Raja-Ampat, Indonesia Aggressor Liveaboard

RajaAmpat

Sorong/Sorong  7 & 10 Night Itineraries

The Raja Ampat itinerary combines the best dive sites of Dampier Strait, Fam, Mansuar and the awesome dive sites of Misool, the best diving area of Raja Ampat. The great highlights are the manta cleaning station near Mansuar and the huge schools of fish near Farondi.

Dive Sites

The Dampier straight separates the Birdhead Peninsula from Waigeo and Mansuar. The name comes from the Dutch colonial times. It refers to the shape of the peninsula on the map, but it is also a paradise for many rare bird species.

Here the Pacific Ocean meets the Halmahera Sea, with an explosion of marine life as consequence. With regular strong currents, big fish feel especially comfortable. Manta rays, reef sharks, different schools of mackerel, tuna and barracuda, dolphin and whales.

The night dives under the Arborek or Cape Mansuar jetty is a favorite spot with peculiar creatures such as wobbegongs, epaulette sharks (walking sharks), nudibranchs, pipefish, seahorses, frogfish, scorpion fish and the list goes on.

Misool is the southeast of the four big islands of the Raja Ampat archipelago. At the same time it is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. The rich variety of reefs are also not to be overlooked with vertical walls, slopes, dry rocks, caves and lagoons; some covered with hard corals while the others are covered with brightly colored soft corals. Also renowned as the center of pygmy seahorses and gorgonians, everywhere you go you will be amazed by the profusion of marine life that Raja

Derawan Islands

7 Night Itinerary

The Derawan Islands (Kepulauan Derawan) are located off the eastern coast of Borneo (East Kalimantan Province) in Indonesia, in the famous Celebes Sea. Derawan is an archipelago with the main islands being Derawan, Maratua, Kakaban and Sangalaki, forming small and remote atolls with sandy banks. This special place is considered the second most biodiverse place in the world.

Derawan Islands are part of the Coral Triangle, which features 872 species of reef fish, 507 species of coral, and invertebrates, including protected species (5 giants clam species, 2 sea turtles, coconut crab, etc.).

Sample Seven Itinerary (22 Dives)

• Day 1: On the charter start date, guests will be picked up from one of the host hotels or the Berau Airport ((BEJ) and transferred by car two hours away to Tanjung Batu to board the Raja Ampat Aggressor. Once all guests are onboard by 1:30 pm,, the adventure begins to the Derawan Islands (approximately 6 hours). No diving this day.

• Day 2: 4 dives in Sangalaki Island

• Day 3: 4 dives in Kakaban Island

• Day 4: 4 dives in Talisayan Whale Sharks

• Day 5: 4 dives in Maratua

• Day 6: 4 dives in Maratua

• Day 7: 2 dives in Derawan.

• Day 8: Disembark and transfer to the Berau International Airport (BEJ) or partner lounge in the area.

Diving Highlights:

• Kakaban: Kakaban is known for the non-stinging jelly fish lake, located in the middle of the island and a brisk 15 minute walk. The non-stinging jellyfish have inhabited the lake for centuries as there are no known predators. The outer ring of Kakaban island offers divers a wide variety of dive sites that includes corals, large pelagic and thrilling caves.

The most famous area is Barracuda Point which has schooling barracuda which are visited by large tuna and sharks.

• Sangalaki: This area is famous for the large population of turtles and manta rays year round and guests will frequently see them feeding. The island has a turtle nursery run by the local government which can be visited. Whale sharks are frequently seen off the coast of the island.

• Maratua Atoll: The Raja Ampat Aggressors favorite dives are “The Channel” and “Big Fish Country” which has tornadoes of barracuda, grey reef sharks, thresher sharks, loads of turtles and schooling eagle rays schooling. Maratua Island has at least 13 caves with hundreds more that have yet to be explored.

• Pulau Panjang & Pulau Derawan: This is an area known for amazing macro life such as satomi pigmys, sea dragons, ghost pipefish, frogfish, blue ring octopus, harlequin shrimp and tiger shrimp. This is a macro haven with the weird and wonderful.

• Talisayan: A large population of whale sharks can be found here during the diving season. Similar to Cenderawasih Bay, the whale sharks can be found swimming under the fishing platforms of the local fishermen.

Raja/Halmahera/Lembeh

12 Night Itinerary

Raja Ampat Dive Sites

The Raja Ampat itinerary combines the best dive sites of Dampier Strait, Fam, Mansuar and the awesome dive sites of Misool, the best diving area of Raja Ampat. The great highlights are the manta cleaning station near Mansuar and the huge schools of fish near Farondi.

The Dampier straight separates the Birdhead Peninsula from Waigeo and Mansuar. The name comes from the Dutch colonial times. It refers to the shape of the peninsula on the map, but it is also a paradise for many rare bird species.

Here the Pacific Ocean meets the Halmahera Sea, with an explosion of marine life as consequence. With regular strong currents, big fish feel especially comfortable. Manta rays, reef sharks, different schools of mackerel, tuna and barracuda, dolphin and whales.

The night dives under the Arborek or Cape Mansuar jetty is a favorite spot with peculiar creatures such as wobbegongs, epaulette sharks (walking sharks), nudibranchs, pipefish, seahorses, frogfish, scorpion fish and the list goes on.

