Explore The Best Dive Sites in Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Raja Ampat is undisputedly one of the world’s best diving destinations, with unspoiled and untouched Raja Ampat dive sites teeming with incredibly healthy coral reefs and vibrant marine life. 

Thanks to its location in the heart of the Coral Triangle, those on a Raja Ampat dive will be able to swim with 75% of the world's coral species and over 1,300 species of reef fish. It’s a diver’s paradise, with opportunities to spot manta rays, sharks, whales, macros, and tropical and schooling fish in the hundreds.

A Raja Ampat liveaboard diving adventure would be the best way to explore these Raja Ampat dive sites. The archipelago is made up of over 1,500 islands, cays, and shoals and surrounded by a vast expanse of sea - our Raja Ampat liveaboard will easily get you these hidden gems and underwater haven in comfort and luxury.

The Best Dive Sites in Raja Ampat

Each Raja Ampat dive site is unique in its own special way. Under the waves, varied topographies offer fascinating underwater features to explore such as tunnels, walls, or drop-offs. 

Each Raja Ampat dive site has its current movements, clarity, and sunlight, meaning you’ll find something new to capture your attention at every dive. Here are our favorite Raja Ampat dive sites that you’ll love.

Cape Kri Raja Ampat

Boasting a world record for the most species of fish in a single dive, Cape Kri Raja Ampat promises to amaze every type of diver with the sheer number of marine life found here. Whether you’re looking to spot tropical fishes, pelagics, sea turtles, sharks, manta rays, or macro life, Cape Kri Raja Ampat will take your breath away. 

Get ready to meet with massive schooling fish like jacks, snappers, batfish, spadefish, napoleon wrasse, giant trevally, and tuna and predators like barracuda, reef sharks, and oceanic sharks. 

With over 100 fish species per 50m transect recorded, Cape Kri will be an unforgettable dive, with a visibility of up to 30 meters. In addition to an astonishing number of marine life, you’ll also find a thriving landscape of coral flora, sea anemones, and sponges.

Melissa’s Garden

A spectacular Raja Ampat dive site that resembles a beautiful garden that’s bursting with color everywhere you look. In addition to this Raja Ampat dive sites and its extraordinary biodiversity, you’ll also find fascinating rock formations, vividly colored soft and hard corals, and captivating sea fans with their intricate patterns and feathery structures.

Expect nothing less than an incredible abundance of fish species and corals here at Melissa’s Garden, from angelfish, lionfish, and clownfish to schools of anthias, fusiliers, and damsels, from larger fish like snappers and barracudas to black tip reef sharks, moray eels and cuttlefish, even the Wobbegong Shark. Those wondering if a beginner can dive Raja Ampat, Melissa’s Garden is a fantastic example with the shallowest point being only 5 meters below the surface.

Manta Sandy

A must-do for manta lovers and a don’t-miss when it comes to Raja Ampat dive sites! Manta Sandy’s plankton-rich waters attract giant oceanic manta rays and is also a cleaning station for these majestic creatures. 

This dive site is relatively shallow, making it ideal for all levels of divers and even snorkelers with a depth of 5 to 20 metres. Be respectful and never approach the manta rays. You can kneel at the sandy bottom of Manta Sandy and watch these elegant creatures glide all around you. 

Remember to never approach the manta rays – if you’re lucky, they might just approach you!

Sardines

One of the most famous Raja Ampat dive sites, Sardines is a 200-metre-long underwater oval rock formation that is simply bursting with life. At first glance, you’ll notice that it’s covered with soft and hard corals in all colors and stunning Gorgonian fans.

This is an incredibly active Raja Ampat dive sites, with fish species swimming about in massive schools in the nutrient-rich water including fusiliers, butterfly fish, oriental sweetlips, snappers, moray eels as well as damsel fish, tunas, barracudas, wrasses, jacks and large schools of giant trevallies alongside whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, the shy Wobbegong and a lionfish or two.

Chicken Reef

This Raja Ampat dive sites is for experienced divers as it has a depth of below 30 metres. Here, you’ll find a staggering amount of colorful reef fish and black tip and whitetip reef sharks, and incredibly healthy coral reefs in all colors of the rainbow, from schools of fusiliers and bumphead parrotfish to groupers, sweetlips, batfish, surgeonfish, tuna, garden eels, butterflyfish and more. 

Keep an eye out for the elusive Wobbegong Shark! Macro lovers and underwater photographers will be delighted to discover seahorses, mantis shrimps, nudibranchs, flatworms, mantis shrimp, crustaceans, and ghost pipefish, hiding about in the corals.

Read more: Guide to Planning Your Raja Ampat Trip

Raja Ampat Liveaboard Diving With Uncharted Cruises

Nothing beats an adventure at sea navigating Raja Ampat’s vast open waters than with our magnificent two-mast, handcrafted traditional Bugis phinisi, the Thalassa outfitted with luxurious interiors and amenities. 

The Thalassa can host up to eight guests in 3 comfortable and beautifully appointed cabins. There are expansive indoor and outdoor dining areas where you’ll enjoy fine gourmet meals, a fully equipped kitchen, a dive deck, and a relaxation area.

Tailored Diving Experiences With Uncharted Cruises

With Uncharted Cruises, you can customize Raja Ampat dive sites and itineraries based on your preferences and experience levels. You can also opt to explore lesser-known dive sites for an unforgettable, off-the-beaten-path experience.

How Much Does It Cost to Dive in Raja Ampat?

Explore our Raja Ampat liveaboard schedule here and start planning your own personalized itineraries to Raja Ampat dive sites and beyond. Included in your liveaboard holiday is a wide range of trips from exploratory and technical diving and snorkeling to kayaking, land excursions and tribe visits, marine conservation and sustainability.

Choose a schedule to suit your schedule, whether seeking a brief escape of 5 days amidst the cerulean waters or yearning for a deep dive into the Indonesian archipelago for 20 days or more. Find out more about our liveaboard schedules, pricing and rental, inclusions and exclusions, and plan the details of your trip with Uncharted Cruises!