Scuba Diving in West Papua
(province) or Irian Jaya

West Papua (Indonesian: Papua Barat; formerly West Irian Jaya or Irian Jaya Barat) with population around 800,000, is the least populous province of Indonesia on the western end of the island of New Guinea. It covers the Bird's Head (or Doberai) Peninsula and surrounding islands.

It is a tropical island with primeval rain forests, powerful rivers, beautiful beaches, lakes, and mountains. The highest mountain is Mount Jayawijaya, with snowcaps covering its 5,000-meter-high peaks. The area is also rich in natural resources, including fish, timber, and precious metals. These, however ever, have become a source of conflict between the central government and local peoples.

West Papua is a hot, humid island rising from the sea with some of the most impenetrable jungles in the world and yet also has snowcaps covering 5,000meter - High Mountain peaks, towering over glacier lakes. West Papua is Indonesia's largest and easternmost province and covers the western half of the world's second largest island. It is a land of exceptional natural grandeur, with beautiful scenic beaches, immense stretches of marshlands, cool grassy meadows and powerful rivers carving gorges and tunnels through dark and dense primeval forests. The most heavily populated and cultivated parts of the island are the Paniai Lakes district and the Baliem Valley to the east.

Several of the larger islands off the coast of West Papua also have Marine Reserves. Below are the best scuba dive sites you can explore;

RAJA AMPAT - This is the final frontier, at the eastern end of Indonesia. Raja Ampat offers amazing diving and the most stunning topside scenery of any dive destination on Earth. This is where Dr. Gerald Allen counted 273 fish species on a single dive. If you’re looking for unusual sea life like the elusive wobbegong shark, or looking for Birds of Paradise, then a Grand Komodo liveaboard cruise here is for you. Water temperature: 24 – 29 C. Visibility: 10 – 30 M (seasonal). Year-round diving.

MISOOL - Untouched environments, completely in their natural states. Fish populations and coral are healthy, with an enormous variety of species. Many rare and exotic critters. Local villagers are culturally interesting and friendly.

TRITON BAY - Is still pretty much in the middle of nowhere, far away from the crowd. There are innumerable small islands in the bay. Spectacular scenery over the mainland features rock art cliffs. This area enjoys an unexcelled fish Biomass. Soft coral gardens cover the ridges. Hard coral growth also shows excellent health. This area has both pelagics and critters, with the diving ranging from very good to outstanding.

MAPIA - A tiny island right on the equator, between West Papua and Palau. Come here for nudibranchs galore beneath huge schools of fish. You’ll see snappers, trevally, big groupers, barracudas, gray sharks, pink leaf scorpion fish, rainbow runners, jacks, tunas, huge Napoleon wrasses, and even huger bumphead parrotfish by the hundreds. Dive sites include Bumphead City, Schooling Point, Mapia Boulevard, and Bumphead City — and they came by their names for good reason.

MANOKWARI - Come to Manokwari for amazing WWII wreck diving, including P-40 (a Curtiss Tomahawk fighter), Cross Wreck, and the Japanese freighter Shinwa Maru, plus the usual amazing wildlife, including healthy and profuse hard and soft corals. Dive profiles extend down to the 30 meter range.

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