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If you have dived in Raja Ampat before, please share your experiences: Dive spots you would recommend, which Dive Center you used, Fishes & Diving, Visibility, Currents, etc. Please post your comments in the section below, by doing so you will help fellow divers to plan their next trip
Raja Ampat has been described by many scientists as the richest place for Marine life on Earth. The biodiversity is just amazing with weird and rare underwater creatures everywhere you look. Many new species have been discovered over the last few years in the archipelago.
Raja Ampat is like heaven for underwater photography with magnificent hard and soft coral, clear water and a teeming reef life. These islands are very rich in macro life with just about all of the kind of critters you can dream of!
The Raja Ampats are also great for big fish action with pelagic fishes everywhere such as the Giant Trevally or the Dogtooth Tuna. You can spot many Sharks too, mainly Blacktip and Whitetip reef Sharks but also the strange and beautiful Wobbegong Shark.
Manta Rays are common too and there are amazing dive sites such as Manta Ridge and Manta Sandy to spot them! The very rare dugong has been spotted several times too. From the boat it is not rare to see dolphins playing or a whale passing by
In this page you will find more detailed information about scuba diving in Raja Ampat.
Table of contents
How to dive Raja Ampat?
Liveaboard or Dive Resort?
There are over 1500 Islands in the Raja Ampat archipelago! With a Liveaboard, you can visit many Islands and you can explore the Northern part of the Archipelago with the stunning Island of Wayag. In addition, you can visit several wrecks from WWII such as the superb P-47D Thunderbolt located near Way Island. I usually use this website to book in advance my liveaboards in Indonesia as they usually have the lowest rates I find. I like it because they have an easy booking system.
A liveaboard is more expensive than for example the Kri Eco Resort from Papua Diving. The best diving is actually in the central part of the Raja Ampats, and most of the Liveaboards will go dive spots around the Sorido bay resort and the Kri eco resort, at least as the beginning of the cruise.
For the resorts, you will have the choice between:
- Kri Eco Resort
- Sorido Bay Resort
- Misool Eco resort
- Raja Ampat dive lodge
There are also a few homestays on some Islands in the southern part of the Archipelago.
Where to stay?
I usually use this website to book in advance my hotels in Raja Ampat as they usually have the lowest rates I find. I like it because it's free to cancel and change the dates.
Best time to dive in Raja Ampat
Diving in Raja Ampat is excellent all year round. As the number of divers coming to this remote area is very small, there is no “high season”.
The climate is tropical with hot and humid air. The weather is sunny all year with some rainy days. From May to September, there is more rain than the other months but nothing too bad.
Top liveaboards in Raja Ampat according to divers reviews
Scuba Diving conditions
The conditions are usually very good. The water temperature is about 28 °C all the year.
Visibility is not outstanding, but you can expect from 10 to 30 meters depending on the dive site.
The current varies from none to very strong depending on the location. Many dives are drift diving, for example the spot called the Passage is really impressive when the current is fierce!
The depth ranges from 10 m to 40 m and most of the dives are quite easy but due to the remoteness of the islands, this destination is more suitable for experienced divers.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elsaw/5555624219/
Snorkelling in Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat offers excellent snorkelling opportunities with many superb and shallow coral gardens. For example, in front of the Kri Eco resort, and the Sorido Bay Resort, there is an amazing house reef to explore where you can find superb coral, turtles and juvenile blacktip reef sharks!
Diving Safety
If you are planning an upcoming dive trip or travelling to Raja Ampat, it is a really good idea to invest in travel insurance for scuba diving, because you never know what could happen and when you might need it (because accidents do happen!). I recommend this diving insurance as they offer worldwide coverage and focus on providing scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.
The number of dive sites is still unknown as most parts of the Raja Ampat Islands are still unexplored. The best known dive spots are the following ones:
- Manta Ridge
- Cape Kri
- Manta Sandy
- Cross Wreck
- Fabiacet
- Farond Island
- Jef Fam Group
- Kaleidoscope
- The passage
- Mike’s Point
- Melissa Point
- Sel Pele Bay
Photos Raja Ampat
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Zoom Small Sea CreaturePhoto by Jihye Lee -
Cleaning Shrimp Raja AmpatPhoto by Jihye Lee -
LeopardPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Octopus HidingPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Underwater Forest Raja AmpatPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Long Black White FishPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Orange Blue NudibranchPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Cleaning ShrimpPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Mandarin Fish CheekyPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Orange Yellow NudibranchPhoto by Jihye Lee
Travel Guide
Now that you know all about the underwater world, you might want to start planning your scuba holiday! Check out our Raja Ampat Travel Review for information about how to get there, activities and excursions, where to stay, and more.
Raja Ampat is my best diving trip ever! I spend one week in the Kri eco resort with Papua Diving.
It was just awesome! Amazing diving with Manta Rays and many Reef Sharks. Papua Diving is VERY well organized with new equipment. The resort is simple but very beautiful and expensive…
The best spots are Manta Sandy, Manta Ridge, Mike’s Point, Melissa’s Garden and The Passage!
