Raja Ampat, the rainbow of biodiversity!

Dive with us in the heart of West Papua, a beautiful province of Indonesia, such beauty leaves no one indifferent. Without doubt, one of the most beautiful masterpieces that our planet Earth has to offer ! Raja Ampat is characterized by countless islands and islets dotted in an ocean brimming with life and color. The succession of encounters and wonders emanating from this Eden inspired the following title which is the most accurate to describe this place

Raja Ampat, The Underwater Rainbow!

Gaby BARATHIEU

27 Décembre 2019 - 8 Janvier 2020

INTRODUCTION

Raja Ampat,in Indonesian means "the Four Kings", it is an archipelago made up of four main islands: Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, Misool and some six hundred islets with heavenly decors, located in West Papua, in the east of Sorong. Raja Ampat, within these four islands are several unique sceneries, sometimes a few flicks from each other, sometimes separated by several nautical miles. Each place that we explored seems to be a colorful Eden where man has not yet had the time to make his mark. We hope he never will!

It is aboard the Tidak Apa’Pa, a charming little traditional Indonesian boat, entirely made of wood it will be our base for the next ten days of the journey. With its characteristic banana shape, two masts and seven sails, this Pinisi, twenty meters long and five meters wide, can accommodate a maximum of eight people. Thus, the Tidak Apa’Pa offers an intimate stay. Nothing comparable with the other liveboards with twenty to thirty tourists. Aboard the Tidak Apa’Pa it's almost a tailor-made cruise! There is a true feeling of comradery at dinner around a small table with an excellent meal, we could feel at home and just like that new friendships are created.

The owners of Tidak Apa’Pa, Ariane and Ludovic have a love for the marine environment. They will guide you with enthusiasm and passion throughout the cruise. Tidak Apa’Pa is the only Rebreather Friendly cruise ship to date in the region! What could be better than scuba diving without bubbles to make the most of Raja Ampat's underwater scenery and fauna!

A small but important detail: each dive is unlimited in time! Your only limitation will be your gas consumption, contrary to other boats where the dives do not exceed sixty minutes, or even forty-five minutes for some. With four dives a day, it is no less than six hours of rebreather immersion that we do daily with Ludovic. This allowed us to make the most of this extraordinary diving destination!

As for avid photographers, Ludovic, who is passionate about underwater photography, is without question the ultimate dive guide! With years of experience and a passion for underwater biodiversity, he easily finds the rarest but also the most emblematic subjects of Raja Ampat. No need for a book to identify your photographed subjects, Ludovic knows all the scientific names from memory!

Find all the photographs on thislien.

Ten days is the bare minimum required to glimpse Raja Ampat's underwater awe. Departing from Sorong, the cruise begins with a night of navigation to reach Misool, one of the four main islands of Raja Ampat. The arrival on the dive sites takes place at dawn, when the first gleams of the sun extirpate the numerous islets of the night. From the deck of the boat, the setting is already absolutely magnificent. The innumerable strings of islands of various sizes dotted here and there by nature impose on the Tidak Apa’Pa a slow and winding navigation. The islets with multiple shapes sculpted by the elements over time will spark your imagination. The first immersions in the colorful and lush waters of Misool instantly transport you to a world where abundance of life and biodiversity are in perfect harmony. The most singular peculiarities of Raja Ampat which characterize at the same time this destination are the extreme richness and the extraordinary diversity emerging on the surface of the water. Cove- red and protected by a thin translucent coat, it is only a few centimeters below the surface that an exceptional explosion of colors and life begins. For underwater reflex photographers, the decision to configure the equipment in macro photography or in wide angle is difficult! Each dive offers the possibility of taking exemption shots regardless of the configuration chosen. However, some spots lend themselves more than others to macro or ambient photography. This is the case, for example, with the Magic Mountain and Four Kings dive sites which offer absolutely breathtaking reefscapes!

The first immersions in the colorful and lush waters of Misool instantly transport you to a world where abundance of life and biodiversity are in perfect harmony.

The most singular characteristics of Raja Ampat which characterize at the same time this destination are the extreme richness and the extraordinary diversity emerging on the surface of the water. Covered and protected by a thin translucent coat, it is only a few centimeters below the surface that an exceptional explosion of colors and life begins. For underwater reflex photographers, the decision to configure the equipment in macro photography or in wide angle is difficult! Each dive offers the possibility of taking exemption shots regardless of the configuration chosen. However, some spots lend themselves more than others to macro or ambient photography. This is the case, for example, with the Magic Mountain and Four Kings dive sites which offer absolutely breathtaking reefscapes!