The waters surrounding West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) offer enchanting coral gardens, cliffs and an extraordinarily diversity of fish. Macro lovers will find this region a true paradise. Pygmy seahorses, frogfish, blue ribbon eels and an incredible variety of nudibranchs are just a few creatures of this special little world. The dive sites also provide encounters with big fish and the island of Manokwari has numerous shipwrecks worth exploring. The reefs in Sorong, Waigeo and Misool are spectacular. Current diving is excellent here. Highlights include manta rays and a fascinating macro paradise.
Raja Ampat is frontier diving. One of the last truly wild places on earth, it has yet to succumb to the pressures of overfishing, coral bleaching, exploding tourism and overpopulation. The diving reflects this. Topside there are few roads, even few boats ply the water around Raja Ampat's many islands. Underwater, the life is wild, extraordinarily plentiful and, for the most part, unexplored.
Kri Island is located in the midst of gigantic reef systems with more dive sites than could be mapped in a lifetime! It is in this area that renowned marine author Dr. G. Allen recorded 283 fish species, the highest number ever recorded in one single dive!
The diversity seems endless, from mucky shallow bays with shrimp gobies, octopus, nudibranchs and "twilight zone" critters to lagoon channels overhung by rainforest; there are rock islands undercut by the sea and covered with a kaleidoscope of tunicates and corals, to offshore reefs with raging currents supporting an unbelievable variety of colourful soft and an abundance of fish. Divers need to be prepared for encounters of all shapes and sizes, from three different species of pygmy seahorses (hippocampus bargibanti, denise & pontohi) to manta rays.
Mantas are present almost permanently at three locations close to Kri Island and Papua Diving’s house reef, Cape Kri. Furthermore, there are a great number of breathtaking reefs that are teeming with life. Most dives are drift dives due to strong currents in the area. The currents provide nutrients for the outstanding quantity and variety of fish life and corals in the area. Large schools of pelagics, sharks, rays, dolphins, whales and turtles are frequent sights. The water temperature remains constant at 28°-29°C (82°-84°F) year round.
