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Raja Ampat, meaning "Four Kings," is a remote archipelago in Indonesia's West Papua province and is widely recognized as the global epicenter of marine biodiversity. This area, located in the Coral Triangle, is home to a staggering array of life—nearly 75% of the world's coral species and over 1,500 species of fish—making an expedition here the only way to comprehensively explore this pristine wilderness.

An adventure in Raja Ampat is defined by vibrant, explosive ecosystems. Dive sites like Melissa's Garden showcase intricate, shallow coral gardens bursting with color, while famous spots such as Manta Sandy offer reliable encounters with majestic oceanic manta rays at their cleaning stations. The Dampier Strait is renowned for its thrilling drift dives, where strong currents attract massive schools of fish, trevallies, barracuda, and reef sharks.

Raja Ampat’s underwater topography is as diverse as its inhabitants. Divers will explore colorful soft coral walls, discover the elusive wobbegong shark, and hunt for macro treasures like the pygmy seahorse and vibrant nudibranchs hidden among giant sea fans. The archipelago is spread across a vast area, meaning a liveaboard departing from the main gateway of Sorong is essential to cover key areas like Misool in the south and Waigeo in the north.

The diving season generally runs from October to April, offering the calmest seas and best visibility, with the peak season falling between November and March. Due to the variable and sometimes strong currents in channels and open-reef systems, a majority of the dive sites are best suited for advanced divers who are comfortable with drift diving. To fully immerse yourself in this unparalleled marine sanctuary, the first step is booking your liveaboard Raja Ampat trip.