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The Crown Jewel of Indonesia | Raja Ampat | West Papua



The Crown Jewel of Indonesia | Raja Ampat | West Papua

Widely regarded as one of the richest marine ecosystems on our planet, a place filled with color and life. Located at the center of the coral triangle, it is the beating heart of marine biodiversity and one of the last true paradises on earth. Join me to day as we sail from the vibrant reefs in central Raja ampat all the way to the legendary limestone pinnacles of Wayag. This is Raja Ampat. Our journey to Wayag begins here in the dampier strait. At the mouth of the strait lies a small island called Mioskon, which means bat in the local tongue. A large colony of fruit bats call this island home, a wild living preview of what awaits us in central Raja Ampat Welcome to another episode. I am here in Raja Ampat, back again on this boat Jakare. These beautiful boats are hand crafted in south Sulawasi, and if you want to find out more about how they are made, check the video link in my description. And for this trip I have a new camera. This is the Sony A7Siii a purpose built video machine. And I cannot wait to put it to the test And this is the Dampier Strait We’re going to do our first dive here very soon. And of course I’m back on board with my old friend Alex, who’s been diving these waters for the last 15 years. where we’re going to blue magic. Blue magic it’s one of the highlights, in the Dampier Strait. The dampier strait sits at the very heart of central Raja ampat, and we are about to explore some of its most iconic dive sites. The anticipation on the boat is building as we are about to go diving in one of the world’s best diving locations. As the name suggests, the endless deep blue surrounds an explosion of marine life. This is blue magic Next up is Cape Kri. A dive site that made history here a scientist once counted the highest number of fish species ever recorded on a single dive over 500 One of the stars of Cape Kri is the massive school of ribbon sweet lips, always hovering in the same spot a photographer’s dream. We move to Sawandarek, a sheltered bay where marine life clings to every rock and coral. It’s unbelievable how alive the reef is right beside this village. I’ve traveled a lot in Indonesia and a lot of the places as soon as you’re near any kind of settlement, there’s no more fish anymore. But here here’s different. Imagine living here. It’s quite hard to believe actually that people are living in Such remote area of Indonesia. Are they just living normal lives, Everyone’s got a normal house. Whats this place called?
Sawandarek! Bye-bye. Well, that was day one of this trip starting here in one of the most biodiverse places in the planet. This is Raja ampat. There are two other sites where we could get some manta and they love to come around and play and um Yeah, that’s a good start of the day. Across the strait, vast sandbanks lie hidden beneath the surface, cleaning stations for giant mantarays. We wake up early, full of hope and anticipation fingers crossed that we see them to day. And soon enough they appear, the largest of all rays, the majestic manta. And then more follow, not two, not three, but five giant manta reys, flying in formation. Around every corner in Raja ampat, there’s something new. These are the mangrove forests of Batanta island, nurseries for young marine life. Among the mangrove roots we find the rare, Orbiculate Cardinal fish This is also home to the walking shark, a small rare species that’s only found here in Raja ampat. And just off shore in the sea grass beds, if you’re lucky, the elusive dugong. The gentle sea cow can be found grazing quietly Between the islands of Gam and Waigeo lies the passage. A fast flowing river of sea water. There are tales of crocodiles here, but we took the risk. And our reward was these wonderful colorful corals. The colors here are some of the most vivid I have ever seen. Incredible hues of pinks, purples, and oranges. Diving here is tricky, the timing has to be perfect, otherwise it becomes a violent washing machine, as we quickly found out. Further to the west of the dampier strait lies the fam archipelago. And it is here that you will find piaynemo, which is often called the mini wayag, a smaller, more accessible version of the iconic northern islands, though nowhere near as grand And this is the nearby island of Rufus, which offers something very different a hidden lagoon and a simple homestay tucked away from the world. But the real gem here is Melissa’s garden, one of the finest hard coral reefs in Indonesia. Here you will find some of the most magnificent table corals I have ever seen, along with endless fields of pristine staghorn corals. The whole reef is alive with reef fish of every shape and color Melissa’s garden is a living showcase of what a healthy coral reef should look like. Before heading north, we make a quick stop at Arborek Island, a perfect place to rest, resupply, and enjoy island life for a moment. So where are we going tonight? Tonight, then we go out from the Dampier straight and we are heading to a place which is called Woufo And now we go on a night dive. At night, Raja Ampat transforms into an alien world. This iridescent squid flashes rainbow colors in the dark. A wobbegong shark, a master of disguise, hides in plain view on the sandy bottom. A flamboyant cuttle fish