Dieter, Padi Open Water Advanced
I stayed at the Kri Eco Resort, It was awsome! Amazing Scuba Diving and good vibes.
i was wondering where is the best place to see the mantas in raja ampat
mantha point, u should join seamothdive center, they can provide cottage, boat, dive gear and anything that’s you need, and the price is really friendly, you can contac at infoseamothdive@yahoo.com
the best dive spot, i stayed at wai island with seamothdive (jakarta). the resort simple but very beautiful and the price is reasonable
hi there,
just returned from raja ampat and i have to say the place is magnificent…check out my video, and please free to post it on the site.
khaled.
https://vimeo.com/53397709
Hello everybody, I’m just back from Indonesia, and I spent about 2 weeks in the Raja Ampat, on the islands of GAM and KRI. I made 5 dives there, and i think it’s my favorite diving place ever. The dives were:
FRIWIN – good
JENBUBA JETTY – very good
MIKE’S POINT -very good
CAPE KRI – outstanding
SARDINES REEF – outstanding
most of them were drift dives with quite strong current.
I didn’t go with liveaboards or by a resort, I could never afford any of these – I was in homestays on GAM (Kordiris Homestay, my favorite) and KRI (Yenkoranu Homestay) which are much more affordable and provide a more real and local experience but with NO FRILLS at all.
Almost all hometasys can organize the diving – with different level of organization, professionality and equipement, i figure, and will take you to the placesin a few km radius from the homestay itself.
I dived with the divemaster of Kordiris, Enzo, who runs a small but well organized and well tended center, and it was great!
You may find the info and contact numbers about the homestays on this website:
http://www.stayrajaampat.com/
Raja Ampat is the best place for diving in the world! I went in april and I dive with Wai Eco Resort – Scubacqueando Diving Raja Ampat … really amazing little resort for only few special guests … great to have met there one of the most experienced dive guide in Raja Ampat Mr. Nikson Soor
Hi
We dove Raja for two weeks in nov ,Wow what a place ,Fam islands is a 10 ,,,,But diving in raja is NOT for new divers !,there are DOWN CURRANTS we hit one @ Mikes point & only 3 of 10 made it to the surface ,,,, the dive was called off due to 3-7 knot currants,, I was 1 of the 3 after hitting the wall @ mikes I tried to make it to the surface only to find myself @ the bottom after inflated my bc about half way I tried to make it up again came with in 20 feet of it then got sucked down again 3rd I made it ,,,,But during that time bobbles ever were going down, sideways every were but up!
Lucky for me this wasnt my first time in down currants ,,,and there was a bottom @120 . Everyone did make it up But the head dive Master ,, the person who ran the dive op @ the resort we were staying,,,,,, lost it he thought there were going to be dead divers ,He didn’t think anyone would have enough air to last the 20 mins because after 10 mins he was down to 1500psi.
Trying to move around in a 3-7 knot currant uses a lot of air
its basically grabbing on and pulling ,or use the hook they gave you.I know people are thinking why not just let go and go with it ,,Well thats how I ended up hitting a wall then being sucked down .If i would have been better briefed ,???
The next day I sat it out due to ear issues from that dive .
I heard that someone else hit a double down currant @ Manta ridge ,,,,this time at the end of the dive!! Not good he was put on o2 & watched he was ok,,,,,,My point is not like diving Bonaire so if your a Caribbean holiday diver ,,,,Beware lot dives are neg entry with hooks But on the up side the currant brings in fish life like iv’e never seen its amazing.
Im a underwater photographer,,with 42 years of cold & warm diving experience, in over 15 countries & 1,000s of dives
And i couldn’t think of a place id rather be than Raja.
But NOT for new divers . The two week we were there we watched one couple who had paid for diving but just snorkelled out of fear ,& the people beside us get up and leave after two days of diving ,,so don’t wast your money if your not sure of your diving ability .. @ the time of this writing the cost for two, for two weeks was 8,900 usd
Ps try not plan your trip around full or new moons That is unless you like to be hooked in like bait.
@kthomas what you comment it looks like a nightmare about diving should not be. An expert dive master must be in grade to provide an a dequate briefing for avoiding situations of risk like you refer and moreover for provide fun and safe diving to expert divers as well as beginner divers in R4 That is one of the reason we highly recommended dive Raja Ampat with a seasonedj/mastered Liveaboard and PADI accredited. Believe, your 4500 usd would have been more than enough for a Liveaboard diving trip! Feel free to contact us to the email if interested in further info. I am happy to help
What places (if any) in Raj Ampat have no current (or gentle currents)? Is it better at Misool resort?
There are definitely currents, although in the week I was there, we encountered no down currents. The trick is if you’re uncertain keep close to the reef where the current is lower, and have a reef hook ready. Use your eyes and watch the fish. If they are swimming upward but making no or little ground, then there is a down current. Observation in these conditions is key. As the guy above said, it’s not Caribbean diving, however it isn’t dangerous if you are properly briefed and the DM takes you to sites suitable to your skill level. There were plenty of easy dives too on the trip, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone without AOW, excellent buoyancy control, and at least 75 dives.
