Raja Ampat
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Santi Utami
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Raja Ampat (Papua - Irian Jaya) is a place of great potential to serve as a tourist attraction, especially diving tourism. Raja Ampat Islands waters by a variety of sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it may also be recognized as number one for the completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time.
Dr John Veron, coral expert from the Australian experience, for example, within a site was revealed, the Raja Ampat Islands located in the westernmost tip of the island of Papua, about 50 miles northwest of Sorong, has the best reef areas in Indonesia. Approximately 450 species of corals could be identified during the two weeks of research in the area.
A team of experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and National Oceanographic Institutions (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has been rapid assessment in 2001 and 2002. The result, they note in these waters there are more than 540 species of hard corals (75% of the total species in the world), more than 1000 species of reef fish, 700 species of molluscs, and the highest record for gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of coral species in Raja Ampat world. No single place, with an area having the same number of these coral species.
There are several areas of coral reefs that are still very good condition with the percentage of live coral cover up to 90%, namely in the Dampier Strait (the strait between P. and P. smalldam Batanta), Kofiau Islands, Islands and South East Misool Wayag Islands. Types of coral reefs in Raja Ampat is generally the contours of the reef edge to the steep slope. But it was also found atoll type and type of burns or taka. In some places like in the village Saondarek, when the lowest tides, can be witnessed stretch of coral reef without diving and with their own adaptations, these reefs can still be alive despite being in the open air and direct sunlight.
Unique species that can be encountered when diving is some kind of Pigmy seahorses or mini kudalaut, wobbegong and manta ray. There are also four endemic fish king, namely Eviota king, that is a kind of fish gobbie. At Manta Point inlying Arborek Dampier straits, you can dive with the Manta Ray was accompanied by several heads of benign like when you dive in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If you dive at Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be surrounded by thousands of fish. Sometimes the collection of tuna, giant trevallies and snappers. But a tense if we are surrounded by a collection of fish, barracuda, although in fact it's relatively harmless (which is dangerous if we see barracuda solitary or alone). Reef sharks are also frequently seen and, if lucky you can also see the turtles were still eating sponge or swim around you. Some places like in Salawati, Batanta and smalldam also seen Dugong or mermaid.
Because the area of many islands and narrow straits, so most of the dives at a particular time has a tight flow. This is possible also to do drift dive to plunge while experiencing a strong current with water so clear, while through the collection of fishes. There are also relics of the plane wreck of World War II, which can be found in several places to make diving a great place to dive as in P. Wreck Wai. And many more reef sites that actually have never touched. This makes diving in Raja Ampat was more challenging.
Dr John Veron, coral expert from the Australian experience, for example, within a site was revealed, the Raja Ampat Islands located in the westernmost tip of the island of Papua, about 50 miles northwest of Sorong, has the best reef areas in Indonesia. Approximately 450 species of corals could be identified during the two weeks of research in the area.
A team of experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and National Oceanographic Institutions (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has been rapid assessment in 2001 and 2002. The result, they note in these waters there are more than 540 species of hard corals (75% of the total species in the world), more than 1000 species of reef fish, 700 species of molluscs, and the highest record for gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of coral species in Raja Ampat world. No single place, with an area having the same number of these coral species.
There are several areas of coral reefs that are still very good condition with the percentage of live coral cover up to 90%, namely in the Dampier Strait (the strait between P. and P. smalldam Batanta), Kofiau Islands, Islands and South East Misool Wayag Islands. Types of coral reefs in Raja Ampat is generally the contours of the reef edge to the steep slope. But it was also found atoll type and type of burns or taka. In some places like in the village Saondarek, when the lowest tides, can be witnessed stretch of coral reef without diving and with their own adaptations, these reefs can still be alive despite being in the open air and direct sunlight.
Unique species that can be encountered when diving is some kind of Pigmy seahorses or mini kudalaut, wobbegong and manta ray. There are also four endemic fish king, namely Eviota king, that is a kind of fish gobbie. At Manta Point inlying Arborek Dampier straits, you can dive with the Manta Ray was accompanied by several heads of benign like when you dive in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If you dive at Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be surrounded by thousands of fish. Sometimes the collection of tuna, giant trevallies and snappers. But a tense if we are surrounded by a collection of fish, barracuda, although in fact it's relatively harmless (which is dangerous if we see barracuda solitary or alone). Reef sharks are also frequently seen and, if lucky you can also see the turtles were still eating sponge or swim around you. Some places like in Salawati, Batanta and smalldam also seen Dugong or mermaid.
Because the area of many islands and narrow straits, so most of the dives at a particular time has a tight flow. This is possible also to do drift dive to plunge while experiencing a strong current with water so clear, while through the collection of fishes. There are also relics of the plane wreck of World War II, which can be found in several places to make diving a great place to dive as in P. Wreck Wai. And many more reef sites that actually have never touched. This makes diving in Raja Ampat was more challenging.
