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A team of experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and National Institute of Oceanography (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) have done a quick assessment in 2001 and 2002. The result, they noted in these waters there are more than 540 hard coral species (75% of the total species in the world), more than 1,000 species of reef fish, 700 species of molluscs, and the highest record for gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of the world’s coral species in Raja Ampat. None of the places with the same area has a number of coral species as much as this.

There are several areas of coral reefs are still very good condition with the percentage of live coral cover by 90%, namely in the Dampier Strait (the strait between the Island and Island Waigeo Batanta), Kofiau Islands, Islands and South East Misool Wayag Islands. Types of coral reefs in Raja Ampat is generally fringing reef with gentle slope to steep contour. But it also found the type of atoll and the type of scorched or taka. In some places, such as village Saondarek, when the lowest tides, coral reefs can be seen without a dive and with his own adaptation, these reefs can still be alive despite being in the open air and direct sunlight.

Unique species that can be found at the diving is some kind of pigmy seahorse or kudalaut mini, wobbegong and manta ray. There are also endemic fish Raja Ampat, namely Eviota king, which is a kind of fish gobbie. At Manta Point supernal Arborek Dampier straits, you can dive in the company of some tail Manta Ray is benign like when you dive in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If you dive at Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be surrounded by thousands of fish. Sometimes a collection of tuna, giant trevallies and snappers. But those tense when we are surrounded by a collection of barracuda fish, even though it’s relatively harmless (which is dangerous if we see barracudas solitary or alone). Reef sharks are also frequently seen, and with luck you can also see the turtles were still eating the sponge, or swim around you. In some places, such as Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo also seen Dugong or sea cow.

Because the area of ??many islands and narrow straits, then most of the dive at any given time has a strong current. It is also possible to do a drift dive, dive, following a strong flow of water is very clear with her through the collection of fish. There is also a sunken aircraft of World War II relics can be found in several places to make diving a great place to wreck dive on the island such as Wai. And much more actual coral reef sites had never been touched. This makes diving in Raja Ampat was more challenging.