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Wild West Papua By: Annabella Biziou

I

magine a pristine reef soaked in an impossible spectrum of colours and submerged in glowing jade waters. Drifting anemones, pulsating soft coral, whimsical fans as delicate as lace, a maze of jagged staghorn sheltering clouds of fusiliers, trails of silver jackfish and ribbons of barracuda. Add to that deep channels, churning currents, great walls and dizzying drop offs, and you might begin to make sense of the underwater landscape of the Raja Ampat islands.

Located off the coast of West Papua in Indonesia’s eastern reaches, Raja Ampat is an undeniably remote archipelago. Its name translates as Four Kings – in reference to those that once ruled here – and Raja Ampat is made up of four main islands surrounded by a smattering of around 1,500 tiny islets among acres upon acres of thriving coral reef. While the region’s limestone cliffs, dense jungles and hidden beaches are certainly striking, for divers, snorkelers and underwater aficionados, it is nothing short of mecca.

And this is what Dutch adventurer Max Ammer found when he came in search of abandoned World War II military hardware back in 1990: a marine ecosystem that would later be heralded by scientists as the most biodiverse on earth. Entranced by the region and its enigmatic waters,

Ammer established Papua Diving, a pair of eco-friendly dive resorts located within walking distance of one another on the tropical island of Kri, not far from one of the four large islands, Waigeo. While Kri may once have been an untouched idyll, many of its white sand beaches have since been occupied by locally run homestays, but the island retains a good dose of charm and ample beauty.

Of Papua Diving’s two resorts, Sorido Bay is one of the more sumptuous accommodations in Raja Ampat, with seven beachfront bungalows featuring little luxuries such as air-conditioning and minibars that are few and far between in this corner of the world. Kri Eco Resort is the simpler of the two, consisting of thirteen romantic open-air overwater cottages, though it arguably scoops the more picturesque location, set on a long stretch of white sand backed by emerald jungle. Both properties are naturally hinged on diving, with around thirty world-class dive sights within easy reach, including Sardine Reef with strong currents resulting in huge schools of fish, Blue Magic with life ranging from the bizarre Wobbegong shark down to the tiny mottled red pygmy seahorse, and Manta Sandy for its congregation of swooping manta rays. Each resort comes fully equipped with a dive centre and knowledgeable guides, not least Otto Awom, who I’m told is the first Papuan dive master to operate 89

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in Raja Ampat.

There’s no better way to experience the area than by sleeping on the doorstep of Cape Kri, pinned as one of the most spectacular dive sites in the world for its astonishing diversity of life. When Australian scientist Dr. Gerry Allen visited Cape Kri in the company of Ammer, he recorded 374 different reef fish species on a single dive.

And since Allen’s visit, Papua Diving has hosted more than its fair share of scientists and marine biologists. What’s more, to encourage awareness of Raja Ampat’s profuse marine life, Ammer is in the throes of building a dedicated space to host professionals on assignment. With waters that hold ten times the number of coral species than that of the Caribbean, and new species discovered with alarming frequency, it’s no surprise Raja Ampat is capturing the imagination of scientists and dive enthusiasts alike.

This is not your typical island retreat.

Harmless monitor lizards patrol Kri’s shores, and dinnertime entertainment at the resorts includes enticing huge fruit bats from the trees and feeding the resident cuscus – a furry marsupial - with sliced banana. You won’t find pampered afternoons in the spa or silver service, but for those seeking an earthly connection, the call of West Papua’s endemic bird species, the temperamental skies that bloom with 90

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cobalt clouds promising torrential rain, and the unpredictable, seductive seas are unparalleled.

“It’s nature on steroids,” breathes my companion more than once as we idle between land and water, hunting for shells and elusive coconut crabs in the caves at low tide.

Between dives, we explore inland. An excursion to the nearby island of Gam in search of the rare bird of paradise proves unsuccessful, though an afternoon spent steeped in the steamy jungle listening to the diverse birdsong is enchanting in itself, and we stop off in a local fishing village where children run amok in the swept streets among brightly painted houses. The few people that do call these remote isles home are an eclectic combination of Melanesian, Aboriginal and Malaysian, having arrived centuries ago by dugout canoe in search of new land.

Around an hour’s speedboat ride away from Kri lies The Passage, a spectacular formation of limestone cliffs footed with mangroves, and Hidden Bay, where mushroom-shaped islets give way to mirror still waters harboring swathes of stingless jellyfish. This is prime kayaking territory, and Papua Diving is the base for Kayak4Conservation, an initiative created to support the local community. By educating local kayak guides and partnering with guesthouse owners, Kayak4Conservation bridges the gap between tourism and indigenous communities with state of the art fiberglass kayaks molded from South African designs and built by locals.

Kayaks aside, Papua Diving offers a slick operation for eco-conscious divers in spectacular surrounds, while non-divers can be well catered for on one of the many private yachts that ply the region. This sublime tropical wilderness

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may be far flung, but its butter soft beaches tapering off to technicolor coral reefs and traditional communities dotted amid soaring jungle-clad cliffs are like nowhere else on earth.

Sorido Bay and Kri Eco Resort (www.papua-diving. com) cost from $3200 / $1780 respectively per person per week based on 2 guests sharing a cottage including full board accommodation and unlimited diving. Both resorts are accessed via speedboat from Sorong, which is serviced with internal flights from Jakarta in Java, Manado or Makassar in Sulawesi.

Ultimate Indonesian Yachts (www.ultimate-indonesianyachts.com) offers private charter yachts throughout Raja Ampat.

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