, astonishing sculpin shark that walks with its fins.
Macrofauna and tropical fish evolve in a magical setting of corals, which cover drop-offs, rocks, or caves. And offshore, it is the whale sharks and the marlins that beg a free meal from the fishers installed on their “bagans”.
A diving stay in Triton Bay will also allow you to discover astonishing cultural sites. Authentic prehistoric caves are veritable galleries of rock paintings, testimonies of the human presence in this region.
Diving in Triton Bay
The Triton bay region is beautiful. Corals abound and cover the drop-offs and caves. Black corals are noteworthy. The fauna is very dense, and the macro sites are superb, so there are a lot of mantis shrimps and pygmy seahorses. It is also in Triton Bay that we discovered the “walking shark”.
But Triton Bay is also home to many nesting areas for green turtles, and “bagans”, fishers also attract whale sharks, marlins, and dolphins!
Dive Sites in Triton Bay
Walker’s Reef is a large plateau where the walking shark was discovered in 2013. The magic moment where we discover this little shark which uses its fins to walk. It is an incredibly beautiful site, ideal for macro photography, and especially for admiring mantis shrimps.
Sagin Island reveals a large, shallow rock. Many gorgonians are home to beautiful macrofauna.
White Rocks is a great night dive site. It covers this gently sloping reef with soft corals. This is a macro site but keep an eye out as wobbegong sharks and walking sharks are also present in the area.
Little Komodo owes its name to the number of invertebrates that one meets there, as in Komodo. The small bay is very protected, there is hardly any current. The black corals are remarkable. You will end the dive in an aquarium.
Saruenus Island
Saruenus Island is a small island near the coast. Here you can do up to 4 different dives.
There are large rocks lined with soft corals. It is a real aquarium with beautiful tropical fauna: damselflies, and even fusiliers. But the fixed fauna is also home to beautiful macrofauna. Nudibranchs, shrimps, and pygmy seahorses will delight photographers. In the blue, it is the wobbegong sharks that roam.
Bo ‘Rainbow is another site close to Triton Bay Diver. The site comprises large rocks covered with soft corals where large schools of fish roam. It is a shallow dive, perfect for photographers looking for wide-angle photos.
Andy’s Point has some great surprises in store for you. Each time you dive for a new encounter: yellowfin barracudas, humpback parrots, wobbegong sharks, and beautiful macro fauna with nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses.
Flasher Beach is on a small island that sits in the middle of the ocean outside of Triton Bay, northwest of Aiduma. This confidential site is 30 minutes by boat from the hotel. We can observe her magnificent napoleons in courtship displays, but also pygmy seahorses.
Saron City is another great macro site, and it is across from the Triton Bay Resort. Besides seahorses, crabs, and shrimps, there are also beautiful specimens of wrasse.
Batu Jeruk. Further south, the Batu Jeruk area offers several dive sites. Rocks and ridges covered with soft corals and black coral are home to an intense fauna of invertebrates.
Goby Gully. It is a nice dive on a small wall. Here we see gobies, crabs, and pygmy seahorses.