April 5
Just after noon, Cruise Director Jan welcomed ten excited guests aboard for a 10-day adventure through South and Central Raja Ampat. Jan walked everyone through the plans for the week, and guests were shown to their guest rooms to get settled in. After a relaxing lunch, the group gathered for a general safety briefing. The yacht departed for Misool around 4 PM, and as the sun began to set, Jan led the dive safety briefing. Dinner followed, and the anticipation for the first dive day was palpable.

April 6
Dive 1 - Candy Store
With glassy water and sunshine, the day kicked off with a checkout dive in the shelter of the small islands. Even guests breaking in brand new wetsuits made it down on the first try. Visibility sat in the normal range for the Daram Islands at 60-70 ft (18-21 m). The reef teemed with fish and marine life, and at the end of the dive, everyone practiced deploying their surface marker buoy, with most getting it right and the rest eager for another go.

Dive 2 - Warna Berwarna
Dropping into a mild current, the group found themselves right in the middle of a huge school of fusiliers. As they drifted toward the protected side of the ridge, the guides pointed out a parade of macro critters tucked among the corals. Dive Guide Adrey was the first to spot a wobbegong resting on a small ledge along the steep slope, an unusual find at this site.

Dive 3 - Andiamo
A strong current greeted the group at Andiamo, so the guides chose an entry point at a pinnacle slightly away from the small island. A big school of jackfish appeared almost immediately, though the current made it hard to stay with them. The reef and ridges around the island were full of life, including another wobbegong settled into its favorite hiding spot.

Dive 4 - Andiamo
After a promising sighting during the previous trip, Cruise Director Jan called for a return visit to Andiamo with hopes of finding a walking shark. Luck held, and the shark appeared again, tucked beneath a rock but unmistakable once the guides pointed it out. It was a perfect end to a full first dive day.

April 7
Dive 1 - Gorgonian Passage
A gentle drift through this stunning passage made for a nearly perfect dive. The group floated past massive sea fans and large clusters of soft coral that hung from the wall like something from another world. Along the way, they spotted peacock mantis shrimp, pygmy seahorses, and several nudibranchs. Dive Guide Dady found a small frogfish clinging to the wall. Toward the end of the channel, a large school of bumphead parrotfish appeared just below the surface, providing a dramatic finale.

Dive 2 - Wedding Cake
The dive began along a deep layered wall, where schools of yellowtail fusiliers and surgeonfish gathered around cleaning stations. The guides pointed out a striking electric clam at the end of the deep ridge, its flashing colors drawing every eye. Divers then made their way through the coral-covered layers to shallower water, spotting banana nudibranchs tucked beneath a large overhang near the safety stop.

Dive 3 - Four Kings
Conditions at Four Kings were exceptional. Mild current and crystal-clear water combined to create a reef bursting with life. Everyone explored the beautiful swim-through and admired the dense soft coral that covers the site. A large school of yellow snappers hung in the open water at the edge of the ridge. The highlight came near the last pinnacle, where a huge black reef manta glided in over a cleaning station. The divers held perfectly still and watched until the very last moment before heading to the exit.

Dive 4 - Barracuda Rock
This site is known for moray eels and walking sharks, and it delivered on both counts. A giant moray was spotted out hunting in the open, and a walking shark appeared again, half-hidden under a rock. Along the way, the guides also turned up plenty of small critters and an impressively large sponge crab.

April 8
Dive 1 - Whale Rock
Overcast skies could not dampen the beauty of this dive. Calm water and solid visibility gave everyone time to explore the deep pinnacle at their own pace. It was richly decorated in soft coral, with colorful fish darting through every crevice. A juvenile angelfish made a brief appearance, and the group pushed all the way to the eastern side of the island, where three baby whitetip reef sharks rested beneath a large table coral, a peaceful scene that lingered in everyone's memory.

Dive 2 - Magic Mountain
Calm conditions returned for another outstanding dive. Everyone reached the deep pinnacle with ease. Though no mantas appeared, the reef more than made up for it. Large giant trevallies charged through schools of fusiliers, keeping the water lively. Up on the plateau, baby whitetip reef sharks rested under table coral, and a walking shark lay out in the open, barely bothering to hide. At the wall edge, fish of every kind surrounded the group in all directions.