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Hi, great memories
mmmmm I still can remember those sunny days in the paradise 
About currents….there are different places with no currents. Manta Sandy is one of the best and most stunning places.
Hope it helps!
Before we decide to book a room in Raja Ampat Resort we must know all information about it including price range, facility, thing to do, and how to get there. But your post already mention all of it. it’s a great information indeed.
Hi
we are two people planning to come from 21 to 25/08, seems to be rainy. in general in august only rain or also sun everyday?
is it possible to see sharks or mantas just by snorkeling, even if its raining ?
thanks
Hi, just wanted to thank both the author and also k thomas for his message.
After reading his experience I started searching about down currents and what to do (the main thing is to remain calm and don’t panic). It was very useful when when we were sucked by a down current at Cape Kri. Fortunately it was just an scary experience.
Hi Dear Divers,
Raja Ampat has been my best dive experience ever, the life and untouched healthy underwater life is just amazing. I would agree that diving in Raja Ampat is for experienced Divers only and I also would definitely say that going to Raja Ampat not to dive is a waste of money as well. Snorkeling doesn’t do it justice and the main point of going to Raja Ampat is really to experience the underwater world, unless if your an exotic bird enthusiast.
We had a few down currents and they were very similar to the Galapagos Islands, you have to react quick and grab each other and inflate your bcd’s fully and kick up as strong as you can while exhaling. You also will have strong currents pushing you into walls, we were actually quite shocked at the amount of inexperienced divers allowed to dive in these waters. I ended up having to play octopus twice for a girl and their boyfriend from hong kong that stayed with us.
You’ll have a lot of negative entries and always keep a hock with you, also some resorts won’t allow gloves but that is nonsense. This is just a pre-caution for some of the in experienced divers they let into the waters so they don’t pull themselves along the seabed. Gloves are mandatory especially when you have strong currents as you don’t want to be cutting your hands or be stung by stonefish. As well as that bacteria from you hands isn’t good for corals, in case a current pushes you into them, so gloves will protect corals as well.
I’m an olympic swimmer so I didn’t have much of a problem underwater as well as having 624 dives done. However currents bring plenty of life and its just amazing, you could be seeing 10 black tips in some dive sites if you lucky.
Thanks for sharing the info, would love to see your dive photos if you happened to take any. Thanks.
Two words. Blue Magic. Of all the places I have dived in the world, I would come back and dive this site over and over.
The rest of Raja Ampat is fabulous, but this blew me away on the order of the BBC’s Blue Planet II series. Double wow.
For a budget liveaboard, I’d highly recommend Jaya operated by Scuba Republic. I think I paid around $1500 for 7d/6n. Food was excellent, 14 basic but comfortable berths, great dive guides.
Hello Mike!
It’s so nice to read your passionate review of diving in Raja Ampat! I simply wanted to say thank you for taking the time to share your opinion on Divezone! It means a lot to us, and to the divers reading the blog!
Best bubbles, always!
I was on Epica, Jaya’s sister boat, also operate by Scuba Republic just 2 weeks ago. I paid $990 for a 6D/5N trip. It was the cheapest LOB in Raja Ampat. The food and bed were very basic, the boat had 2 common toilet and no AC. However, it was comfortable enough for me as they have bean bags for lazing and long table and bench for us to play and chat. Like you say, Blue Magic is one the the highlight, but I personally like Melissa Garden better. I was awe-struck for the whole 60min down there. The worst dive in RA is probably better then 85% of all my past dives. At the end of the trip, all the other divers agree not to share our dive experiences in RA on facebook, so as to keep this place as it is for as long as possible, haha….
Hi Alexis! Thank you as well for taking a minute to drop your review here, and thanks for reading Divezone!
I find it funny… but so true, that now divers want to keep their spots secret as the industry is fastly and perhaps a bit to uncontrollably growing.
I’m glad you’ve had a great time! Looking forward to reading more reviews from you in the future!
Best bubbles!
I dived in Raja Ampat on 4-10 Feb 2019 & it was pure magical down in the water. First timer will get to see oceanic mantas, walking sharks & wobbegong. Sites like Melissa’s Garden & MyReef was just full of fishes all over & healthy beautiful corals.
My liveaboard crew made my holiday an unforgetfull event. I will be back.
Hi Deborah!
First, thank you for reading Divezone and for taking the time to give us a feedback on Raja Ampat! That sure will help other divers that are getting ready for their adventures!
Secondly, I’d like to know which liveaboard you were on ? Perhaps you could leave a review about this particular boat if we are showcasing it on Divezone! There’s a search bar at the top, right-hand side, of the page where you can enter the name and see if we have it! That’d be great, but feel free!
Best bubbles, Always!
HI.
I can’t find it but the liveaboard I did was with Mikumba II. The owner’s name is Damian. The company is Lost Paradise Charters. Just mention my name to Damian & he will know me. This boat can take in 10 divers with 3 divemaster to take care of your dives & 8 crews to take care of you. How spoilt can u get.