RAJA AMPAT LIVEABOARD

Dive the legendary Raja Ampat archipelago with Vaiatea

Located off the northwest off the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia’s West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays, and reefs surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and Kofiau. We know the Raja Ampat archipelago to be part of the Coral Triangle, which holds the richest marine biodiversity on earth.

The Coral Triangle is the heart of the world’s coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat the world’s wealthiest coral reef ecosystem. All remain intact as all islands are remote and relatively undisturbed by humans.

With more species than anywhere else on earth, diving in and around the region of Raja Ampat gives you the chance to see species you’ve not found anywhere else. You will dive the most significant coral diversity, nearly 1,508 fish species, 537 coral species (a remarkable 96% of all scleractinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur around these islands and 75% of all that exist in the world), and 699 mollusk species. Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and sharks’ regular sightings, such as wobbegongs, oceanic manta rays, dugong, whale sharks, Mobula rays, dolphins, and even whales.

For most divers, Raja Ampat is truly the trip of a lifetime – an unforgettable opportunity to experience one of the most incredible marine environments on the planet. 

In some bays and around small islands, you can find more species than in the entire Caribbean.

Specifically, in Raja Ampat, Gerald Allen (world-famous ichthyologist) counted the incredible number of 284 different fish species during a single dive (at Kofiau Island). If that wasn’t enough, 64% (505) of the entire world’s known coral species are found in Raja Ampat’s waters, and 75% of the world’s total species of hard corals cover Raja Ampat’s sea beds! As a result, scientists nowadays believe that this destination is the world’s current no—one spot in biodiversity.

Very few places can compete with Raja Ampat’s unparalleled and untouched marine environments: underwater caves, mangroves, rainforest fjords inhabited by the most extraordinary and varied marine life.

Raja Ampat is sustained by currents greatly rich in plankton, resulting in vast schools of fish and shoals of pelagics. Fans of macro and unfamiliar creatures, Raja Ampat, will make your dream come true with regular sightings of much different marine life. On top of this, wreck enthusiasts can also dive into World War II ships and planes that rest in the region.

Everybody knows that Scuba Diving in Raja Ampat will be a unique experience. We believe it’s one of the best places globally to observe large numbers of reef sharks and manta rays. Raja Ampat is also home to rare endemic species such as the tasseled wobbegong shark!

Raja Ampat liveaboard diving offers all types of scuba diving from the Fam Island group’s amazing reefs, the pelagic fish and manta rays of the Dampier Strait, the incredible critter & macro diving Batanta and Aljui Bay, to the beautiful coral gardens and snorkeling spots around Misool.

Our newest cruises have ventured to Triton Bay, where divers and snorkelers have the chance to dive and snorkel with whale sharks (and sometimes dolphins) below the traditional ‘Bagan’ used by local fishermen to catch small fish.

With your experienced divemasters aboard the Vaiatea liveaboard, you will experience a fantastic scuba diving liveaboard in Raja Ampat.

Let’s discover many islands, atolls, spectacular beaches, abundant marine life, and a school of endemics fishes in Raja Ampat with Vaiatea.