ราชาอัมพัตใต้ (South Raja Ampat)

ราชาอัมพัตใต้ (South Raja Ampat)
ประเภทการดำน้ำ Liveaboard / Shore / Boat Diving
ระดับการดำน้ำ Raja Ampat is at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The Indonesian Throughflow, where massive amounts of water pass through the islands, creates strong currents that can be hard to negotiate. Of course it’s these currents that also feed the incredible reef systems and make the biodiversity so breathtaking.
The currents mean divers must be skillful drift divers, which isn’t usually something beginners are adept at. Down currents can be very strong and for divers that aren’t used to drift diving, very scary.

Intermediate - advanced was recomend
ความลึก 5-40+ metres
ทัศนวิสัยใต้น้ำ 30-70 feet
กระแสน้ำ moderate
อุณหภูมิน้ำ 27°C - 30°C
จุดดำน้ำ Raja Ampat is a huge area and home to innumerable dive sites, which offer diverse topographies and marine life. Other notable sites in Raja Ampat include Blue Magic, Melissa’s Garden, Mansuar, Mike’s Point, The Passage, Fiabacet and Mioskon Island.

Misool area has approximately 20 dive sites, which include Lonely Rock, Gampi, Yilliet, Boo Island, Fiabacet, Blue Hole and Killer Cape, Kaliq Channel, Sepele Rock, Three Sisters Rock, Nampele and Warokaraket, etc. However, some notable dive sites are Boo Island, Fabiacet, Farondi, Gamfi, and Kaleidoscope.

ฤดูท่องเที่ยว October to May is considered the best diving season for Raja Ampat when you'll find less rain, calmer seas, and better visibility. You will be able to visit all the main diving hot spots from north, e.g. Wayag, to south, i.e. Misool Island.
Mid-June to Mid-September is the monsoon season in Raja Ampat. Most liveaboards do not sail in Raja Ampat during these months as the southern Raja Ampat area becomes inaccessible due to the rough and windy weather.
However, the northern and central Raja Ampat areas remain accessible throughout the year via some liveaboards and dive resorts. ตุลาคม ถึง พฤศจิกายน เป็นเวลาที่ดีที่สุด เนื่องจากเป็นช่วงที่ทะเลสงบ และเหมาะแก่การถ่ายภาพ
สิ่งที่น่าสนใจ Raja Ampat dive sites are all about diversity and abundance. Whether you’re looking to dive with pelagics or critters Raja Ampat will deliver. Highlights include: large schools of fish, manta rays, reef sharks, wobbegong sharks, walking sharks, turtles, Spanish mackerel, tuna, barracuda, pygmy sea horses, nudibranchs galore, ghost pipefish, cuttlefish, crustaceans and stunning pristine coral reefs. You also might see sargassum frogfish, sweetlips, large cuttlefish, and a few reef sharks, and much, much more.

Wobbegong & Epaulette shark - The wobbegong shark is a fairly common sight, once you know where to look for them in the larger coral commies. The Epaulette shark is a small harmless carpet shark that appears to walk on the ocean floor with its fins.
Nudibranchs - you will see tons of nudibranchs.
Pygmy Seahorses - There are several species of pygmy seahorses, and they are fairly common in the area.

Bumphead Parrotfish - the bumpheads were fairly approachable, and divers have been able to swim in the herd while they are foraging.
Juvenile Fish - Lots of juvenile fish such as batfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, barramundi cod, sweetlips, parrotfish, etc.

ข้อมูลทั่วไป

Raja Ampat is located off the north west tip of the island of New Guinea in the province of West Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya). Raja Ampat consists of over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo. The area covers more than 40,000 square kilometres of land and sea.

Strands of coral reef, mangroves, sea grass beds and white sandy beaches surround the islands. Some of the islands are quite mountainous with cliffs extending 500 to 900 metres upwards. The topside of the islands are known for their raw beauty and bird life. The karst forests contain rare orchids, birds of paradise, tree

The enchanting beauty of Raja Ampat's natural landscape and breathtaking scenery is unmatched. Everywhere you look you will be amazed by the perfect harmony between the green islands and the multi-hued turquoise waters.
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Misool and its archipelagos cover a total area of around 2,000km², with the highest point being on the main island and reaching close to 560m.

Probably the most defining feature of Misool are the spectacular and largely uninhabited islands of its two eastern archipelagos – Sagof-Dalam to the north and the Southern Archipelago to the south.

Their karst limestone composition means some incredible shapes have been created by the ages and their setting in the clear waters of the Ceram Sea makes them visually stunning.

การเดินทาง

Sorong Airport (SOQ) is the common access point and most liveaboards and dive resorts offer airport pickups and transfers. It is also possible to fly into Waisai but it’s a less popular pick up point so you should be prepared to get yourself to Sorong from there. Some Komodo liveaboards also sail to Raja Ampat from Labuan Bajo.

From Sorong you then need to get to Sorong harbor. You can take a taxi from the airport to the harbor which will take about 20 minutes and cost around 100k rupiah. If you don't have much luggage, you can try catching an ojek (Indonesian name for motorbike) for about 20k rupiah.

Note - Travel to any destination may be adversely affected by conditions including (but not limited) to security, entry and exit requirements, health conditions, local laws and culture, natural disasters and climate. Regardless of your destination, check your local travel advisory board or department for travel advice about that location when planning your trip and again shortly before you leave.
 ซอรอง (Sorong: West Papua / Irian Jaya)

การเดินทางมายังซอรอง (Sorong: West Papua / Irian Jaya)

ข้อมูลการบิน

Raja Ampat is a bit difficult to get to. The recommended route is to fly internationally into Jakarta (CGK),  stay overnight and catch 4-hour direct flight to Sorong (SOQ), which is the departure point for most liveaboards. 

Please note that baggage allowances on the flights to Sorong can be small, and excess baggage charges are strictly enforced.  Staying overnight near Jakarta airport before and after your trip is highly recommended. 

การรักษาพยาบาล

Raja Ampat is also remote and dive sites are generally quite a distance from medical help. The only decompression chamber is in Waisai.

All divers are required to bring their own safety buoys and whistles with them when coming to our resort. It is mandatory for all divers to have dive insurance to be able to dive with Papua Explorers. Waisai (45 minutes from our location by boat) has a Hyperbaric Chamber, however costs for treatment and further transportation can be extremely high in case of an emergency. Therefore, all dives are planned and executed without deco stops and it is mandatory for all divers to use a dive computer. All divers are required to follow their guide and guide instructions while diving with Papua Explorers.