stalks its prey, its brilliant colors pulsing with every move. I’m not sure exactly why it’s called a flamboyant cuttlefish. It could be the colors or it could just be the way it walks. There are lots of different types of nudi brancs to be found here in Raja Ampat, especially at night. I have no idea what this one’s called. This nudi branc is wearing a strange costume looks like a wig. This is a decorator crab, disguised under its cloak of seaweed. It’s barely recognizable as a crab only a keen eye can determine this. Every night dive is a reminder that Raja Ampat never runs out of surprises. As dawn breaks, we are in the north in Aljui bay, a sprawling network of white cliffs and passageways, hiding some of the best macro diving in Raja Ampat Immediately upon entering the water, I spot a giant reef cuttlefish, expertly camouflaged against the reef. Cuttle fish are some of the strangest animals in our oceans. They are similar to an octopus. But similar to a squid, and they have this jet proportion system. Then a very rare sight, a blue ringed octopus. These are one of the most venomous animals on earth, tiny, beautiful, but deadly If you happen to get bitten by one of these octopus, there is no antidote. There is no second chance. It’s certain death within five minutes. Almost every type of nudi branc and sea slug in existence can be found here in Raja ampat. They come in every color of the rainbow. Here is a picturesque dragonette, extremely rare, highly sought after by aquarium enthusiasts. And this, the king of all dragonnettes, the mandarin fish, known as the most colorful fish in the sea. In every crevice, in every corner of the reef, if you look hard enough, an animal has found a home. Raja Ampat has rightly earned its title as one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Good morning. It is a gloomy, rainy morning, beautiful nonetheless, here in North Raja Ampat. and this is one of the premier dive sites here in the the north. Not many people come here because it’s so far away from anything, only if you’re going to visit Wayag. would you ever come here on a Livaboard… This is Aljui over there. Aljui Bay, the north of Waigeo Over there we’ve got Kawe. And over there it’s eagle rock. It’s kind of a slope, with big boulders. It’s covered with soft coral… Black coral bushes and sea fans and lots of fish around it. Well, it absolutely pissing it down with rain… We’re gonna get wet today, yes. One of my best, dive sites. One of the best dive sites in the north. Eagle rock is a huge dive site made up of underwater boulders, buried under layers of hard and soft corals. Here you can glide over and around a variety of textures, some resembling carpets or sponges. All while harboring a massive amount of marine life. Other areas are unique, like this one, which looks like a garden of cauliflower. Underneath the boulders is a maze of different swim throughs, all with overhanging soft coral bushes. It’s quite spectacular. The crevices in the rocks offer hiding places for all kinds of creatures like this giant moray eel. Or this baby white tip shark I also found this blue spotted Stingray resting quietly. Eagle Rock is one of the premier dive sites here in Raja Ampat’s northern reaches. This dive site over there, is black rock. It’s quite a huge dive site, actually. very, very famous dive site here in North Raja Ampat, very seldom visited. As you can see, there’s no boats here whatsoever. And we jump in general into the northern side, we as a mini wall, covered of soft corals. And we finish at the end of the rock whereas there’s another boulder on the back, a kind of a pinnacle, where sometimes The Manta, the oceanic Manta, come to get cleaned around that. That’s a gorgeous dive site! We couldn’t believe our luck, jumping right on top of three oceanic mantas at the cleaning station. This is our second encounter with these massive and graceful animals on this trip. Hiding under a nearby rock, we stumble upon a rare type of shark, a tawny nurse shark, the first I’ve ever seen. So behind me is the island of Wayag, where this is the most iconic place in the whole of Raja Ampat. This is the picture postcard view of this entire Archipelago. It’s really gonna be one of the highlights of this whole trip. Wayag is one of the most uniquely stunning places on earth, and we waste no time in exploring the lagoon. It’s filled with incredible limestone spires. rising from these turquoise waters. Well guys, you don’t get as remote as this. We are in one of the most remote corners of Indonesia. On the very northernmost point of Raja Ampat, it is absolutely wild here. There’s no people. There’s only our footprints. And there are very few places In the world, quite like this place Is wild It has no people no villages Perfect white sand beaches, Karst limestone cliffs, all of the hues of green and turquoise that you could even imagine. And he’s here in Indonesia I’m Seriously blown away by this place I think it might just be My new favorite place in the world. I could just imagine camping on this beach for weeks. Just enjoying This serenity Wayag is far from civilization, no phone signal, no Internet, a place where you can do nothing but explore its magical surroundings. On one of the beaches here is a ranger station, the guardians of this paradise. The beach is a nursery for baby black tipped reef sharks. Have you ever experienced a place quite like this?

