Fr. 10. – So. 12. April 26 – Flug Zürich – Abu Dabi – Jakarta – Sorong
So. 12. – So. 19. April 26 – Transfer Liveaboard – Tauchsafari 7 Nächte
So. 19. – Sa. 25. April 26 – Transfer Papua Paradiese Eco Resort – 6 Nächte
Sa. 25. – So. 26. April 26 – Transfer – Flug Sorong – Jakarta – Abu Dabi – Zürich
Itinerary Details
Participation in this liveaboard itinerary is subject to acceptance of our Terms & Conditions as outlined here: www.masterliveaboards.com/terms-conditions.
Number of scheduled dives: 7 nights: up to 22
While we endeavour to ensure the number of scheduled dives is fulfilled, these are indicative only and not guaranteed. Various factors can affect the vessel’s ability to reach or remain at specific locations and may impact the number of dives possible.
Included land tours
There are several potential shore excursions which may be included on Raja Ampat itineraries; Generally, there are usually be 2 land visits offered on each itinerary; one is the Penemu Viewpoint which is always offered and popular, the other may be one of the following, or an alternative, depending on the itinerary route, environmental conditions and logistics.
- Arborek Village visit
- Alyui Pearl Farm
- Batanta Waterfall
- Tomolol Caves (Misool)
- Lenmakana jellyfish lake (Misool)
- Daram Beach (Misool)
- Love Lagoon (Misool)
The following is an example of the day-to-day itinerary
Day 1: Embarkation from 12:00-12:30 followed by introductions, boat and safety briefings and dinner. There is no diving scheduled on this day. All safety and dive briefings are conducted in English. If you or any of your group do not speak or fully understand English please let us know in advance.
Day 2: Breakfast followed by a check dive, and up to 3 subsequent dives, as outlined below.
Days 3-6 (7 nights)
Your Cruise Manager will schedule up to 4 dives per day; 3 day dives and either a sunset or a
night dive. A typical diving day is scheduled as follows:
- Light Breakfast followed by a briefing & Dive 1
- Full Breakfast, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 2
- Lunch, relaxation followed by briefing & Dive 3
- Snack
- Briefing for Sunset or Night dive
- Dinner
Following is a sample of some of the dive sites we may visit during your time aboard Indo Master. The inclusion of any of the named dive sites is not guaranteed. The areas that are visited and the sites that are selected for diving vary from one trip to the next, and are also dependent on the itinerary duration.
While we wish to show you the best diving possible, various factors determine which route the boat follows and which dive sites we visit. Weather, tides, currents, sea conditions and how many other vessels are at a particular location are just some of the considerations that play a part in the Cruise Director’s decision of which sites are chosen to dive at any particular time.
The safety and comfort of our guests is paramount, and we always do our best to offer diving at alternative locations, should we be unable to visit any of the sites listed below.
Mansuar Island & the Dampier Strait
Fast drift dives and big fish schools characterise the sites surrounding Mansuar and the Dampier Strait. Numerous dive sites are clustered together, providing a variety of “Big Fish” dives with currents and more relaxed dives where smaller creatures can be found and photographed. Your dive team will check currents and choose sites based on the optimum conditions each day.
Manta Sandy
The two large bommies situated in the middle of a sandy bottom at just 18 metres (60ft) are a world-renowned cleaning station which attracts many reef manta rays of a variety of shades and sizes, including all–black mantas, distinctive to Raja Ampat. Divers can simply rest on the bottom and watch the show. The reef itself has many smaller creatures, including dragonets and various pipefishes, as well as Bumphead parrotfish and Black-tip reef sharks. Therefore, if the mantas are not performing, there is still plenty to look at and discover.
Cape Kri
One of the best-known sites in the Dampier Strait, the variety of reef fish is astounding. A world record setter with 374 species of fish seen during one dive, Scribbled filefish, Harlequin sweetlips, Bumphead parrotfish, Pinnate batfish, hawkfish and Napoleon wrasse are all commonly seen. In the blue, myriad Bignose unicornfish and Bluestreak fusiliers are closely watched by giant trevallies and dogtooth tuna, whilst black tip reef sharks, pickhandle barracuda, turtles and pipefish are all regularly spotted as well.
