raja ampat islands - irian jaya
The Raja Ampat island group of Irian Jaya is currently one of the hottest diving destinations on the planet. Extreme bio-diversity and untouched landscapes rivaling those of the Pacific combined with world class dive sites make these islands one of the world's last scuba diving frontiers.
why we go there
Irian Jaya's Raja Ampat islands boast an enormous variety of creatures on the reefs and have recently become a world heritage site. Marine bio-diversity is evident everywhere rivaling any tropical rainforests in species density.
Twenty percent of Irian Jaya's land and marine parks are designated conservation areas yielding the highest fish and coral count of any sea.
Irian Jaya has a tremendous variety of creatures on the reefs. From over 3000 recorded fish species, 300 scleractinian (reef building corals), 100 sponge species, dolphins, dugong, hawksbill (Ertmochelys imbricata), green (Chelonia) and leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea).
Fewer than two million people live in Irian Jaya's 410,660 square kilometers. Unique flora and fauna abound including the bird of paradise, the giant cassowary bird and bird winged butterlies Idyllic islands finged with white sand beaches, dotted isles filled with hanging orchids and venus fly traps, Irian Jaya's western tip holds some truly stunning regions both above water and below.
available cruises
how do I get there?
Kararu recommends that all guests arrive and overnight in Bali or Manado before embarking on a domestic flight to Sorong. Kararu Dive Voyages will arrange all domestic flight ticketing and transportion between Bali or Manado and Irian Jaya.
The flight time from Bali to Sorong is 5 hours. Currently, an overnight stay is required in Makassar (Sulawesi) which can be arranged by Kararu. The flight time from Manado to Sorong is 2 hours. The flight is direct.
All luggage and check-in procedures will be handled by a member of Kararu Dive Voyages. Each passenger is allowed 50 kg of luggage for up to 2 legs of the flight, excess baggage is charged at $2.00 US per kilo per leg (subject to change without notice).
Raja Ampat Entrance Fee
Raja Ampat, one of the most bio-diverse marine areas in the world has been declared a National Park effective August 12, 2007. ALL divers are now required by law to pay an entrance fee of US$55 per person to dive in this area. The ticket will be valid for one year and will go towards supporting reef conservation and community development. This project is managed by three major NGOs, CORAL INTERNATIONAL (www.coral.org), WWF (www.wwf.org) and TNC (www.nature.org).
Kararu Dive Voyages will pre-purchase the ticket for you and bill it to your invoice or to your account on board. If you would like further information about how revenue generated from your entrance fee is being utilized, please visit the project web site at www.diverajaampat.org