Diving in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat sits at the dead centre of the Coral Triangle, off the far western tip of Papua, and the biodiversity figures attached to it are not marketing: this is the most species-rich marine environment ever measured, with more kinds of coral on a single reef than exist in the whole Caribbean. Diving here is diving at the source.

The best of it is only reachable by boat, which is why most trips are liveaboards — a week or more moving between reefs, manta cleaning stations and walls of fish dense enough to dim the light. Between dives you are looking out at limestone islets and empty turquoise lagoons that would be a destination in their own right anywhere else.

The currents that feed all this life are strong, so most operators want advanced certification and logged experience. A marine-park entry permit is required and sold locally. The prime window runs through the northern winter, roughly October to April, when the mantas gather.

A marine-park entry permit is required and sold locally. Currents here are strong — most operators want advanced certification and logged experience.