Notes

Raja Ampat Itinerary

Day 1: Board Shakti in Sorong

Day 2: After an early morning sail we arrive at Manta point, where some channels between a shallow reef systems provide a good place for manta's and other large rays to hang in the current feeding on plankton, and a perfect place for us to dive with them! Our second dive is at Andy's reef. A ridge, which rises out of deep water to 8m and slopes off steeply on each side. This ridge provides a home for thousands of fish both big and small. As the current picks up huge shoals of silverside and the smaller fish come close to the reefs, flashing as the sunlight catches them, as they avoid the big hunting Tuna's and Jacks. Our third dive is at Fam wall, a excellent place to spot some more unusual critters such as, Mandarin fish and juvenile cuttle fish hiding amongst the coral at the bottom of the wall.

Day 3: South Fam Wall, a great dive starting just before the point where there?s lots a action as the big fish hunt in the current. Drifting around the corner and out of the current we can explore all the excellent macro life on the wall. This site you can find the rare yellow pigmy seahorse and lots of other critter such as Orang utan crabs and many nudibranchs. The second dive is called Melissa?s garden, and it really is a garden! Hardly a spot that isn?t covered in soft, hard or fan corals. Our third dive is another Garden, this time Anita?s garden, a great relaxing afternoon dive looking for Wobbigong sharks that lie in wait for their prey under big coral blocks.

Day 4: Equator Islands is our first dive. Literally a chance to dive across the equator! Possible to find Harlequin shrimps hiding under rocks in the shallows at the end of the dive. An adrenalin packed second dive at white rock. Huge schools of Jacks, surgeon fish, barracuda, and dog tooth tuna keep you company as you watch out for the occasional big gray reef shark to come cruising by. Our last dive is around a tiny islet with a single tree on it, hence the name, ?one tree rock? Very interesting topography, with walls, slopes, flats, caverns and huge boulders all on one dive!

Day 5: We arrive in Wayag, a stunning group of islands formed from Karst limestone and covered in jungle. The main island has many beautiful lagoons with hundreds of tiny mushroom shaped islets dotted around in the still blue water. This breathtaking scenery is often compared to Pulau?s famous islands and described as a ?James Bond? set! First dive is a small island just to the north west of Wayag. A steep wall drops to 35m where huge house like boulders are home to giant dogtooth tunas and trevalleys. Another island with no name is the site for the second dive, following the slope down the west side we come to a large underwater sea mound covered in big sea fans and coral.

The last dive is at Twin Island, one of the most beautiful coral dives of the trip. A shallow slope to the south of the island has a magnificent coral garden, crammed with table coral, soft and fan corals. There are always big schools of surgeonfish and midnight, Andaman and lined sweet lips to keep you company, and for the macro photographers this is a great place to spot some of the more unusual nudibranches.

Day 6: The first dive of the morning is close to the anchorage, a beautiful reef around one of the many unique mushroom shaped islands that are dotted around Wayag Island. For the second dive we sail around to the east of Wayag Island, a good chance to get some above water photos of the stunning top side scenery. This dive is full of surprises as the topography is continually changing. We drift along a vertical wall to start the dive, and as we round the small island there is a huge arch, big enough for a bus to drive through!! As we swim through the arch, there are small caves in the island on the other side, with every type of snapper you?ve ever seen and much more. It is also a good place to see gray reef sharks and mantas cruising past in the blue water beyond the arch.
The afternoon dive is another beautiful coral slope. There is a huge garden of hard corals swarming with anthias and other reef fish. Huge schools of red tooth trigger and surgeon fish cover the slope, and the occasional pelagic Spanish mackerel.

