MV Ambai: Raja Ampat, 12 nights, Sorong return

Our « Raja Ampat » cruise departures are from Sorong (SOQ). That city is well served with some daily flights from the main Indonesian International Airports such as Jakarta, Manado, Makassar, and Denpasar.To reach the departure of our cruises

The legendary Raja Ampat area has long been thought of as the “last frontier”.

A sense of peacefulness surrounds you when exploring the area: one of the last, rare untouched places on earth.

Our usual 13 day trip, which offers a visit to the entire Raja Ampat area, is an unforgettable experience: outstanding Scuba diving into one of the planet’s best spots, sea kayaking into a constellation of sapphire blue-water lagoons fringed by rainforests, bird watching opportunities, hiking to stunning viewpoints and finally encounters with the local inhabitant of these islands.

Our adventure will begin in Sorong where you are awaited on our vessel before 12 noon, and will end up in Sorong as well where we will disembark before 12 noon. We organize your pick up and drop off at the airport or at your hotel.

THE DIVING

The abundance of sea life, both fixed fauna such as corals and gorgonians along the lush reef, as well as the stunning quantity and diversity of fish swimming above is just astonishing. The dive sites’ underwater topographies are also varied and interesting, filled with dramatic pinnacles, long ridges, walls, hidden caves, rock formations, azure lagoons, and much more.

The fauna ranges from the tiny Pygmy Seahorse to the oceanic manta ray. Raja Ampat’s signature are the huge schools of fish: clouds of fusiliers that attract predators like tunas and trevallies, barracudas, schools of the inquisitive spadefish, schools of sweetlips, groups of bump head parrotfish, napoleon wrasses, etc...

Reef sharks are very much present on the reefs; the carpet shark or Wobbegong is ubiquitous, laying on a coral or under a rock behind a cloud of glass-fish. The walking shark (Epaulette shark) can often be seen during night dives. Mantas are often spoted on three different dive sites.

The Wallacea typical “Raja Ampat ultimate” 13-day trip covers the whole Raja Ampat area: Misool in the South, up to Wayag in the North, and the Dampier Strait. We then choose the dive sites according to the prevailing conditions during the trip.

A minimum of 36 dives (3 dives per day) is offered during the trip, including at least 6 night dives.

SNORKELING

Our trips are open to snorkelers. Most of the dive sites offer great snorkeling opportunities with a lot to see in shallow waters, and we offer specific guidance for snorkelers.

ACTIVITIES

Besides the diving, we offer some activities along the trip according to weather conditions and the final trip itinerary.

In Misool, we will visit the ranger’s station and snorkel in front of their beach in a natural shark nursery where small black tips are swimming around in one meter of crystal clear water. A short hike to the viewpoint of the “love lagoon” (a lagoon in the shape of a hearth!) will be offered. In Farondi, we will use the dinghies to navigate inside some hidden lagoons and go for a walk into a cave.

The most northern point of our trip is the iconic Wayag Lagoon that we will visit with the dinghies throughout the hundreds of quartz islets. A short hike to the viewpoint of “mount Pindito” will allow us to admire the entire lagoon. In Dampier Strait, we will visit one or several villages in the late afternoon. An early morning short hike into the rainforest to a bird of paradise mating tree is also proposed.

You can also ask a boatman to bring you a shore at any time, as long as the schedule allows it. Our four complementary kayaks and paddles are also available to go on shore or in the lagoons whenever the boat is anchored. All these activities are subject to weather conditions as well as the planned daily schedule and itinerary.

WEATHER

The weather is variable, even during the "dry" season, in this part of Indone- sia, rain showers often happen. The sea is generally calm, with a few tempo- rary storms, and sometimes light swell in the northern parts. Temperatures are around 30 °C.

VISIBILITY

Raja Ampat's waters are dense with life and visibility can be limited. It is typically in the range of 10-20 meters, depending on the local condition that can vary from one dive to another.

TEMPERATURE

The ocean temperature all year long is between 28° and 30°C (82°-84°C). .

CURRENTS

Raja Ampat is well known for its consistent currents that bring incredible life. Wallacea Dive Cruises has a long experience diving these sites. We pay close attention to diving in the right places at the right time, to avoid difficult or dangerous currents. Before each dive, our guides conduct current checks so that our briefings will always inform you about the up-to-the-minute diving conditions.

ITINERARY & NAVIGATION:

The map shows the general cruise itinerary. It can slightly vary depending on weather conditions, currents, visibility, and tides. Distances are not long: there are only two overnight crossings, the other navigations are taking place between dives or in the early morning. We usually start the trips by going South and then making our way up to the North.

MISOOL :

Misool is excellent for taking wide angle shots, encounters with mantas, and massive schools of fish. The under- water topography is predominantly rocky with ridges and rock formations. The colorful reefs display an abundance of soft corals and huge gorgonians. Macro subjects are plenty as well: pygmy seahorses, tiny crabs, nudibranchs, and other rare photogenic life are everywhere.

FAM - PENEMU :

We spend one day on these islands between the North and the South area. The dives include the site “Melissa garden” which has the best coral garden of the Raja Ampat and “My reef” well known for its barracuda school and numerous Wobbegongs.

THE NORTH :

The iconic Wayag lagoons composed of hundreds of rocky quartz limestone islets, are a marvel to explore with dinghies or onboard kayaks. We also recommend a short hike to a summit to admire the surrounding areas. Mantas and black tip sharks are swimming around. Kawe island has some of the finest diving in the area, with a good population of fish and regular manta encounters. The Aljui bay, a 20 kilometres long indentation, provides some of the best Raja Ampat’s macro dive site locations.

DAMPIER STRAIT :

We usually spend one or two days there to visit its famous dive sites around Kri with their impressive amount of fish.

Check in from 6 am to 12 noon. Seahorse crew are standing by to Welcome you onboard. Cabin allocation and ship orientation, safety Briefing and crew Introduction will take place before departing.

*Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors

Check out from 6 am to 12 noon. Group photos with the crew before farewell. Disembarkation after breakfast. Transfer to airport or hotel.