In The Heart of The Coral Triangle
ENIn the waters of Misool, in southern Raja Ampat, there are swarms of shimmering fish and an abundance of multicolored coral... Let me take you on a diving cruise in the heart of the Coral Triangle, in Indonesia.
Heading to Raja Ampat and Misool!
November 2, 2015. I’m aboard the Waow, a magnificent three-masted schooner specially designed for diving cruises. After visiting the Banda Islands and having incredible encounters with hammerhead sharks, we are now approaching the southern part of Raja Ampat, with dives in the waters around Misool Island (Pulau Misool, in Indonesian).
I’ve been to Raja Ampat several times before, but this is my first time sailing to Misool. The name of this island and its location, right in the heart of an area called the “Coral Triangle”, have made me dream for a long time...
Updated February 2018. The Waow, this magnificent liveaboard dive boat which sailed the waters of the Indonesian archipelago and aboard which I waas lucky enough to embark in 2015, no longer exists... 😢 She caught fire and sank in Cenderawasih Bay during the night of January 31 to February 1, 2018.er February 2018. To find out more, I refer you to the post published on Facebook page and on the Waow. A new vessel is planned for 2026 or 2027.
More to read:
➜ All my articles on Raja Ampat
➜ Raja Ampat : Practical Information And Tips To Organize Your Trip
Approaching Misool, we discover a cluster of karst islands, covered with greenery. Typical landscape of Raja Ampat, which reminds a little the bay of Phang Nga in Thailand (Krabi, Koh Phi Phi).
The Coral Triangle, a treasure trove of biodiversity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans
The Coral TriangleThis is the world's richest region for marine biodiversity: the area is home to 76 % of the planet's coral species! This triangle is roughly bounded by the Philippines to the north, Borneo to the west, the Sunda Islands, Timor and Papua to the south, and the Solomon Islands to the east (see map below).
Here, the waters of the Pacific meet those of the Indian Ocean. Right in the middle are the islands of the Indonesian archipelago. Depending on the tides, monsoons, seasons and the influence of El Niño or La Niña, powerful, nutrient-laden currents rush through the straits between all these islands.
The phenomenon is called in English The Indonesian Throughflow (ITF). It's a great mix, a source of life and an underwater profusion absolutely unique in the world! More than 1,400 species of fish and some 600 species of coral have been recorded to date...
I am often asked why I keep going back to Indonesia... For the diver that I am, one of the main reasons is the beauty of the underwater landscapes and the extraordinary richness of the fauna in this famous Coral Triangle! Impossible to get tired of the seas of the Indonesian archipelago!
Diving in Indonesia: my top spots
Underwater, it's even more beautiful
Two days of diving are planned here, south of Misool, before we reach the northern part of the Raja Ampat archipelago for the end of the cruise. I have carefully prepared my box the day before for my underwater pictures. In the heart of the Coral Triangle, Misool has the reputation of having beautiful reefs. I can't wait to see it!
My first pleasant surprise when I went below the surface was that the water was much warmer than on the previous days when we were in the Banda Sea! We went from 24-25° C to 28° C !!! Raaah... Non-divers don't realize it, but scuba diving has nothing to do with simple swimming. Those few degrees make quite a difference when you're submerged for an hour or so (and you're a super-cold person like me).
The rest... It's just fantastic. 😮 I'm almost crying with joy in my mask, it's so beautiful. Everywhere is bursting with life and color. Reefs abound in gorgonians and there's a spectacular mass of fish.
Pictures are better than a long speech. To begin, I give you below a short video sequence, full of life (with glittering fish balls that form and reform in an instant as in Nemo), which sums up the underwater atmosphere of this place, in the heart of the Coral Triangle...
At the Andiamo site, where I made the small sequence above, we even saw a little further, in the blue, a squadron of mobulas rays... (Sigh.)
On the coral side, I've taken a lot of pictures during these two days!
I take photos, switch to video mode, come back to photos and I don't know where to turn... 😲 😮
Coral Reef Splendor
As I explained above, in Raja Ampat, we are right in the heart of the Coral Triangleat the epicenter of marine biodiversity. You don't need to be a marine biologist to verify this. You can see it at first glance, on the sites still preserved from degradation due to human activity.
For the coral and fishes, this translates into an amazing variety and a density as I have rarely seen elsewhere, except maybe in Komodo. I often use the word "profusion" to describe the bottoms of Raja Ampat and that's exactly what it is... I can't get enough of it.
These two days around Misool pass alas too quickly!