Dive 3 - Tank Rock
A mild current made for a relaxing drift to the eastern pinnacles, where the guides found nudibranchs and more pygmy seahorses along the northern slopes. The shallow reef was a highlight of its own, with soft coral lit up by afternoon sunlight filtering down through clear water.

Dive 4 - Boo East Wall
Sheltered from any current, this was a slow and leisurely dive made for close observation. Nudibranchs, flatworms, and shrimp appeared throughout the reef, and an eagle-eyed guide tracked down a tiny pygmy squid to share with the group, a find that required sharp eyes to fully appreciate.

April 9
Dive 1 - Boo East
A small site made even better by calm conditions that let divers take their time. Pygmy seahorses appeared right on cue, and the guides added a pair of colorful leaf scorpionfish to the list. Up on the top of the reef, a turtle relaxed at a cleaning station while small cleaner fish went about their work, an unhurried and wonderful thing to watch.

Dive 2 - Eagle Nest
Favorable current let the group explore two ridges at their leisure, where the guides spotted colorful crinoid shrimp and yet another wobbegong. Moving over to the ridge beside the small island, the group looked out into the blue and found a pair of whitetip reef sharks and at least seven grey reef sharks riding the current, effortlessly cruising past in open water.

Dive 3 - Boo Window
Visibility was a bit reduced, but that hardly mattered once the reef came alive. Large Napoleon wrasses, barracudas, giant trevallies, schooling surgeonfish, and jackfish filled the water in every direction. After guests passed through the famous window and took a moment for photos, a massive school of batfish closed out the dive in spectacular fashion.

Dive 4 - Romeo
The guides outdid themselves at this site, turning up more marine life than usual. A blacktip reef shark and a large barracuda shadowed the divers throughout the dive. Mixed in among the reef were strange sea cucumbers, a sleeping turtle, scorpionfish, small blue lobsters, and nudibranchs. Then came the standout moment: a walking shark, completely out in the open, with nowhere to hide. As the dive came to an end, a small group of squid drifted lazily just below the surface, a calm finish to an action-packed dive.

April 10
Dive 1 - Yillet Kecil
The morning started under clouds with a mild current. In the sheltered sections, the guides found scorpionfish, nudibranchs, and pygmy seahorses. In the shallows where the current picked up, divers pushed into the flow and found themselves surrounded by an impressive mix of fish species.

Dive 2 - Nudi Rock
A mild drift along the deep wall brought the group past beautiful gorgonian sea fans. At the end of the ridge, another wobbegong made its appearance. Continuing into the protected area, divers found nudibranchs, a blue-spotted ribbontail ray, and several large scorpionfish. Rounding a corner into open water, a group of large groupers hung motionless in the current.

Dive 3 - Puri Pinnacle
The guides turned up some genuinely rare finds at this site, including an eggshell shrimp tucked inside a mushroom coral. Groupers and Napoleon wrasses circled the pinnacles while a small group of barracudas worked the gaps between them. On the way to the safety stop, two more leaf scorpionfish appeared, and then a stonefish, so perfectly camouflaged that several divers needed a moment to realize the guides were not pointing at an ordinary rock.

After surfacing, the yacht began the journey north to Batanta Island for the final two days of diving.

April 11
Dive 1 - Fam Jetty
A critter diver's dream. The jetty has accumulated years of debris below its structure, but that clutter has become home to an extraordinary variety of creatures. Bluefin trevallies and tunas hunted schools of small fish, while the guides quietly revealed surprise after surprise hidden throughout the site. Some finds are better left undescribed for future guests to discover on their own.

Dive 2 - Mellissa's Garden
One of Raja Ampat's most celebrated dive sites once again earned its reputation. Clear visibility and almost no current gave every diver the chance to take in the full sweep of stunning coral fields. Blacktip reef sharks and large Napoleon wrasses patrolled the reef, while chromis filled the water above in shimmering clouds. A large school of surgeonfish hovered near the smallest island, adding one more highlight to an already memorable dive.

Dive 3 - Galaxy
This colorful coral ridge was packed with small life. The guides found Denise pygmy seahorses, flatworms, and vivid nudibranchs throughout the site. Blacktip reef sharks cruised through the deeper water, and anthias crowded the top of the ridge, adding yet more color to an already dazzling scene.

Dive 4 - Fam Jetty (Night)
Returning after dark gave divers a second look at everything they had wanted to photograph in the morning, this time with the added bonus of nudibranchs that came out at night. Toads fish could be heard clearly throughout the dive, though they kept themselves too well hidden for anyone to get a photo.

