Raja Ampat - Trip Reports
Awe Inspiring Raja Ampat
It’s that time of the year again, the final trip for the Raja Ampat season is completed, and the boats will make The Crossing through the vast Banda Sea and later into Komodo and Bali. To reflect, the 2025/2026 Raja Ampat season was nothing short of awe-inspiring! Every trip hits differently, and no matter how […]
From Misool to the Dampier Strait: A Raja Ampat Liveaboard Adventure Aboard Mermaid II
This week onboard the Mermaid II, we welcomed a group of familiar faces coming all the way from Russia and embarked on a 9 day adventure through the stunning Raja Ampat islands, and it was nothing short of incredible Starting the trip by cruising down south and breaking the surface at Misool, we were immediately […]
A Completely New Raja Surprise
Every season in Raja Ampat I’m totally blown away by what new surprises the region can deliver. First it was the world’s largest stingray, next it was Omura’s whales-the world’s newest classified species of whale-feeding next to Mermaid II, then it was a forty-five minute snorkel session with Raja Ampat’s first ever ocean sunfish, and […]
Eighteen-Hundred Miles Through The Coral Triangle
When you dive through eighteen hundred miles of world’s most bio-diverse waters, an area known to many as the Coral Triangle or the Ring of Fire, you never quite know exactly what your going to see, you just know it’s going to be epic. This was the feeling amongst all the customers and dive staff […]
Raja Ampat an Underwater Kingdom of Amazing Biodiversity
Starting a brand new season in Raja Ampat, Mermaid I returns to the land of the 4 Kings. An outstanding amount of plankton in the water carried by super moon currents brought up a spectacular agglomeration of fish. Beautiful wide open soft corals feeding and some extreme fish action from day one ‘till the last […]
Raja Ampat
Last trip of the season in Raja Ampat. Mermaid1 travels again on a wicked cruise around Raja Ampat and its fascinating diving spots. The last full trip covering the incredible scenery from under and above the water of West Papua before the long journey to Maumere. A smooth flat seas from south to north and […]
A New Name to the List
The list of marine species documented for the Bird’s Head Seascape, which includes coral, reef fish, as well as sharks & rays, is the largest in the world and the epicenter of marine bio-diversity. This list isn’t complete however, and it seems to grow a little longer every week with new discoveries, just as it […]
Amongst the Chaos
Amongst the wonderful chaos of the diving that Raja Ampat offers, it can be difficult at times to stop to admire the simple things. And just to clarity what I mean by wonderful chaos, I mean periodic passovers by oceanic and reef manta, wobbegongs, blueringed octopus, and the continuous shoals of fish at every corner. […]
The Shallows
Raja Ampat’s Beauty at Any Depth Would you ever expect to find a huge amount of marine life combined with incredible healthy coral reefs just a few feet under the surface? That’s what our happy snorkelers have experienced on the last trip in Raja Ampat with Mermaid I. From large schools of fish, turtles, sea […]
CHANGOO, an adventurous dive site located East of Kawe island, North of Raja Ampat.
A combination of swimtroughs, sharks, and large schools of fish. When the current is right this place can be superb, schools of Jacks and Barracudas on the very shallows and a swim-through right at the start of the dive. A great amount of Surgeon fish and Penjalo snappers can sometimes nearly block the way out […]