Misool is the southeast of the four big islands of the Raja Ampat archipelago. At the same time it is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. The rich variety of reefs are also not to be overlooked with vertical walls, slopes, dry rocks, caves and lagoons; some covered with hard corals while the others are covered with brightly colored soft corals. Also renowned as the center of pygmy seahorses and gorgonians, everywhere you go you will be amazed by the profusion of marine life that Raja Ampat has to offer you.

Halmahera

Divers will see pristine, untouched reefs with amazing biodiversity diving on these beautiful shallow reefs filled with colorful reef fish, exotic invertebrates and, in the deeper waters, current-cooled seamounts, walls, and pinnacles with sharks, flamboyant cuttlefish and tunas. There are over 800 species of fish found in these islands.

The remote island of Halmahera is located between the Molucca Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east and has a unique geography with its four peninsulas enclosing three great bays and three volcanoes. Divers will find exciting dives with plenty of weird and wonderful creatures and pinnacles encircled by massive schools of barracuda, turtles, bumphead parrotfish, manta rays and other pelagic fishes.

Lembeh Island

Lembeh Island is located east of the mainland of North Sulawesi and is separated by a long, narrow stretch of water known as the Lembeh Strait.  It is world famous for its abundance of rare and unusual marine life.  Underwater photographers find this a true critter paradise with seahorses, pipefish, frogfish, stargazers, mandarinfish, the endemic Banggai cardinalfish and other weird and wonderful creatures.

Lembeh/North Sulawesi/Derawan

12 Night Itinerary

Lembeh Island

Divers will experience warm, shallow reefs resplendent with colorful reef fish and exotic invertebrates and, in the deeper waters, current-cooled seamounts, walls, and pinnacles with sharks and tunas.

The remote island of Halmahera is located between the Molucca Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east and has a unique geography with its four peninsulas enclosing three great bays and three volcanoes. Divers will find exciting dives with plenty of weird and wonderful creatures and pinnacles encircled by massive schools of barracuda and other pelagic fishes.

North Sulawesi

The first 4 – 5 days will be spent diving the northern tip of North Sulawesi then 2 – 3 days exploring new areas before crossing to the Derawan islands.

Lembeh Strait – A Muck Diving Mecca and the Twilight Zone are just a few of the names that have been given to Lembeh over the years due to it’s high density, and diversity, of rare and unusual marine life. Diving in Lembeh is unlike diving anywhere else as every dive reveals countless species of critters which have made their homes here on Lembeh’s famous muck diving slopes. Lembeh isn’t just home to frogfish, it’s home to 8 different species of frogfish, 12 species of octopus, numerous crustacean species that cannot be found anywhere else on earth, 3 species of pygmy seahorse, countless numbers of nudibranch species. Other critters frequently found here include the Hairy Frogfish, Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse, Wunderpus, Mandarin Fish, Mimic Octopus, Rhinopias Scorpionfish, Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Blue Ring Octopus.

Bangka Island area – With more than 30 world-class dive sites, Bangka’s archipelago offers several different diving spots, from richly-colonized volcanic pinnacles, beautiful pristine coral reef slopes to sandy slopes, mangroves and walls.

Bunaken National Park – Often simply called Bunaken, the Bunaken Marine Park consists of five islands: Manado Tua, Siladen, Mantehage, Nain and Bunaken itself. The dive sites around the islands are slopes, walls or sloping walls. It features pristine hard corals, abundant reef fish, and larger pelagic species including reef sharks, eagle rays and tuna.

Derawan Islands

Derawan Islands are part of the Coral Triangle, which features 872 species of reef fish, 507 species of coral, and invertebrates, including protected species (5 giants clam species, 2 sea turtles, coconut crab, etc.).

Diving Highlights:

• Kakaban: Kakaban is known for the non-stinging jelly fish lake, located in the middle of the island and a brisk 15 minute walk. The non-stinging jellyfish have inhabited the lake for centuries as there are no known predators. The outer ring of Kakaban island offers divers a wide variety of dive sites that includes corals, large pelagic and thrilling caves.

The most famous area is Barracuda Point which has schooling barracuda which are visited by large tuna and sharks.

• Sangalaki: This area is famous for the large population of turtles and manta rays year round and guests will frequently see them feeding. The island has a turtle nursery run by the local government which can be visited. Whale sharks are frequently seen off the coast of the island.

• Maratua Atoll: The Raja Ampat Aggressors favorite dives are “The Channel” and “Big Fish Country” which has tornadoes of barracuda, grey reef sharks, thresher sharks, loads of turtles and schooling eagle rays schooling. Maratua Island has at least 13 caves with hundreds more that have yet to be explored.

• Pulau Panjang & Pulau Derawan: This is an area known for amazing macro life such as satomi pigmys, sea dragons, ghost pipefish, frogfish, blue ring octopus, harlequin shrimp and tiger shrimp. This is a macro haven with the weird and wonderful.

• Talisayan: A large population of whale sharks can be found here during the diving season. Similar to Cenderawasih Bay, the whale sharks can be found swimming under the fishing platforms of the local fishermen.