Mari · Indonesia · 11N
This itinerary explores the rich marine biodiversity of Misool and Central Raja Ampat, offering a chance to encounter both reef and oceanic manta rays amidst unspoiled hard and soft coral gardens. Divers will discover dramatic underwater landscapes, stunning reefs, and unique geological formations, with opportunities to explore ancient rock paintings and hidden lagoons. The journey promises an immersive experience in one of the world's greatest marine wildernesses.
Guests are welcomed aboard the Mari in Sorong, setting the stage for a journey into Raja Ampat. Following cabin allocation, introductions, and a safety briefing, the vessel departs. The day includes a check dive at Matam, a vibrant dive site known for excellent visibility, healthy coral formations, and abundant reef fish, making it a perfect setting for a relaxed re-acclimation dive. Hawksbill turtles are often sighted grazing among corals here.
Dive sites: Matam
Today's diving focuses on the spectacular limestone islands of Misool, a region critically important for marine conservation and part of the Coral Triangle. Dive sites like Andiamo feature vibrant soft corals and sea fans, with currents sweeping through reefs that attract large schools of fusiliers and snappers. Candy Store is known for its nutrient-rich waters supporting dense schools of barracuda, glassfish, and tuna. Yelet Kecil offers beautiful reef systems, hard coral gardens, and numerous cryptic reef inhabitants, while Night Dive Yelet Jelly provides an opportunity to observe walking sharks, octopus, cuttlefish, and decorator crabs active after dark.
Dive sites: Andiamo, Candy Store, Yelet Kecil, Yelet Jelly
The expedition continues into the nutrient-rich waters that shape Misool's diverse marine life, focusing on macro subjects and large pelagic fish. Magic Mountain is renowned as Misool's most iconic dive site, offering encounters with manta rays at cleaning stations and various reef fish. Four Kings features a collection of submerged pinnacles covered in soft corals and sea fans, often attracting schools of fusiliers, snappers, and surgeonfish, as well as reef sharks. Warna Berwarna showcases a stunning display of corals, while Night Dive Harapan Jetty reveals exceptional macro life, including bobtail squid, pipefish, and crustaceans.
Dive sites: Magic Mountain, Four Kings, Warna Berwarna, Harapan Jetty
Today focuses on the dramatic limestone landscapes of Farondi, featuring hidden lagoons and narrow waterways. The area is known for unique dive sites, including Goa Farondi, with its spectacular caves and tunnels, offering an extraordinary underwater atmosphere enhanced by sunlight filtering through openings. Farondi Wall features a vertical reef wall with black corals and soft corals, providing excellent opportunities for spotting pygmy seahorses, leaf scorpionfish, and other cryptic creatures. Nudi Rock is a prime macro site, recognized for its abundant nudibranchs and small marine creatures.
Dive sites: Goa Farondi, Farondi Wall, Nudi Rock
The expedition continues to Fiabacet, an area renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity and healthy coral formations. Fiabacet East offers diverse reef ecosystems, attracting numerous schools of fusiliers, jacks, and snappers. Tank Rock is a dynamic reef structure known for both fish action and exceptional coral growth, with schools of barracuda, trevallies, and surgeonfish often seen. Whale Rock, named for its distinctive shape, features steep walls, overhangs, and flourishing coral gardens, where Napoleon wrasse and turtles are common.
Dive sites: Fiabacet East, Tank Rock, Whale Rock, Nudi Rock
The focus today shifts to the northern region of Misool, an area known for its ancient limestone islands and dynamic ecosystems. Boo Window, a famous dive site, features natural limestone "windows" offering unique light and shadow effects, with soft corals and abundant reef fish. Boo West showcases healthy hard and soft corals, dense schools of fusiliers, and encounters with hunting trevallies. Romeo is a vibrant coral reef adorned with sea fans and soft corals, where schools of fusiliers stream through currents.
Dive sites: Boo Window, Boo West, Romeo
The journey proceeds to the Fam Islands, an archipelago known for its beautiful coral gardens and vibrant marine life, particularly Melissa's Garden. Melissa's Garden is considered one of Raja Ampat's most beautiful coral sites, featuring a breathtaking underwater landscape inhabited by countless reef fish. Keruo Channel offers a dynamic drift dive with nutrient-rich currents, attracting schools of fusiliers, surgeonfish, and snappers. My Reef is a colorful reef system with stunning coral formations and abundant fish.
Dive sites: Melissa's Garden, Keruo Channel, My Reef, Rufas Lagoon
Today's dives explore the iconic viewpoints around Pienemo, known for its stunning panoramic vistas. Barracuda Rock is a submerged Pinnacle teeming with pelagic fish, including barracuda, trevallies, and tuna, while a school of fusiliers often patrol the surrounding blue water. Galaxy is a vibrant dive site characterized by healthy corals and schooling fish, with occasional shark encounters. Batu Rufus is another spectacular limestone formation of the Fam region, offering diverse topography ideal for macro photography.
Dive sites: Barracuda Rock, Galaxy, Batu Rufus
Today's journey enters the legendary Dampier Strait, a renowned area in Central Raja Ampat for its abundant marine biodiversity, fueled by nutrient-rich waters from the Indonesian Throughflow. Manta Sandy is one of the region's best manta ray cleaning stations, offering excellent opportunities to observe reef mantas. Arborek Jetty is a small island location in the western Dampier Strait, known for vibrant soft corals and diverse marine life. Citrus Ridge is a lively reef with colorful soft corals, schooling fusiliers, and regular wobbegong shark sightings.
Dive sites: Manta Sandy, Arborek Jetty, Citrus Ridge
The day is dedicated to exploring more of the famous dive sites within the Dampier Strait, recognized for its nutrient-rich waters that foster incredible biodiversity. Blue Magic is a legendary site, regularly attracting oceanic manta rays, giant trevallies, tuna, and eagle rays, promising impressive encounters. Sardine Reef is a prime example of a current-swept pinnacle, where schools of fusiliers, surgeonfish, and snappers patrol, and grey reef sharks are often seen. Cape Kri, a world-record holding site for fish diversity, features staggering numbers of barracuda, trevallies, snappers, and reef fish.
Dive sites: Blue Magic, Sardine Reef, Cape Kri
The final diving day focuses on the reefs surrounding Kri and Mansuar, areas recognized as some of the richest coral reef ecosystems globally, offering exceptional biodiversity. Sawandarek Jetty is a vibrant dive site teeming with juvenile fish, sweetlips, and wobbegong sharks, offering excellent opportunities for photography and relaxed fish observation. Mike's Point, named after explorer Mike Nelson, features dramatic reef overhangs, swim-throughs, and steep coral-covered slopes. Schools of jacks and fusiliers are commonly seen patrolling the reef edge.
Dive sites: Sawandarek Jetty, Mike's Point
After breakfast, guests are transferred to Sorong Airport for their onward flights. This expedition concludes after exploring Raja Ampat's pristine reefs, the ancient rock art of Tomolol, and the vibrant marine environments of Kri and Mansuar, leaving lasting memories of one of the most spectacular dive destinations.