Damai I Itinerary

Raja Ampat to Cenderawasih Bay

Day 1: Arrive into Sorong

Guests will arrive in Sorong and have time to get comfortable on the boat. Damai will travel west to Matan for a checkout dive.

No. of Dives: 1

Manta Sandy is a signature site for experiencing the grace of Reef Mantas. They are frequent visitors to the cleaning stations dotted along this sandy channel. Feel free to explore the sand for small critters while you are waiting for an appearance.

Arborek Jetty is part of a sloping reef in front of the island. There are schools of fish, excellent wide-angle photo opportunities under the jetty itself, and good critter hunting to be done along the slopes.

In the late afternoon take a stroll around the village on the island and maybe join in one of their soccer matches or buy a locally made sunhat.

No. of Dives: 4

At the eastern end of the famous Dampier Strait, there are many signature dive sites. Cape Kri is a sloping reef on the eastern end of the island of Kri; Blue Magic and Sardine reef are seamounts covered in schooling fish and cruising sharks and rays; Mioskon is a great spot for the endemic Wobbegong shark and Pontohi pygmy seahorses.

No. of Dives: 4

Day 4: Pulau Dua

Halfway between Raja Ampat and Cenderawasih bay we will make a stop at these small islands where remains of second world war were thrown into the sea, making a small but superb reef where life concentrates in large numbers. Big schools of yellow grunt, large napoleon fish or barramundis find shelter. In the evening, if the conditions so permit, we will go to the beach to see the leatherback turtle nesting.

No. of Dives: 2 or 3

Days 5 and 6: Mapia

The last atoll in Indonesian waters, very close to the border with Palau, too remote for fisherman to go, and protected by a small navy post, The combination of all these factors means only one thing: superb diving, pristine waters, hard corals and drop-offs, and a tremendous amount of fish. Rare opportunity to see reefs in the way they were many years ago and a delight to all our senses.

No. of Dives: 4 and 3

Day 7: Pulau Manim

Manim is home to calm waters and 7 sunken landing craft left behind after WWII. These are in a variety of depths from 5 to 25m and are covered in a variety of hard and soft corals.

No. of Dives: 4

Day 8: Outer Atolls

The outer atolls of Cenderawasih Bay are some of the fishiest sites of the area, located inside the National Park. Wild Fish Ridge and Spag point are two particular favorites. It is here that we can view so many of the endemic species that led this to be called the Galapagos of the East.

No. of Dives: 4

Day 9: Tanjung Manguar / Pulau Nusir

Tanjung Mangguar is an extensive dive site with a wall on one side and a plateau of hard corals on the other. There are some magnificent sponges and lots of plump soft corals to add some color to the reef. This is a good chance to see some of the endemic fish species, and there is a school of resident blackfin barracuda.

No. of Dives: 4

Day 10 and 11: Teluk Wororomi

This is the Whale Shark bay and the local fishing platforms attract many of the ocean's largest fish. After local reporting is complete, divers will be offered an open dive deck so that they may spend as much time as possible in the water with these amazing creatures.

The Whale Sharks here are a resident population of pre-adolescents, mainly males, who come to the platforms to feed on the small bait fish that sit in the nets that hang beneath. They are apparently unconcerned by divers and tirelessly circle back again and again to feed upon morsels of fish hand-fed to them by the fishermen, who regard them as good luck.

No. of Dives: Unlimited dives/snorkeling

Day 12: Departure

Guests will be escorted to the airport in Nabire and assisted with check in procedures, no doubt full of talk about the wonders of the most popular dive destination in the world.

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics, and local regulations.