Rajaampat, West Papua, Indonesia
Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the 4 main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo. It is a part of the newly named West Papua province of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya and is the domain of liveaboards.
Diving in Raja Ampat with schools of black snapper Put simply, Raja Ampat diving is the bees knees in the world of scuba. If you don't enjoy your dives here, you may as well sell your dive gear! According to the Conservation International Rapid Assessment Bulletin and their more recent 2006 scientific surveys, the marine life diversity for scuba diving in Irian Jaya is