April 12
Dive 1 - Keruo Channel
A slow, relaxed drift along a colorful coral slope opened the day beautifully. The guides and guests together spotted two crocodilefish and an octopus, along with the usual nudibranchs. At the deeper end of the reef, a dense stand of black coral in many different colors created the impression of a small underwater forest, with colorful tube sponges weaving between the branches.

Dive 2 - Mayhem
Despite the name, the day was wonderfully calm. Divers positioned in the split current and watched schools of silversides being chased by trevallies and tunas. Bannerfish and red-tooth triggerfish worked the reef below. Several wobbegongs appeared toward the end of the reef, all of them resting rather than swimming. A large school of jackfish lingered in the deeper water while barracudas held their usual position at the corner of the reef.

Dive 3 - Citrus Ridge
Unusually good visibility made this dive a real treat. Silversides filled the water as trevallies charged through from every angle. Barracudas hung nearly motionless above the reef, and three more wobbegongs appeared for those with sharp eyes.

Dive 4 - Sawandarek (Night)
The corals make this site tricky to navigate after dark, but the guests were well rewarded. The large resident turtles came out, an octopus moved through the reef on its nightly hunt, and beneath the jetty a massive lobster appeared that drew knowing smiles from the group.

April 13
Dive 1 - Sawandarek
Sawandarek continues to deliver. Schooling yellow snappers gathered above the large cabbage coral patch, green sea turtles moved through the reef with easy grace, and barracudas circled in the blue above. Giant sweetlips and oriental sweetlips clustered together, jackfish schooled nearby, and an enormous giant clam commanded attention from the seafloor.

Dive 2 - Yenbuba
Beginning at the jetty, divers got an early sense of the richness to come. Along the ridge, large coral blocks sheltered an abundance of marine life, and the shallows were alive with thousands of small colorful fish. Back at the jetty, the concentration of life was almost overwhelming: sweetlips and snappers jostled together while giant trevallies lurked nearby and large Napoleon wrasses patrolled the edges. In the blue just off the jetty, a school of batfish hovered together in formation.

Dive 3 - Cape Kri
A mild current made for an effortless drift along the sloping reef. Divers could use their reef hooks to pause and take in the scenes around them, schools of barracudas, rabbitfish, longnose emperors, fusiliers, surgeonfish, and two species of trevallies schooling in different parts of the reef at the same time.

Dive 4 - Sapokren (Night)
The guides navigated around the other groups diving the popular site and found the night creatures with room to breathe. Decorator crabs appeared throughout the reef, along with a variety of shrimp including emperor shrimp. Small active octopus moved in every direction, and seahorses turned up in the shallows. After spending so many dives carefully focusing on tiny pygmy seahorses, it was a genuine delight to find full-sized seahorses waving gently in the current.

April 14
Dive 1 - Wai Plane Wreck
A gentle current carried divers toward the wreck at 100 ft (30 m), where they spent a few quiet minutes taking in the structure before continuing the drift. Some divers spotted two eagle rays; others watched two mantas pass through open water nearby. The dive finished in the shallows, where schooling fish moved through the reef and a hawksbill turtle grazed along the bottom for its morning meal.

Dive 2 - Manta Way
After several days of near-misses, the mantas finally showed up in force. Right from the entry, two mantas were at a cleaning station. When those two moved on, two more appeared minutes later. The guides then led the group to a second cleaning station where several more mantas glided in. It was the kind of finale a dive trip deserves, and it sent everyone back to the surface with wide eyes and big smiles.

The weather brought its share of rain and storms throughout the trip, but beneath the surface, conditions were outstanding from start to finish.

Back in Sorong by 5 PM, the group gathered on the sundeck for the farewell cocktail party, celebrating an extraordinary ten days together in one of the world's great dive destinations.

Iron Divers of the Week:
Don, Oleg, Daniela

Raja Ampat has a way of surprising even experienced divers, and this group made the most of every moment beneath the surface. From walking sharks and manta rays to pygmy seahorses and hidden wobbegongs, the reefs of South and Central Raja Ampat gave up their secrets one dive at a time. Thank you to every guest who brought their curiosity and sense of wonder into the water each day. We hope to see you back aboard soon.

More Bubbles, More Fun

Your Raja Ampat Aggressor Team and Captain