Blue Magic
A long finger-shaped reef sloping down at the points from 8 metres to 30 metres (26ft – 98ft) with hard and soft corals, sea fans and black coral bushes; schools of jacks and barracuda hover close to the reef while grey reef sharks cruise in the blue and mantas sweep through the cleaning stations. For the keen-eyed, wobbegong sharks and pontohi pygmy seahorses add to the appeal and wonders of this magical dive site.
Inspirational Diving Experiences
Sardine Reef
Swarms of fusiliers, snappers and sweetlips, schools of bumphead parrotfish and banner fish, barracuda and trevally that come to feast on the nutrients in the surrounding water all make this site a very fishy dive. Rock-mover wrasse, dragonets and jaw fish are amongst the smaller fish species seen here, whilst white-tip and black-tip reef sharks can also be spotted.
Mioskon
This is another beautiful dive site located in the Dampier Strait. The coral reef surrounds Mioskon Island in a V-shape, where, along a gentle slope down to 25 metres, life abounds and springs up from everywhere. The sandy bottom is covered by coral bommies, wire coral and plenty of small groups of reef fish. Sharp-eyed divers can find pygmy seahorses, banded pipefish, flatworms, nudibranchs and scorpion fish. We can also see trevally hunting fusiliers, black-tip and white-tip reef sharks, barracuda and giant moray eels, amongst many others..
Mike’s Point
Eagles can usually be spotted resting on the treetops as we approach the tiny island known as Mike’s Points. Currents can be unpredictable and challenging, so we only dive here when the conditions are right. It is a superb site comprising varied topography with one side full of overhangs and crevices, whilst the other has “steps” dropping down to the deep with a field of whip corals adorning the slope. When there is no current, it can be circumnavigated in one dive, observing sweetlips, batfish, jacks, Spanish mackerel, grey reef sharks and wobbegongs.
Friwinbonda
Lionfish can be seen hunting glassfish schools that hover around the black coral bushes with tiny pipefish and transparent skeleton shrimp among the other interesting critters at this great night dive spot.
Fam & Yangeffo Islands
The islands surrounding Waigeo, the third main island of the Four Kings, provide a range of dive sites for us to choose from, including:
Melissa’s Garden
This is home to some of the best hard coral gardens in Raja Ampat, featuring a shallow flat reef with beautiful blue-tipped staghorn corals inhabited by myriads of damselfish. Trevally, black tip reef sharks and wobbegong sharks, along with orangutan crabs and spiny lobsters, are common sightings here.
Mayhem
This dive spot is notorious for its strong currents, making for an exhilarating dive with lots of action. It’s great for larger fish sightings such as Barracuda, Mackerel, Bluefin trevally, Tuna, Napoleon wrasse and Bumphead parrotfish, as well as eagle rays and wobbegong sharks. Inspirational Diving Experiences.
Citrus Ridge
A stunning reef named after the carpet-like orange, pink, yellow and green soft corals that cover the entire area. Gorgonian fans shelter pygmy seahorses, jawfish bob out of their ground holes, wobbegong sharks rest lazily amongst table corals and harlequin sweetlips can be found tucked into the many bommies that are dotted over the reef. The up-current side offers sensational pelagic encounters such as roaming grey and blacktip reef sharks, schooling jacks and a vortex of blackfin barracuda.
Batanta Island
Batanta Island, one of the Four Kings, offers something truly exceptional. Known for its muck diving, there is nothing that cannot be found here along the dark sand slopes. Mimic octopus, wunderpus, snake eels, dragonets, cuttlefish, flasher wrasse, solar-powered nudibranchs and ornate and robust ghost pipefish, to name just a few. Depending on the weather and tidal conditions, we will choose from sites including Algae Patch I, Algae Patch II and Happy Ending!
Misool Islands
Collectively called ‘The Misool Marine Reserve’, there are numerous small islands surrounding Misool Island, the second of the Four Kings, including Daram, Farondi, Boo, Wayilbatan, Kalig and Warakaraket to name just a few. Each offers some of the most dramatic underwater scenery of the region, from steep walls with huge gorgonian fans to gentler slopes with abundant hard and soft corals. Diving on some of the sites listed depends on sea and weather conditions.
