Access
Fly to Sorong (SOQ), then a ferry or liveaboard to Waisai / the Dampier Strait or south to Misool. The PIN (entry ticket) is the marine-park fee. Some villages collect additional contributions.
Raja Ampat is an archipelago off the western tip of New Guinea, named for four main islands: Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. It is a global centre of coral-reef biodiversity. Gerry Allen's 2001 Cape Kri survey (374 fish species on one dive) became the public science sentence the liveaboards still quote.
Wow factor is the highest score in this 24-topic atlas. Accessibility is low: a PIN marine-park ticket, a flight to Sorong, and boats that wait on monsoon. Seasonality is high. Risk is moderate: current at Cape Kri and Blue Magic, not wreck-penetration scores.
This chapter is a place atlas, not a certifying agency, not medical advice, and not a live briefing. Village rules, the PIN office and the day's current override any sentence here.
Local notes
Season
A commonly cited window is October-April for the Dampier Strait; Misool and the southeast monsoon rearrange the calendar. Wind and current close Blue Magic more often than a blog admits.
Agencies
Raja Ampat marine park / West Papua authorities, village customary law, Indonesian tourism and conservation offices. PADI/SSI cards do not replace a PIN or a manta-distance brief.
MeaningFour Kings
IslandsFour main islands
Cape Kri countAllen 2001 374 spp.
EntryPIN marine park
Manta sitesManta Sandy / Ridge
Not this pageA live briefing
Profile
Accessibility
26
Skill ceiling
58
Gear load
74
Risk
50
Seasonality
72
Wow factor
99
Seven chapters
Origins
From Four Kings trade to a PIN and a fish-count headline.
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How
PIN first, then a strait, then a manta station.
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Gear
A SMB, a PIN receipt, and sleeves.
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Safety
Current, boats and remote medicine: not a briefing.
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Points
Eight real sites: Cape Kri, Melissa's Garden, mantas and Misool.
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Culture
Villages, PIN offices, and a fish-count folklore.
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Today
PIN enforcement, manta codes, and a wow score that attracts its own crowd.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Raja Ampat mean?
Four Kings, referring to Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool.
What is the PIN?
The official visitor entry ticket / marine-park fee. Boats check it. It is not a dive certification.
What is Cape Kri famous for?
A Dampier Strait site where Gerry Allen recorded 374 fish species on a single 2001 dive, a figure still used as a biodiversity headline.
Manta Sandy vs Blue Magic?
Manta Sandy is a cleaning-station snorkel/scuba with distance rules. Blue Magic is a current-swept seamount / pinnacle, typically advanced scuba.
Is Melissa's Garden a beginner site?
A famous soft-coral garden near Fam, often kinder than a Dampier current point, still a buoyancy exam. Not a standing studio.
Do people need a liveaboard?
Many visitors use liveaboards. Homestays around Arborek and the Dampier Strait also run day boats. Misool is farther.
Birds?
Wilson's bird-of-paradise and karst islets are part of the same trip culture. This page is the water atlas.
Live current forecast?
No.