Raja Ampat is world-renowned for its exceptional reefs and extraordinary marine biodiversity. From Cape Kri’s fish-filled slopes and Blue Magic’s oceanic mantas, to Melissa’s Garden’s spectacular corals, Boo Windows’ distinctive formations and Magic Mountain’s manta cleaning stations, divers are drawn from around the world to experience these famous sites - and many others like them.
Raja Amat’s dive sites are spread across a vast archipelago, from Wayag n the north all the way to Misool in the south. And no single resort puts them all within reach. Where you stay - or which liveaboard itinerary you choose - will determine the sites you can explore.
The ZuBlu travel team have been fortunate to dive across Raja Ampat, both on liveaboards and from resorts, and we’ve combined our knowledge and experience to create a guide to its best dive sites, explaining where they are, which resorts regularly visit them, and which liveaboard routes include them.
So dive in and explore Raja Ampat’s extraordinary dive sites!
Understanding Raja Ampat’s diving regions
Raja Ampat lies off the northwestern tip of Indonesian Papua. Its four main islands - Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool - are surrounded by hundreds of smaller islands, from forested limestone peaks to tiny sandy islets, all of which have their own reefs and dive sites.
The Dampier Strait is the heart of central Raja Ampat’s diving, lying between Waigeo and Gam to the north and Batanta to the south. Kri and Mansuar Islands sit within this strait. The eastern dive sites are concentrated around Kri and the waters towards Waisai on Waigeo; farther west, Mansuar and Arborek are known for their manta sites and village jetties.
Beyond the strait, western Gam and The Passage offer reefs, mangroves and a unique sinuous channel to explore, while Fam and Piaynemo lie farther west and mark the limit of the Dampier Strait. Kawe, Alyui Bay and Wayag take you north along and beyond Waigeo’s western coast. Batanta forms the southern edge of the central diving area, with muck-diving sites along its southern shores.
Misool lies well to the south, separated from these central islands by a substantial stretch of open sea. Its famous dive sites are scattered among smaller island groups southeast of the main island, only accessible from the sole resort in the area, or as part of a liveaboard itinerary heading south.
Eastern Dampier Strait - Kri and the surrounding reefs
The reefs around Kri teem with marine life. Explore them from resorts on Kri, eastern Mansuar and southern Gam, or on a liveaboard visiting the Dampier Strait.
Cape Kri
At Kri’s eastern tip, a coral-covered slope drops towards deeper walls, with fish crowding every level of the reef. Sweetlips gather close to the bottom, fusiliers pour past in silver streams and trevallies dart into the shoals. Reef sharks patrol beyond the corals, making it tempting to keep looking out into the blue. Cape Kri is famous for its biodiversity - 374 different fish species were recorded on a single dive here!
Access: Regular diving from resorts in the eastern Dampier Strait, with Kri Eco Resort and Sorido Bay closest; liveaboards visiting the Dampier Strait.
Blue Magic
Between Kri and Waisai on Waigeo, Blue Magic is an isolated underwater pinnacle rising from around 30 metres to within ten metres of the surface. Sea fans, sponges and corals cover its steep sides, while jacks and barracuda circle overhead. An oceanic manta arriving at the cleaning station can turn an already lively dive into something unforgettable.
Access: Regular diving from resorts in the eastern Dampier Strait; liveaboards visiting the Dampier Strait.
Sardine Reef
This small, oval reef sits in open water east of Kri, with gentle coral slopes rising to around five metres below the surface. Above it, snappers, sweetlips and fusiliers bunch together, scatter as trevallies charge through, then close ranks again. Between the coral heads, sea fans and soft corals shelter much smaller creatures.
Access: Regular diving from resorts in the eastern Dampier Strait; liveaboards visiting the Dampier Strait.
Mioskon
The reef fringing Mioskon Island in the eastern Dampier Strait slopes gently past coral outcrops and large sea fans. Snappers hover above the corals, glassfish shimmer around the outcrops and tiny pygmy seahorses hide among the fans. Look beneath ledges for tasselled wobbegongs, their fringed faces and elaborate markings almost lost against the reef.
Access: Regular diving from resorts in the eastern Dampier Strait; liveaboards visiting the Dampier Strait.
Mike’s Point
On the eastern side of tiny Kerupiar Island, near Kri, Mike’s Point combines steep reef faces with broad overhangs, ledges and crevices. Sweetlips shelter beneath ceilings bright with soft corals, while smaller creatures hide in the cracks. Follow the reef upwards and the shadows give way to sunlit coral gardens and passing turtles.
Access: Regular diving from resorts in the eastern Dampier Strait; liveaboards visiting the Dampier Strait.
Chicken Reef and Yenbuba Jetty are also well worth exploring during a stay here.
