The Mari Dive liveaboard 12D11N Raja Ampat Ultimate is a top-of-the-line excursion designed for divers who want nothing less than to fully immerse themselves in the Coral Triangle. This 12-day trip on the expedition-ready Mari Dive ship is the best liveaboard package. It takes you to all four corners of the archipelago: the fish-filled Dampier Strait, the beautiful southern paradise of Misool, the whale-filled waters of the Batanta region, and the stunning karst seascapes of Wayag. You will dive at the famous places that make Raja Ampat famous, like the world-famous Cape Kri, the manta cleaning stations at Manta Sandy, the colorful soft coral walls of the Fam Islands, and the secret lagoons of Misool. This 12-day Raja Ampat liveaboard is the best option for professional divers and underwater photographers who want to experience all the different types of marine life in one life-changing trip.
The Mari Dive Raja Ampat Ultimate schedule lasts for 12 days, which gives you enough of time to properly experience each unique ecosystem. This trip takes you off the beaten path, letting you dive at the best sites numerous times, explore secluded atolls at your own pace, and go on amazing land excursions like the walk to the summit of Piaynemo and the quest for the Wilson’s Bird-of-Paradise. The longer time span is important for seeing Raja Ampat’s famous animals, such as the beautiful mantas and wobbegong sharks, as well as the uncommon endemic animals like the walking epaulette shark. You will feel safe navigating these secluded waters on the Mari Dive liveaboard, which is known for its professional guides and expedition-level accommodation. This “Ultimate” 12-day adventure is the best liveaboard trip for the discerning diver looking for the most complete Raja Ampat liveaboard program. It offers a deep and full connection with the world’s richest marine ecosystem.
More About Mari DiveDives: Approximately 30 dives in total
Experience: Open Water – 30 minimum logged dives required.
Marine Life: At least 75 percent of all coral species can be found in Raja Ampat, divers can expect a range of topography from soft corals and sea fans, to hard corals, seagrass beds, mangroves, shallow reefs, deep drop-offs, caves, black sand, and white sand. Giant manta rays, sea turtles, sharks, cuttlefish, pipefish, various seahorse species, and massive schools of reef fish are the norm, plus the delightful wobbegong sharks and epaulet sharks inhabit these waters too.
Your flight will arrive in Sorong, a coastal city in the eastern Indonesian province of West Papua. Sorong is the gateway to Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands.
If possible we offer 3-4 dives daily. When crossing only 1-2 dives a day can be scheduled. (We reserve the right to change the itinerary or specific agreed services, if force majeure, unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances require us to do so.)
Some of the destinations:
Sorong: a coastal city in the eastern Indonesian province of West Papua. Its only land borders are with Sorong Regency. It is the gateway to Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands, species-rich Coral reef islands in an area considered the heart of the world’s coral reef biodiversity. It also is the logistics hub for Indonesia’s thriving eastern oil and gas frontier. Sorong has experienced exponential growth since 2010.
Dampier Strait: Physically the Strait is the large passage of water between the islands of Gam & Waigeo in the north and Batanta in the south, which takes its name from the English explorer-adventurer William Dampier who first charted the area in the 17th century. The Strait is the principal channel through which the nutrient-rich waters of the Indonesian Throughflow pass on their way south and the deep basins of the Banda Sea. What that physically means is that the huge volume of water that is heading south through the Strait is forced into a smaller area and when that happens there is only one possible result – the water flows much faster producing possible strong currents the Dampier Strait is known for.
Mioskon: This small island is located on the northern side of the Dampier Strait. A superb site with numerous bommies densely coated in soft corals. The island is oval-shaped and rises from the surrounding sandy seabed plateau at 20-25m and its south-east tip faces into the predominant current that flows through the Strait. On the shallow plateau reef is a good chance to spot large wobbegong sharks.
Mansuar & Kri Island: This site is where a world record fish count was made on the house reef. 284 species recorded on a single tank dive of 60 minutes, by Australian Dr. Gerry Allen. There are numerous reefs here where not only is the diversity evident, but also the quantities are surprising. Sharks are seen on most dives, a rarity in Indonesia. Kri Island in Raja Ampat is where the fishes are to be found. Diving these sites is a sensational and very rewarding experience!
Fam Islands/Penemu: These islands are the very definition of paradise. White limestone cliffs plunge into the sea. Ultramarine blue lagoons are nestled next to monumental pinnacles and untouched beaches. Many places claim to be this beautiful, but this is a genuine article. Fam Island has some of the most beautiful coral gardens and walls in Raja Ampat, combined with stunning viewpoints on land. With a little luck, we can see the walking shark here. Yes, you can read it right now. The incredible epaulette shark is not only a perfect swimmer, but it can also “walk” between coral heads at low tide, along the seafloor, and even on land when needed. For that reason, it is often called the “walking shark.” Piaynemo is the correct local spelling of the name of the island marked on most maps of Raja Ampat as “Penemu”. Penemu is about 60km (~40 miles) west of Waisai and has a karst island seascape almost indistinguishable from that of Wayag.
Arborek Island: The island, which gets its name from a type of fruit that grows on it, is located at the western end of the Strait where it enters the Halmahera Sea. It is a long thin island that runs east to west, with a large fringing reef and it sits right in the path of the Dampier Straits currents which split around the island at its eastern point and flow strongly around its sides. On the northern side of the island are two quite large wooden jetties just in front of the small village, and the rich waters of the Strait swirl around them creating a mini-ecosystem on the wooden structures. Rich patches of vibrant soft corals have grown on the vertical piles of the jetty and resident schools of jacks and batfish patrol in between.
Final day of diving – our trip ends at Sorong.
Check out after breakfast or lunch, depending on your return flight time. We say goodbye to our guests and wish them farewell. The MARI crew will organize the transfer to the Airport and assist at check-in for onward flights.
Included: VAT, Environment Tax, Airport Transfer, Hotel Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Land Excursions, Naturalist Guide, Snorkel Gear, Snorkeling Guide, Beach Towels, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, Deck Towels, WiFi internet.
Required Extras: Fuel Surcharge (75-230 EUR), National Park Fees (140 EUR per trip).
Optional Extras: Gratuities, Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Nitrox (5 EUR per activity), Rental Gear.
Raja Ampat Central/North
30 Dives
Certificate: Advanced Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required
Raja Ampat (Misool)
27 Dives
Certificate: Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required
Raja Ampat (Misool)
30 Dives
Certificate: Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required
Raja Ampat, Ambon, Banda Island
33 Dives
Certificate: Open Water
30 minimum logged dives required
Raja Ampat
29 dives
Certificate: Open Water
10 minimum logged dives required
Banda, Forgotten Island, Alor
30 dives
Certificate: Open Water
50 minimum logged dives required
The diving experience aboard the Mari met all of our expectations. The boat and especially our accommodations were fantastic. We had plenty of room. The staff took great care of us, whether it was with the dive trips, our gear, the service, the meals, or the drinks. The dive tour and the dive sites were also wonderful, of course. The coral gardens and the variety of life there blew us away. Anytime!
