Raja Ampat has been documented as one of the last frontiers of unspoilt diving. The archipelago’s pristine reefs are not only rich but the region also proves to have the greatest coral reef biodiversity for its size in the world. Raja Ampat holds: 600 islands and reefs, 1,320 fish species, 550 coral species and all that is yet to be discovered.
Raja Ampat is the seascape’s crown jewel. Fittingly, the name means “four kings.” The four main islands or “Kings” of the archipelago: Waigeo in the north, Salawati west of Sorong, Batanta north of Salawati, and Misool in the south.
Visit Waigeo and dive the famous Dampier Strait, some of Raja Ampat´s most action-packed dive sites. Exhilarating current dives and reliable manta cleaning stations where you can experience these majestic giant pelagics dance for hours along with many other treasures such as the tasselled wobbegong shark.
Dive the beautiful and unique mangrove areas of Yanggefo and Gam islands where the tips of healthy acropora corals contrast with the lush green of the mangroves making excellent split images, while just beneath the surface schools of archerfish hunt among the forest of mangrove roots. Batanta Island, known for its excellent muck diving and amazing variety of nudibranchs including the endemic Thecacera sp. Black sand slopes full of wonderful critters and frequent sightings of the rare mimic octopus. Misool area in southern Raja Ampat is a must for those who enjoy radiant coloured soft corals. There are stunning walls, pinnacles and reefs with masses of huge gorgonian fans and sea fans hosting an array of the famous pygmy seahorses. The vast area and variety of dive sites makes it the ideal location to be discovered via liveaboard.
Day 1
Check-in on board MV Mermaid I. As our guest arrivals take place all through the day depending on flights, you are welcome to board when you arrive and spend some time unpacking and setting up your equipment, etc. Following the boat and safety briefing, Mermaid I will start cruising to the area of Misool. The first cruising will be done overnight, 90 nautical miles.
It is almost impossible to put together a daily itinerary due to the magnificent diving everywhere Mermaid I goes. No trip is the same, with so many different sites to visit and explore. If there is somewhere in particular you really have your heart set on, please discuss with the Cruise Director who will do their utmost to get you there – conditions, ship and your safety allowing!
Dives
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Day 2-5
Misool is the southern island of Raja Ampat. Misool has many groups of islands and there are literally hundreds of dive sites around this magnificent area for all our guests. This is the entrance to divers' paradise and we will be here for a few days.
Soft coral heaven and gorgeous gorgonian sea fans are the highlights of Misool. Pygmy seahorses are easily found in almost all the dive sites of Misool! Pinnacles and underwater seamounts with masses of fish, and visits of pelagics such as Giant Manta Rays, sharks and more await you in Misool.
Some of the best areas in Misool include Sagof, Wagmab, Farondi, Boo, Fiabacet, Yuliet, Wailbatan, Warakaret and Pele.
Dives
15
Day 6-8
Perhaps you will spend a day around the southern part of Batanta Island, where the diving is done on a black sand environment. This is where all the weird and wonderful creatures that you have seen in coffee table books like to live!
Dive around the island of Kawe, a great place for schooling fish with beautiful reefs covered in black coral bushes and a very good chance to have encounters with Manta Rays.
There is a pearl farm in Aljui Bay, where you can take a tour to learn about the entire process of pearl farming. You can even buy pearls if you wish! Diving in Aljui bay is good for macro as well as wide angle. You will find walls covered in soft corals and sea fans, lots of nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses. There is also a great night dive at the jetty where some of the highlights are the Raja epaulette shark (a species of “walking shark”), wobbegongs, crocodile fish, toadfish, frogfish and more.
Heading to the central part of Raja Ampat dive around the island of Yanggefo, with beautiful mangrove areas, stunning reefs covered in orange and purple soft corals and submerged reef with lots of schooling fish.
Arborek and Sawanderek Villages are some of the most beautiful islands to visit and great to dive under their jetty! The jetty pillars are covered in soft corals – a photographer’s delight and also good for macro such as signal gobies, nudibranchs, pipefish, blue ringed octopus and more.