I love it when there's such a profusion of coral, with fish everywhere! What little I saw of Misool impressed me quite a bit, I must admit. I'll have to come back... 😈
The more I dive, the more the beauty of the underwater world touches me, moves me. The more I'm sensitive to its fragility, too.. Because this kind of intact reefs, full of health, where life proliferates, are less and less numerous all over the world. I feel privileged to have been able to admire such beautiful ones.
😍
It's a perfect way to start the day, but it also gives you a taste of departure.
Very beautiful landscape!
Eric
@ Eric: I'm rediscovering my images, and in retrospect, I'm hallucinating such a profusion of life... I already feel like going back, yes!
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Beautiful article, and beautiful pictures. Ideal to start the week.
Moreover our countdown has also started, in one month we will be there too 🙂
@Marco: this post is an appetizer, so ... You will enjoy!
🙄
Indah sekali!
On our last trip, I met some people who run homestays in the Misool area, and I'm more and more keen to try this (land) adventure. To be seen...
Countdown also started, third visit to Pulau Kri in 18 days.
b
@Ben: Homestays in Misool? Interesting, that for the budget travelers. Have a nice stay in Kri!
8)
Bravo for the photos, they make you dream. It's so beautiful! It's hard to believe that fishing with explosives hasn't affected the corals here...
Just a quick question, this dive is beyond 18 meters? If yes, how much?
Jeans
@Jean: no, no life-destroying explosives around here. Part of the area is protected.
The pictures above are a compilation of several dives around Misool and were taken between 6 and 30 meters... But I am quite unable to say at which depth this or that gorgonian was precisely... 🙄
As everywhere else, you dive as deep as you're capable of going, bearing in mind that the underwater floor doesn't stop at 18 meters... In principle, organizers adapt outings to divers' levels and won't take Level 1 or Open Water divers beyond 18 meters... 🙄 In general, in areas so far from any rescue, for safety's sake, stick to recreational diving, preferably without deco. So it's rare for tourist diving parties to go beyond 40 meters. Most dives start in the 20-30 metre zone, at their deepest, and gradually ascend as time goes by.
But in these waters, it's not so much the depth that can pose a problem (and there's plenty to see at all depths), as the currents, which you need to know how to manage, whether you're at 12, 18 or 26 meters....
@Corinne: your photos are as beautiful as ever! We didn't have the same temperatures in the far north! 😆
Well, it's true, I never tire of seeing your underwater photos, and those gorgeous corals. Let's hope we can keep them for a long time! Let's preserve the ocean floor, and nature in general! Bravo à toi! 🙄
@Didier: THANK YOU!!! Yes, me too, every time I "rediscover" my photos while preparing a post, I tell myself how lucky I was to have been able to contemplate all these wonders, while hoping that these underwater depths will still be as beautiful in 15-20 years and beyond....
Waow: this cruise is aptly named.
These magnificent images you show us make us want to immerse ourselves in them.
I'm going to Mimpi Indah in March, but I'm already thinking afterwards when I see these cruising images.
Thank you for making us dream at first, and for making those dreams come true later 😉
I'm looking forward to the next comments with these photographic wonders.
Eric S
@ Eric S: thank you for this small comment very nice ... The Mimpi Indah in Bangka, North Sulawesi, is a good base to turn the dream into reality! And already dream of the following trips ... Have a nice stay !!!
8)
It's true, the photos are magnificent. Personally, I'm in the Caribbean... I'm actually "living" some of the comments, the brilliance of the colors, the majesty of the balistes and royal angels, the swarms of blue castagnoles... a turtle even honored us with its presence...it's a pity my camera failed me and that my camera had problems... so I fell back on a Mobo... the Mexican go pro... but what I've just read confirms me... I'm going to go diving in Indonesia...
@ Stéphane: if you have the opportunity to discover the Indonesian seabed, don't hesitate... There are plenty of exceptional sites in the archipelago, enough to feast your eyes on!
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That's enough ... very beautiful underwater photos!
@LadyMilonguera: thank you !!! The beauty of the funds is really spectacular in the corner ...
Waouhh sublime, I'm absolutely mad about gorgonians and soft corals. I will be at Raja Ampat in a short time, and although I do not dive, I feel that I will take full eyes in snorkeling 8). Thank you for these photos and videos.
@Catherine: I too love giant gorgonians and soft corals in profusion... Even in snorkeling, there is enough to be impressed, in Raja Ampat... Enjoy your stay !!! 🙂
Hello and thank you Corinne for your blog and the time you spend there.
This will be a great help for my itinerary in November.
Continue like that bravo.
@Samir: and thank you for taking the time to leave this very nice note! I'm delighted that my Petites Bulles d'Ailleurs inspired you...