Raja Ampat offers hands down some of the best scuba diving in the world. The marine biodiversity is unmatched, and the crystal blue water provides dive enthusiasts an unparalleled experience. Manta rays and sharks are familiar sights in the colorful reefs that line the tiny islands. While the currents can be swift, the fantastic visibility and the unique combination of large pelagic species and macro invertebrates make a trip to Raja Ampat a scuba diving experience like none other.

Raja Ampat, or “Four Kings” (In the Bahasa Indonesia Language), is an archipelago, located in Western Papua, Indonesia that is comprised of over 1,500 small but stunningly beautiful islands.

This is a true paradise, with white sand beaches, crystal blue water, and green lush jungles that grow right down to the beach.

The beach on Kri

For our trip we chose to stay on the island of Kri after hearing that a 2004 marine biodiversity study had officially cataloged more than 1,500 species in the reefs around the island, making it the most biodiverse coral reef system ever measured on planet Earth.

A very happy looking pufferfish

After a week of diving on Kri, I believe it. I have never seen so many different species of life on a reef anywhere else. Kri has it all, manta rays on nearly every dive, black tip and white tip sharks buzzing you while you swim, huge schools of bump-head parrotfish, and barracudas.

Clownfish guarding his anemone

And then there are the unusual suspects, wobbegong sharks, crocodile fish, slipper lobsters, countless nudibranch, pigmy seahorse, and stuff that I’m still not sure exactly what it is after consulting several charts and identification books.

Wobbegong shark