The island group is a place that has great potential to serve as objects of tourism, especially diving tourism. Raja Ampat Islands waters for a variety of sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it can be detected at this stage as number one for the completeness of the flora and fauna under water.

Dr. John Veron, coral expert from the Australian experience, for example in a site he revealed the Raja Ampat islands in the westernmost tip of the island of Papua, about 50 miles northwest of Sorong, has the best reef areas in Indonesia. About 450 species of corals were identified in the two weeks of research in the field.

Team of experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy and the National Oceanographic Institutions (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has a rapid assessment in 2001 and 2002. The result, they are in these waters, there are more than 540 hard coral species (75% of the total species in the world), more than 1,000 species of reef fish, recorded 700 species of mollusks, and the highest record for gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of coral species in the world are in Raja Ampat. No one in the same area has a number of these corals.

There are some reefs are still very good condition with the percentage of live coral close to 90%, ie in the Dampier Strait (the strait between P. and P. Waigeo Batanta) Kofiau Islands, Islands and South East Misool Wayag Islands. Types of coral reefs in Raja Ampat’s coral reefs are generally the contour of the edge of steep ramps up. But the kind found in the atoll and the type of combustion or taka. In some places like the village Saondarek, when the lowest tides, with no way be seen coral reef diving and adapting itself to the rock alive, although they protect the fresh air and direct sunlight.

Unique species which can be found at the time of diving are just some of the species, seahorses or mini kudalaut, wobbegong and manta rays. There is also a fish endemic to the Raja Ampat, namely Eviota King, the kind of fish Gobbi. Manta point in supernal Arborek Dampier Straits, you can in the company of a couple of tame manta ray dive like when you dive into Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. When you dive in Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be surrounded by thousands of fish. Sometimes a collection of tuna, mackerel and snapper giant.But a tense, if we are surrounded by a collection of barracuda fish, even though it is relatively harmless (and that’s dangerous when we see barracuda lonely or alone). Reef sharks are often seen, and if you are lucky you will see the turtles eat sponge, or swim around you. In some places like the Salawati Batanta and Waigeo also seen dugong or sea cow.

As the area of many islands and narrow, so most dive sites at any given time on a fast flow.This also allows the drift dive, dive, after a strong current with a very clear water with the fish through the collection. There are also the remains of the plane sank into the Second World War in some dive sites to find a good spot for diving, as in Wreck P. Wai. And much more reef sites, which actually never touches. This makes diving in Raja Ampat was a challenge.

Access

Visiting these islands is not too difficult, although it takes time and considerable cost. We can use airlines from Jakarta to Sorong via Manado for a 6-hour flight. From Sorong town big enough and quite full-facility to explore the Raja Ampat, there are two options, take a tour by boat Pinisi or stay in the system of Papua Diving. Although most of the tourists who come to Raja Ampat There are divers, this is an interesting location for tourists as well as non-divers have sandy beaches of beautiful white, a group of islands, karst nan fascinating and unique flora and fauna is endemic, as in Red Paradise, Paradise Wilson, maleo Waigeo, various parrots and parrot, possum Waigeo, and various types of orchids.

Tags: diving spot, the best diving spot in the wolrd, travel destination, travel guide

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