Raja Ampat casts a spell on all who
visit – scientists, photographers, novice divers and crusty sea-salts alike.
This group of majestic islands, located in the northwestern tip of Indonesia’s
Papuan “Bird’s Head Seascape,” lies in the heart of the coral triangle, the
most bio-diverse marine region on earth.
As stunningly beautiful above water as
it is below, Raja Ampat (which literally translates as “The Four Kings”) has a
startling diversity of habitats to explore. Each of these – from the stark
wave-pounded slopes that drop away beneath the karst cliffs of Wayag and Uranie
to the deep, nutrient-rich bays of Mayalibit, Kabui and Aljui to the “blue watermangrove” channels of Kofiau and Gam to the plankton-rich upwelling areas of Misool and the Dampier Strait – are home to unique assemblages of species that, when taken together, add to produce the most impressive species lists ever compiled for a coral reef system of this size. Marine tourism, as a sustainable alternative to overfishing, mining, and logging, has the potential to play a key role in the conservation of Raja Ampat’s spectacular underwater realm, while also creating real benefits for the local communities.
It's Indonesian
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