Misool Eco Resort

Raja Ampat is not the easiest of places to visit. Located at the northwest tip of New Guinea, Raja Ampat is an archipelago with 1500 small islands. If, normally you’re traveling along the tourist routes, you are in for an experience of a lifetime.

The islands are easiest visited with a liveaboard, and we have many vessels in our program. The  other option is to stay at one of these remote but beautiful resorts spread across the islands.

Rich Marine Life

Photo: Ethan Daniels,. Rich marine life in Raja Ampat

When you are diving in this tropical water, it feels like you are diving in the paradise of Eden. You’ll be able to see small uninhabited white sand beaches and dive down to reefs more diverse and beautiful than many other underwater destinations in the world. It has more than 450 different types of corals. In 2001, tropical fish count reached almost a thousand, which significantly proves that this is truly a world-class diving destination.

The Indonesian waters are known for strong currents, and diving in Raja Ampat is no different. If you are a beginner diver, you need to be comfortable with drift diving. The current gives ground for great schools of fish, and mantas are often passed by. You also get the chance to spots sharks and at the surface, dolphins and whales are spotted frequently.

If you’re into small stuff, the coral life at the reef is perfect for exploration. Nudies, seahorses, pygmy seahorses, lobsters and crabs are found in the waters here. Raja Ampat has plenty to offer for all types of divers!

Great Dive Spots

Cape Kri is one of Raja Ampat’s dive sites that manifest this beauty. You will be diving while fully surrounded by schools of dogtooth tuna, jacks, giant trevally and chevron barracuda. As the currents pick up, you’ll see yourself drifting by a vast bed of soft and hard corals. I have Cape Kri on my top 10 dive sites in the world –see the whole list here.

Manta, Kri Eco Resort

Just near Cape Kri is Mike’s Point. Mistaken as a Japanese warship, this rocky protrusion was bombed during World War II. Today, this is a popular wall dive site where you can plunge into vertical walls covered by the beauty of corals and surrounded by life. Mike’s is located in Dampier Strait which means you’ll get a good chance of experiencing one of the best drift dives in your life.

Have you dived in Raja Ampat? Apart from the spots I’ve mentioned above, which ones would you recommend?

About

Torben Lonne is a top skilled PADI MSDT instructor. He has worked several years with scuba diving in Indonesia and Thailand – and dived most of his life. He is also the co-founder and chief-editor of DIVEIN.org.

The Ferry

This trip isn’t for everyone – that’s why they offer adventurous souls a 25% discount on accommodation and diving.Because of the variability of conditions, they do not operate their regular transfer boat during the shoulder season. Instead, transport between Sorong and Misool is on a public ferry. It’s a big steel ship, and guests will have their own cabin with bunk beds. It’s a safe and comfortable 8-hour journey, but it’s still very much a local experience.

Twin cabin on Ferry

Here is more adventure for you! The ferry leaves Sorong on 4th September (Friday night), sleep on the ferry in your twin cabin,  and you’ll arrive at a pearl farm location called ‘Tiga Lima’ at about 8:00 am the following morning. Misool’s transfer boat will collect you there to make the final 1-hour journey to the resort island. Please note that the transfer boats are covered, but not enclosed. The crew will bring tarpaulins to cover your baggage from rain or sea spray, but we highly recommend packing your valuables and electronics in a seal-able dry bag.

The return trip is during the day, departing the resort at about 7:00 am

and arriving back in Sorong in the evening. The cost of transport, including all ground handling, ferry ticket, a private double occupancy cabin, and speed boat transfer between ‘Tiga Lima’ and the resort is 175 Euros per person round trip.

7 night packages is 9 nights altogether: 1 night on the Ferry, 7 nights Misool Resort + 1 night Sorong. All guests return to Sorong after 7 nights and stay 1 additional night at a local hotel (inclusive in accommodation package incl. breakfast). Guests can then depart at any time the following day (13th September). In case you are keen, contact us, we are happy to email you a full quote and handle book it for you.

Raja Ampat’s biodiversity never fails to astound. Three new species of reef fish were discovered at Misool Eco Resort by Dr Mark Erdmann during Fish Geek Week, February 11-18th 2011. This brings the total number of identified species in Raja Ampat up to 1414. Wow! Mark found 2 new cardinal fish from different genuses, Siphamia and Apogonichthyoides. The 3rd was a type of Ptereleotris dartfish.
 
 Mark also recorded 5 species of reef fish never before seen in Raja Ampat, and perhaps most exciting of all, identified 3 species of Flasher Wrasse on our House Reef. For those of unfamiliar with their antics, these tiny wrasses are usually rather drab in appearance. Just around sunset, the males start their impressive courtship number. In the space of milliseconds, they transform themselves from pedestrian little reef dwellers into spectacularly flamboyant fellas. Quite a strategy to get the ladies’ attention, but it seems to be working!

The flasher wrasses identified on Misool Eco Resort’s House Reef were Paracheilinus cyaneus (pictures at left), Paracheilinus nursalim (found only in Misool and Kaimana), and Paracheilinus filamentosus.

To celebrate all this gorgeous bidiversity, Misool Eco Resort held raffle on the last night of the trip. All the proceeds were collected to support the local Ranger Patrol, which enforces the boundaries of their newly expanded 1220 sq km No-Take Zone. They managed to raise over 2000 Euros! And one lucky winner won a free trip to Misool Eco Resort. Congratulations, Michael and Alison!