Venture to where the wild things are – Raja Ampat – the most biodiverse marine region on earth. It is known as the “Amazon of the Sea”, as it is home to 533 out 798 known coral species, which is 75% of world’s coral species. You will come face-to-face with up to 1,437 reef fish species in every direction. Here you may also encounter with more than 700 species of mollusk including 7 species of giant clam, as well as 2,300 known species of Nudibranch.
ABOUT MISOOL:
Misool Island is a remote, tropical hideaway, and one of the four largest islands in the Raja Ampat archipelago. Located off the west coast of the main island of Papua, directly bordering the Seram Sea, the water is a veritable traffic corridor for many large sea creatures.
The southern region of Raja Ampat tends to have more walls with amazing sea fans and soft coral, while North Raja Ampat is more known for hard coral gardens, amazing manta dives and sharks. Here in Misool, more than 60 dive-sites are waiting to be discovered by you. The rainbow of colors, textures, and fish shapes bring you into a world that seems as if Pixar Animation created it.
Scenic lagoons, shallow reefs and crystal clear waters make an ideal location for on-the water sport adventures like kayaking, tubing and water-skiing. Its remote location means you will most likely have the place to yourself. Best time to visit is October to April when the sea is calmer and the visibility is optimal.
WHAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE:
From the surface of the water you can explore a chain of islets to find scenic lagoons, shallow reefs, and the crystal clear waters of Wayil. You will be welcomed with endless giant sea fans of all sizes and colors beyond your imagination in Neptune’s Fan Sea. One of our favorite dive sites is Magic Mountain, where Oceanic Mantas can often be found. You can swim with baby sharks in Yillet, and end your day with a sunset dive searching for an endemic walking shark.
Go for a beach picnic on the beautiful white sands of Kalig after remarkable diving at Fiabacet. Witness the impressive view above the sea and lovely drop-offs underwater at Daram to the east. Explore an endless number of hidden bays, coves, and lagoons in Balbulol with kayak or SUP. There are several stingless jellyfish lakes to explore in Farondi depending on the season.
Hike up the into the “wild territory” of less visited peaks in Raja Ampat at “Danpulol”, which is in a heavily forested region. At a first sight it reveals nothing but a thick green carpet of dense forests. Take the Boston Whaler to explore Love Lagoon . While waiting on the sunset, you can go to view some of the amazing walls with ancient rock art. You can also paddle out kayak inside a cave connecting to the sea at Tumolol, and learn on how they grow a pearl in the biggest pearl farm in Papua.
Spend extra days to explore the less visited islands of Jef Pelee and Lenmakana in the west. Kaleidoscope and Blue Hole dive sites offer bursting color pallets of soft corals and schools of fishes. As you descent, you will see that both sides of the ridges are covered with elephant ear sponges. Upon closer inspection of the hard coral, you may yet find a Wobbegong shark. It feels like you are in a Pixar movie by Disney. Unreal!