The Mantas are then calling Mermaid I to visit the famous Dampier Strait in the central part of Raja Ampat. Here Mantas hang out at their cleaning stations along with all the schooling fish that the sites have to offer. At some of the sites in the Dampier Strait, the macro marine life is amazing with critters such as the seamoth, Pontohi pygmy seahorse, pipefish and more.
The Dampier Strait is also well known for an incredible amount of schooling fish. There are several pinnacles with zillions of fish. The tips (capes) of several islands are also home to lots of schooling fish - barracudas, bigeye jacks, snappers, zillions of fusiliers and surgeonfish and much more. As if that weren’t enough, here you can find lots of wobbegongs too.
Dives
12
Day 9
The last two dives of your cruise will be done in Dampier Strait area, where big schools of fish and glorious corals are simply amazing! After the second dive MV Mermaid I must go back to Sorong. The crew will take care of rinsing your equipment and there’s time to pack during this 5 - 6 hour run.
Dives
2
Day 10
After breakfast, Mermaid I staff will transfer you to the airport.
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to changes beyond the operator’s control. The exact itinerary, route and amount of dives for your cruise may be adapted to best suit the weather conditions, tides and currents, season and other prevailing events.
Dives
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Day 1
Dives
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Day 2-4
Dives
11
Day 5-7
Dives
12
Day 8
Dives
2
Day 9
After breakfast, Mermaid II staff will transfer you to the airport.
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to changes beyond the operator’s control. The exact itinerary, route and amount of dives for your cruise may be adapted to best suit the weather conditions, tides and currents, season and other prevailing events.
Dives
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Below are the airlines that fly to this destination. Should you wish to have a streamlined travel experience for your trip, we will be happy to arrange your flight, please inform us when making an inquiry through our inquiry form.
Garuda Indonesia is the national airline of Indonesia. Named after the holy bird Garuda of Hinduism from the national emblem of Indonesia. Garuda flies to most of our ports of embarkation and disembarkation. At the time of writing they offer an extra 23kg baggage allowance for sports gear, including scuba diving equipment.
Batik Air is a full-service airline which began operations in May 2013. This airline is part of the Lion Air group. Batik Air flies to many of Mermaid’s destinations. They offer some convenient options such as direct flights from Jakarta to Sorong, for our Raja Ampat cruises, or to Ambon to join some of our most exciting cruises.
Lion Air is an Indonesian low-cost airline and is the second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia after AirAsia and the largest airline of Indonesia. The airline operates domestic as well as international routes, which connects different destinations of Indonesia. Wings Air is part of Lion Air and flies to the more remote destinations. Batik Air is also part of the Lion Air group. Between all these airlines, Lion, Wings and Batik can fly you to any of the area where we operate.
Sriwijaya Air is an Indonesian airline based in Jakarta. Garuda Indonesia group recently took over the operation of Sriwijaya Air. This airline is the country’s third largest carrier and offers flights to various Indonesian destinations and a few international destinations. Sriwijaya also offer convenient direct flights from Jakarta to Sorong for our Raja Ampat cruises.
Our base currency is in Euro, we can accept payment in Euro and USD only
*Prices are per person
Date | Trip Code | Itinerary | Master | Single | Deluxe | Lower Deck | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
03Dec2023 | MMII 39/23RJ | Raja AmpatDuration: 10D 9NReturn: 12 Dec 2023Mermaid IITrip Details | - | - | Book Now | ||
08Dec2023 | MMI 31/23RJ | Raja AmpatDuration: 10D 9NReturn: 17 Dec 2023Mermaid ITrip Details | Book Now | ||||
13Dec2023 | MMII 40/23RJ | Raja AmpatDuration: 10D 9NReturn: 22 Dec 2023Mermaid IITrip Details | - | - | Book Now | ||
18Dec2023 | MMI 32/23RJ | Raja AmpatDuration: 10D 9NReturn: 27 Dec 2023Mermaid ITrip Details | Book Now | ||||
23Dec2023 | MMII 41/23RJ | Raja AmpatDuration: 10D 9NReturn: 01 Jan 2024Mermaid IITrip Details | - | - | Book Now |
*Prices are per person
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to changes beyond the operator’s control. The exact itinerary, route and amo...
Learn MoreThis is a sample itinerary and is subject to changes beyond the operator’s control. The exact itinerary, route and amo...
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