Raja Ampat

Diving in Raja Ampat: almost everything with a name and reputation

We unfortunately couldn't dive ourselves. Gerret had malaria (more on that later), and I was sick as well. Still, after hearing the other divers talk, we were more than a little jealous.

People kept describing manta rays, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, barracudas, massive schools of fish, and unbelievable coral reefs — all in a single dive. Raja Ampat is famous for a reason.

Even without getting into the water, it's hard not to feel the scale of life here — everyone comes back from the ocean with the same wide-eyed look.

Orcas in Raja Ampat?

We also heard stories that at certain times of the year, orcas can show up in Raja Ampat — sometimes even seen breaching. We can't confirm how regularly that actually happens.

We were there in early September, and locals told us the orcas had been seen more frequently one to two months earlier. Myth or reality, the fact that it's even possible says a lot about how extraordinary this region is.

Switching off and letting time drift

Beyond diving, Raja Ampat is the perfect place to slow down. You can meet new people, go spearfishing, hike, or simply do nothing and let the surroundings sink in.

Looking back, we were glad we weren't there in peak season. Too many people — at the homestays or underwater — would have taken away part of the magic for us.

In the end, Raja Ampat was exactly what we needed: a calm, intense, and almost surreal final chapter to our time in Papua.