Candy Store
Situated in the Daram Archipelago of the Misool region, we see colourful soft corals and yellow sponges, sea whips and black coral which hide creatures, such as ghost pipefish and coral shrimps. Schools of batfish, fusiliers, snapper, butterfly fish and bumphead parrotfish can all be seen here, as well as barramundi and Napoleon wrasse. There is so much to see, you truly will feel like a kid in a candy store.
Andiamo
A diverse, exposed, two-island reef with walls, overhangs, pinnacles, ridges and a shallow plateau. With a wide variety of marine life, it is no wonder Andiamo is one of the most famous dive sites in Misool. Thick schools of sardines and fusiliers cruise over the colourful soft corals, where we often find wobbegong and epaulette sharks resting on the sand along with reef octopuses and numerous nudibranchs, while Yellowtail and chevron barracuda form schools along the reef.
Boo Windows
Boo Windows is one of the most iconic and visually striking dive sites in the Misool Marine Reserve. Comprised of two rocks that stick up from the eastern edge of Boo Island with a saddle formation between them, it is renowned for its unique underwater topography and vibrant marine biodiversity. Just below the surface, natural erosion has carved two large, window-like holes (hence the name) in the reef, resulting in beautifully photogenic swim-throughs. These formations create a surreal diving experience as sunlight filters through the water to illuminate the vibrant coral gardens below. The surrounding boulder formations and pinnacles are encrusted with a variety of soft corals, sea squirts, and sponges, adding to the photographic appeal. Divers can expect to encounter schools of fusiliers, batfish, and barracuda, sweetlips hiding beneath coral ledges, as well as wobbegong sharks resting under massive table corals. Macro enthusiasts will appreciate the presence of pygmy seahorses, hairy squat lobsters nestled in barrel sponges, and a variety of nudibranchs.
Whale Rock
This small island in the Fiabacet chain derives its name from its distinctive shape, which looks like a whale when viewed from the south. Due to its exposed location, most dives on this rocky islet are drifts along a gently sloping reef from 6m – 20m (20ft – 66ft) covered with corals and sponges. It’s a great spot to hunt for interesting critters, including tiger cowries, fire gobies, hawkfish and mushroom coral shrimp.
Nudi Rock
A nudibranch-shaped island and an iconic dive site, part of a 1.3km (0.8 mile) ridge with walls, pinnacles and sandy plateaus. Marine species vary from macro to large pelagics, which can all be seen at this stunning site. Blacktips, whitetips, grey reef sharks, and schooling blackfin barracuda can be spotted cruising by, whilst hiding amongst the corals are crocodile fish, nudibranchs, porcelain crabs, and the elusive soft coral pipefishes.
Kalig Potato Point
Also in the Fiabecet area, this is a superb night diving location and hosts a wide variety of nudibranch species including nembrotha, chromodoris, hypselodoris, tambja and joruna. Gorgonian Passage Also known as Neptune’s Fans Sea, this passage is situated in the channel between Wayilbatan and Wayil islands. It has huge sea fans along the walls in which pygmy seahorses can be found, including Bargibanti and Denise’s. Other attractions are the countless variety of sweetlips and smaller marine creatures, such as peacock mantis shrimp and juvenile convict fish on the shallow sandy bottom.
Barracuda Rock
This is another very fishy site with schools of Big-Eye Trevally and hundreds of Yellowtail and Chevron Barracudas. An overhang on the southeast side is a good place to find Sweetlips, moray eels and lionfish during the day. With its shallow reef top, it is also one of our favourite night diving spots at Wayilbatan with all manner of crustaceans hiding amongst the corals from decorator crabs and arrow crabs to Durban dancing shrimp and pink squat lobster, octopus, yellow margined morays and pygmy seahorses all seen here.
Dunia Kecil
Also known as Small World, this tiny island with its steep walls, overhangs, slopes and beautiful shallow reef top is a delight of colours and fish variety. It is another superb site to spot pygmy seahorses, and ‘ladybug’ amphipods that are more commonly seen in Komodo National Park. Hawksbill turtles, schools of batfish, crocodile flathead, barramundi cod and juvenile cuttlefish are amongst the other marine creatures that can all be found here.
