The Reef

Raja Ampat is at the heart of the Coral Triangle, an area that contains 30 percent of the coral reefs in the world. The archipelago has over 500 species of reef-building coral and it has the highest known diversity of reef corals for an area of its size. In fact, there are ten times more species of hard coral in Raja Ampat than you’d find in the Caribbean.

The reef is made up of giant corals, sea squirts, deer antler corals, and hard coral tables. Scientists have also found that the coral species in the archipelago may be more resistant to the threats caused by rising ocean temperatures as a result of global warming.

Marine Life

An epicenter of marine biodiversity, Raja Ampat numbers over 1,000 species of fish. Some of the aquatic animals you can see on a dive include sharks (five different species), manta rays, groupers, barracudas, schooling jacks, pale-tailed surgeonfish, giant angelfish, goatfish, pygmy seahorses, banded pipefish, triggerfish, giant morays, damselfish, fusiliers, Napoleon wrasses, and many, many other species.

Raja Ampat is also a great destination for macro photographers. On nearly every dive site there are a variety of species of nudiphiles. Other small animals you can find here are the blue-ringed octopus, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, pearlfish, zebra crabs, peacock mantis shrimp, gobies, flying gurnards, and blennies, among many others.