Diving in Raja Ampat

Where do you dive in Raja Ampat: the Dampier Strait or Misool?

Raja Ampat, "the four kings", is more than 1,500 islands around Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool, off the western tip of New Guinea. Surveys have counted about 600 species of hard coral, three quarters of all known species, and more than 1,700 species of reef fish. The marine park managed from Waisai covers 1,657,000 hectares, 70% of the archipelago's waters. The diving is concentrated in two areas. In the north, the Dampier Strait, between Waigeo and Kri Island: Cape Kri, where Gerald Allen counted 374 fish species on a single dive in 2012, Blue Magic and its mantas, the Arborek jetties. In the south, Misool and its 1,220 km2 no-take marine reserve, with Magic Mountain, Boo Windows and the soft coral walls of Fiabacet.

Should you dive Raja Ampat from a resort or a liveaboard?

From Sorong, the region's airport, the Kri resorts, Kri Eco Resort and Sorido Bay, both run by Papua Diving, dive the Dampier Strait by boat, five to twenty minutes from the sites. Waisai, the district capital on Waigeo, has the dive centers and the public ferry. Misool takes more effort: a resort on Batbitim Island, reached by the resort's boat from Sorong on transfer days, or a liveaboard. Liveaboards, which link Dampier, Penemu and Misool over ten nights, remain the most complete way to see the archipelago.

When is the best time to dive Raja Ampat?

From October to April: calm seas, visibility of 20 to 30 meters, water at 28 to 30 °C, and oceanic mantas at the cleaning stations from December to March. From May to September, the southeast monsoon raises a swell in the south. The Dampier resorts stay open, while Misool Resort closes from mid-June to the end of September. Current is the rule on all the major sites: you need Advanced, a DSMB and confidence in drift diving.

How much does diving in Raja Ampat cost?

With Papua Diving at Kri Eco Resort, a week full board costs €1,094 per person, or €1,894 with unlimited diving and Nitrox, transfers from Sorong included on Sundays and Wednesdays. A single dive is €60. At Misool Resort, a seven-night stay starts at US$4,940 per person, dives extra. On a liveaboard, budget from €4,280 for ten days with Adékua, flights not included. Either way, the marine park permit, raised from IDR 700,000 to IDR 1,000,000 per year on August 3, 2026, and the district entry fee, IDR 1,000,000, are sold at Sorong harbor, in Waisai or through your dive center: IDR 2,000,000 per person, with the permit free for children under 12.