Join me as we sail through the heart of the Coral Triangle — from the vibrant reefs of the Dampier Strait to the remote wilds of Wayag. This episode continues the journey across Raja Ampat, following our expedition north from the mystical lagoons of Misool.

In this cinematic dive adventure, we explore iconic sites like Cape Kri, Blue Magic, Melissa’s Garden, and Manta Sandy, where strong currents bring life to the reefs and manta rays glide overhead. In North Raja Ampat, we venture to Kawe and Wayag — lands of jagged limestone islands, swirling shark nurseries, and breathtaking viewpoints.

From underwater encounters with schooling fish and oceanic manta rays to drone shots of untouched atolls, this journey reveals the beauty and fragility of one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.

Highlights include:
– Diving with mantas at Manta Sandy
– Sharks, turtles, and reef fish in Gam & Kri
– Remote anchorages at Kawe and Wayag
– Life aboard a traditional Phinisi sailing ship

Shot across multiple expeditions with drone and underwater cameras, this is a personal journey through one of Earth’s final frontiers.

If you love diving, nature, and adventure — hit subscribe and join the journey.

Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sam_indowild

Checkout my video of how the wonderful handcrafted Phinisi boats are built by the Bugis tribe in Bira, Sulawesi. https://youtu.be/A8jrpHxvXxU

#RajaAmpat #DivingIndonesia #ScubaAdventure #UnderwaterCinematography #Wayag #CapeKri #MantaRay #PhinisiSailing #CoralTriangle #MarineBiodiversity

40 Comments

  5. @hellogoodbyestaysavage6283

    Sudalah bang, merdeka sendiri aja. Papua mampu bang. Ikut Jawa ntar KTP elu dipake pinjol sama donal trump 🤭
    Gua aja udah muak liat kebodohan penguasa, korupsi dimana mana dari atas sampek bawah. Aset negara dijual demi pengusaha besar ekspor impor 😅
    Lu liat sendiri bang, Raja Ampat aja mau dijadikan daerah tambang 😢
    Sebelum terlambat, gaskenlah merdeka sendiri ajalah 💪🏼

  8. @alfa0mega74

    it was amazing. the only thing that can beat seeing a clown fish is probably a real dragon for me 😀

  9. @sx_ca

    dive view aren't as good as Komodo， and per diving cost are more expensive.

  10. @anro11087

    Hopefully Raja Ampat remains a hidden gem and will be spared forever from mass tourims. I saw in Maldives how this affects the ecosystem where careless tourists walk on the coral canopy, break off the corals with their fins, touch and collect everything and 20 speedboats chase manta rays to drop of 200 tourists in life jackets. Seeing you diving with your arms crossed I know you are a professional who is aware of the responsibility. Your videos are absolutely amazing! Kind regards from Austria 🇦🇹

  16. @olimoz

    Fabulous, didn't know Wayag existed. Can't wait to see the next episode in Halmahera!

  20. @roryasrorri701

    It doesn't look real, Sam. It doesn't. It's too pretty. Looks like another planet down there 😮 Thank you for taking us along!

  22. @janeetaayunisty

    Amazing video, thank you for showing the beauty of Indonesia, proud to be Indonesian, always waiting for the next video and always like your videos.

  23. @13AMER

    Guys, if you read this, please consider to subscribe, like and drop a comment for this channel. Sam deserves much more attention to his channel, help him beat the algorithm. Chef kiss for the story telling Sam!

  24. @duniagowes

    Thank you very much from Indonesian for bringing up this. I'm already addicted to your videos.

  28. @konjocruisingindonesia1053

    Another epic adventure with you, dear Sam!
    Reaching Wayag is something no one can stay indifferent to — it's hands down the most breathtaking and remote place I’ve seen in all my expeditions across Indonesia. Our next expedition to Wayag aboard Jakare is set for April 2026 — only 4 spots left!
    And let’s not compare Misool and Wayag… they’re both must-sees, each in their own magical way.
    If you enjoyed this, please like, share, and support Sam’s channel however you can. He’s been working incredibly hard to bring us such stunning footage!

  29. @AlimAbout

    MEGAH !!!!
    kamera baru, HD banget ….
    ayo ramaikan video yang sangat mahal ini
    another great video from Sam
    LUAR BIASA…….

  30. @ferdinanddharma331

    Hands down. Your videos more and more improve and makes me impressed. Like watching the best quality of national geographic movie. I already watched your video since two or three years ago.
    Be safe mate and always take care of your health. GOD bless you with all the best wishes

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