Day 7: The first dive of the day is at Split Island, literally an island that has been almost split in two. The dramatic topography continues underwater, with huge boulders and caverns. After a short sail we arrive at Quoy Island. Here we first dive the north east point. This dive starts with a vertical wall on the north side, and as we drift to the south with the current, we pass a huge cavern and many smaller caves. Large schools of fish, aggregate on the point and many sweetlips shelter from the current in the small caves.
The afternoon dive is a very relaxing dive along the south of Quoy Island. The reef here is a gentle slope, and is covered in hard and soft corals. At about 20m the slope flattens out and sand stretches out as far as the eye can see. Often big reef rays can be seen if you swim out over the sand.

Day 8: A lovely dive off the south east of Quoy Island. A coral slope that ends in white sand at 45m. Following the slope to the south brings us to a point where there?s always good fish action. Our second dive is on the north east of Uranie Island. We enter under a split in the cliff face. At 25m the split opens up into a huge cavern, with shafts of light filtering through the cracks in the roof. Always lots of sweetlips sheltering from the current, and normally two or three sleeping nurse sharks. Great for photographers who can get within touching distance of the sharks without disturbing their slumber. Another relaxing afternoon dive on a shallow coral plateau in Uraine bay makes a perfect end to the day.

Day 9: The morning dive is adrenaline packed, diving a small islet in the channel between Uranie Island and Quoy Island. This channel gets quite a lot of current and hence many of the big fish, mackerels, Jacks and Tunas hang in the current hunting the thousands of schooling fish. Often large grey reef sharks cruise by keeping an eye on their territory! The second dive is at Eagle Island, another small islet in the same channel. This place is great to spot the most majestic of marine animals, the Manta ray. Often these beautiful creatures glide back and forth this site scooping huge mouthfuls of plankton up with their mandibles. The afternoon dive is in the northern mouth of Uranie bay. Here is a good place to see guitar sharks and wobbigongs that Irian is famous for. Many other unusual critters can be spotted such as wasp fish and stargazers.

Day 10: West Papua is famed not only for its outstanding coral reefs but also for its wrecks. During World War 2 Irian was an important base for both American and Japanese ships and planes. The consequential battles have left many fantastic wrecks in this area from fighter planes to warships. The first two dives are on American P 47D fighter planes. Three American planes caught in a dogfight found them without enough fuel to return to their base; and decided to crash land near the same small island. They all made it to within meters of the beach and all survived! As the planes are almost completely intact they make excellent dives. Last dive of the trip is Nixon?s Reef. A great dive to end on, teaming with fish and many white tips, black tips and grey sharks.

Day 11: The eastern most tip of Kri Island is action packed dive for even the most traveled diver. Strong currents sweeping around this point make it home for practically every fish you've ever seen! Gerry Allan the famous author of several fish books, broke his lifetime record and counted an unbelievable 273? Different species of fish on one dive! Our next dive at Sardine reef is just as exciting, expect to see, schools of chevron and giantbarracudas, huge schools of Jacks, Spanish mackerels, tunas, sweetlips and black and white tip sharks as well as hundreds of others! If you manage to take you eyes of the action for a second then you are likely to find many nudibrachs, flat worms and leaf scorpion fish as well.

Day 12: Transfer to airport / departure.

• Transfers from/to Airport
• Towels & Linen (several changes during the trip)
• 3 full meals each day + snacks
• Use of sea kayaks

Services exclude:

• Nitrox
• Dive Equipment rental*
• Beer (2,-Eur), Softdrinks (1,-Eur), Juices (0,80 Eur)
• Raja Ampat Marine protected Area Tax System**

* Dive Equipment RENTAL
20,- Euro / day Ful Set (excl. Computer)
8,- Euro / day Regulator
8,- Euro / day BCD
4,- Euro / day Mask & Snorkel
5,- Euro / day Computer
4,- Euro / day Fins & Booties

** Raja Ampat Marine protected Area Tax System**
Please be advised that as of Sept 2007 all visitors to Raja Ampat are required by law to purchase an entrance tag. Tags cost Rp 500.000,- and are valid for one year. All proceeds are administered by conservation international for management of Raja Ampats marine protected areas.