Raja Ampat
Indonesia · West Papua
Raja Ampat sits at the heart of the Coral Triangle and holds the highest recorded marine biodiversity on Earth — more reef fish species than anywhere else, healthy shark and ray populations, and reefs that look untouched because, for most of their history, they were. The four main island groups (Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, Misool) each have their own character; most trips combine at least two by liveaboard.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
One of the few places where what you see today is what divers saw a decade ago. Plan the trip with confidence — peak fish biomass, intact soft coral fields, manta and wobbegong encounters all reliable.
Coral cover
Fish life
More fish than a healthy reef of its kind.
Heat
Warmer than usual right now, but not hot enough to bleach.
Fishing
Quiet water, and the protection is actively patrolled.
Sources · MERMAID and partner coral surveys · Reef Life Survey · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
99 species across the dive sites here
Noisy Miner
Seen 2 days ago
at Magic Point
Least concern
Australian Ibis
Seen 3 days ago
at Magic Point
Laughing Kookaburra
Seen 3 days ago
at Magic Point
Least concern
Pied Oystercatcher
Seen 3 days ago
at HMAS Brisbane
Least concern
Rainbow Lorikeet
Seen 3 days ago
at Magic Point
Least concern
Australian Magpie
Seen 4 days ago
at Magic Point
Least concern
Australian Water Dragon
Seen 4 days ago
at Magic Point
Least concern
Bigbelly Seahorse
Seen 5 days ago
at HMAS Canberra
Least concern
Napoleon wrasse
Seen 5 days ago
at Cape Kri
Endangered
Australian Brushturkey
Seen 6 days ago
at HMAS Adelaide
Least concern
Made-Up Phyllodesmium
Seen 6 days ago
at HMAS Canberra
Short-Tailed Ceratosoma
Seen 6 days ago
at HMAS Canberra
Osprey
Seen 7 days ago
at HMAS Brisbane
Least concern
Grey Nurse Shark
Seen 7 days ago
at Magic Point
Critically endangered
Tasselled Wobbegong
Seen 8 days ago
at Blue Magic
Least concern
Wobbegong shark
Seen 8 days ago
at Cape Kri
Least concern
Black-tip Reef Shark
Seen 14 days ago
at Heron Island
Vulnerable
Green Sea Turtle
Seen 14 days ago
at Heron Island
Least concern
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Seen 14 days ago
at Heron Island
Vulnerable
White-tip Reef Shark
Seen 15 days ago
at Heron Island
Vulnerable
Verco'S Nudibranch
Seen 16 days ago
at HMAS Canberra
Pied Stilt
Seen 17 days ago
at HMAS Brisbane
Denise's pygmy seahorse
Seen 22 days ago
at The Passage
Least concern
Bleeker'S Parrotfish
Seen 23 days ago
at Blue Magic
Least concern
Oblique-Banded Sweetlips
Seen 23 days ago
at Blue Magic
Least concern
Schooling barracuda
Seen 23 days ago
at Blue Magic
Least concern
Broadclub Cuttlefish
Seen 26 days ago
at The Passage
Golden Spadefish
Seen 27 days ago
at Blue Magic
Moorish Idol
Seen 27 days ago
at Manta Sandy
Least concern
Cleaner wrasse
Seen 28 days ago
at Manta Sandy
Least concern
Blue Linckia
Seen 29 days ago
at Manta Sandy
Pacific Sailfin Tang
Seen 1 month ago
at Jake's Seaplane
Hawksbill turtle
Seen 1 month ago
at The Passage
Critically endangered
Chestnut Munia
Seen 1 month ago
at Jake's Seaplane
Least concern
Banded archerfish
Seen 1 month ago
at The Passage
Least concern
Manta Ray
Seen 1 month ago
at Misool
Endangered
Bumphead Parrotfish
Seen 1 month ago
at The Passage
Vulnerable
Blacktip reef shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Fam Islands
Vulnerable
Reef manta ray
Seen 1 month ago
at Manta Sandy
Vulnerable
Giant trevally
Seen 1 month ago
at Magic Mountain (Shadow Reef)
Least concern
Yellowtail Kingfish
Seen 1 month ago
at HMAS Adelaide
Least concern
Clownfish
Seen 1 month ago
at Jake's Seaplane
Grouper
Seen 1 month ago
at HMAS Brisbane
Giant Cuttlefish
Seen 1 month ago
at HMAS Adelaide
Near threatened
Grey reef shark
Seen 1 month ago
at Japanese battleship Nagato
Endangered
Pygmy Seahorse
Seen 1 month ago
at Ambon Bay
Least concern
Micronesian Myzomela
Seen 2 months ago
at Jake's Seaplane
Least concern
Batfish
Seen 2 months ago
at Boo Windows
Least concern
Schooling giant trevally
Seen 2 months ago
at Cape Kri
Least concern
Reef manta
Seen 2 months ago
at Manta Sandy
Vulnerable
Bargibant's pygmy seahorse
Seen 2 months ago
at The Passage
Least concern
Bigeye trevally
Seen 2 months ago
at Sardine Reef
Least concern
Whitetip Reef Shark
Seen 2 months ago
at Sardine Reef
Vulnerable
Pacific Golden-Plover
Seen 2 months ago
at Jake's Seaplane
Least concern
Oceanic manta ray
Seen 2 months ago
at Blue Magic
Endangered
Blackspotted Puffer
Seen 2 months ago
at Batanta
Least concern
Bluegirdle Angelfish
Seen 2 months ago
at Batanta
Least concern
Boring Giant Clam
Seen 2 months ago
at Jake's Seaplane
Least concern
Schooling fusiliers
Seen 2 months ago
at Sardine Reef
Schools of fish
Seen 2 months ago
at HMAS Canberra
Orange-Chinned Parakeet
Seen 2 months ago
at Ambon Bay
Least concern
Barracuda
Seen 3 months ago
at Jake's Seaplane
Least concern
Radjah Shelduck
Seen 4 months ago
at Batanta
Least concern
Fusiliers
Seen 5 months ago
at Boo Windows
Nudibranchs
Seen 6 months ago
at HMAS Canberra
Ornate Ghost Pipefish
Seen 6 months ago
at Boo Islands
Least concern
Spanish mackerel
Seen 7 months ago
at Blue Magic
Near threatened
Batfish (Circular)
Seen 7 months ago
at Boo Islands
Least concern
Walking Shark
Seen Mar 2025
at Misool
Near threatened
Dogtooth Tuna
Seen Mar 2025
at Fam Islands
Least concern
Bluespotted Grouper
Seen Dec 2024
at Fam Islands
Least concern
Reef Octopus
Seen Dec 2024
at Kawe Island Reef
Least concern
Mantis Shrimp
Seen Nov 2024
at Misool
Ambon Scorpionfish
Seen year round
at Ambon Bay
Least concern
Blue Devils
Seen year round
at HMAS Canberra
Branching Acropora Coral
Seen year round
at Fam Islands
Ghost Pipefish
Seen year round
at Ambon Bay
Least concern
Gorgonian Sea Fan
Seen year round
at Kawe Island Reef
Hard Coral
Seen year round
at Wayag Northern Pinnacles
Humphead Wrasse
Seen year round
at Iro Maru
Endangered
Moray Eels
Seen year round
at HMAS Canberra
Red Tree Coral (Dendronephthya)
Seen year round
at Boo Islands
Reef Shark
Seen year round
at Iro Maru
Vulnerable
Ribbon Eel
Seen year round
at Ambon Bay
Least concern
Schooling sweetlips
Seen year round
at Cape Kri
Sea Fan
Seen year round
at Boo Islands
Sea Urchin
Seen year round
at Fam Islands
Silvertip Shark
Seen year round
at Wayag Northern Pinnacles
Vulnerable
Snapper
Seen year round
at Japanese battleship Nagato
Sweetlips
Seen year round
at Wayag Northern Pinnacles
Titan Triggerfish
Seen year round
at Kawe Island Reef
Trevally
Seen year round
at HMAS Brisbane
Tuna
Seen year round
at Japanese battleship Nagato
Yellowtail barracuda
Seen year round
at Boo Windows
Least concern
Flamboyant Cuttlefish
Seasonal visitor
at Ambon Bay
Harlequin Shrimp
Seasonal visitor
at Ambon Bay
Mandarinfish
Seasonal visitor
at Ambon Bay
Least concern
Caramel Nudibranch
Rare sighting
at Japanese battleship Nagato
Pustulose Wart Slug
Rare sighting
at Japanese battleship Nagato
Dive sites
Cape Kri
schooling giant trevally · blacktip reef shark · wobbegong shark · napoleon wrasse
Blue Magic
oceanic manta ray · grey reef shark · spanish mackerel · schooling barracuda
Manta Sandy
reef manta ray · cleaner wrasse · tasselled wobbegong · oblique-banded sweetlips
Magic Mountain (Shadow Reef)
oceanic manta ray · reef manta ray · grey reef shark · giant trevally
Japanese battleship Nagato
grey reef shark · tuna · barracuda · snapper
Ambon Bay
pygmy seahorse · ambon scorpionfish · flamboyant cuttlefish · orange-chinned parakeet
What divers say
I've dived 40 countries and Raja is the only place I've surfaced from a dive and immediately wanted to roll back in.
Cape Kri broke the species per dive record for a reason — there's literally not a square meter without something on it.
Good to know
Marine park fee
A one time tag (~IDR 1m / ~$65) is mandatory and goes to local communities. Keep it on you.
Cash is king
ATMs in Waisai are unreliable. Bring USD or IDR cash for tips, fees and incidentals.
Malaria
Raja is in a malaria zone. Talk to a travel clinic — most divers take prophylaxis.