Raja Ampat Islands

Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau. Raja Ampat is new regency which separated from Sorong regency at 2004.[1] It encompasses more than 40,000 km² of land and sea, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua (province) of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya. The islands are the most northern pieces of land in the Australian continent.

According to Conservation International, marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on Earth.[2] Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The Coral Triangle is the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat quite possibly the richest coral reef ecosystems in the world.

The area's massive coral colonies along with relatively high sea surface temperatures, also suggest that its reefs may be relatively resistant to threats like coral bleaching and coral disease, which now jeopardize the survival of other coral ecosystems around the world. The Raja Ampat islands are remote and relatively undisturbed by humans.

The high marine diversity in Raja Ampat is strongly influenced by its position between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as coral and fish larvae are more easily shared between the two oceans. Raja Ampat's coral diversity, resilience, and role as a source for larval dispersal make it a global priority for marine protection.

1,309 fish species, 537 coral species (a remarkable 96% of all scleractinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur in these islands), and 699 mollusk species, the variety of marine life is staggering. [3] Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs.

Sebanyak 610 Pulau

Raja Ampat adalah pecahan Kabupaten Sorong, sejak 2003. Kabupaten berpenduduk 31.000 jiwa ini memiliki 610 pulau (hanya 35 pulau yang dihuni) dengan luas wilayah sekitar 46.000 km2, namun hanya 6.000 km2 berupa daratan, 40.000 km2 lagi lautan. Pulau-pulau yang belum terjamah dan lautnya yang masih asri membuat wisatawan langsung terpikat. Mereka seakan ingin menjelajahi seluruh perairan di “Kepala Burung” Pulau Papua.

Wilayah ini sempat menjadi incaran para pemburu ikan karang dengan cara mengebom dan menebar racun sianida. Namun, masih banyak penduduk yang berupaya melindungi kawasan itu sehingga kekayaan lautnya bisa diselamatkan. Terumbu karang di laut Raja Ampat dinilai terlengkap di dunia. Dari 537 jenis karang dunia, 75 persennya berada di perairan ini. Ditemukan pula 1.104 jenis ikan, 669 jenis moluska (hewan lunak), dan 537 jenis hewan karang. Luar biasa.

Bank Dunia bekerja sama dengan lembaga lingkungan global menetapkan Raja Ampat sebagai salah satu wilayah di Indonesia Timur yang mendapat bantuan Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program (Coremap) II, sejak 2005. Di Raja Ampat, program ini mencakup 17 kampung dan melibatkan penduduk lokal. Nelayan juga dilatih membudidayakan ikan kerapu dan rumput laut.

Exotic

Papua Diving, the only exotic resort that offers underwater tours in the region, visited by tourists diving enthusiasts at home for days and even up to a month-ford the contours of the seabed. They seemed to not want to go back to their own countries because they get an "island paradise second to none on this earth."

Managers not easy to prepare a place for tourists. Maximillian J Ammer, a Dutch citizen of Papua Diving Resort owners are also pioneers of marine tourism drive this region, need desperately to set up various facilities to attract tourists from abroad. Since starting his business eight years ago, many of the funds must be spent. However, the results are also satisfactory. Each year the resort is visited at least 600 special tourist who spent an average of two weeks.

Lodging is very simple that only a walled and roofed woven palm leaves that cost at least 75 euros, or Rp 900,000 a night. If you want to dive must pay 30 euros, or approximately USD $ 360,000 once a dive at one particular location. Most tourists come from Europe. Only a few tourists from Indonesia to stay and dive in there.

"Tourists dive nearly every day because the dive sites are very wide and varied. The beauty of coral reefs are varied so much choice and invite curiosity. There are tourists who are aged 80 years is still strong dive, "said Max Ammer which women married to Manado.

Three years ago, Papua Diving build a modern inn not far from the first location. Apparently, the inn was built by relying on local building materials are almost always fully booked. Though the charge reached 225 euros, or about Rp 2.7 million per night. In the new location, equipped with modern appliances, including international telephone and internet facilities.

Tourists to the Raja Ampat Diving just want to Papua on the island because of the facilities and maid Mansuar already an international standard, also the food. They landed at the airport Domne Eduard Osok, Sorong, directly to the location by speed boat with a capacity of about 10 people at a rate of Rp 3.2 million each way. It takes about 3-4 hours to reach Mansuar.

Like the other islands, Mansuar looks beautiful because of its forests are still awake and the seawater was so clean of marine life which is not far from the surface can be clearly seen. Tourists simply swim or snorkel air to see the beauty of the sea, whereas if you want to observe directly beauty of marine life in the depths, they have to dive.

Feeling Safe

Local residents involved in the development and management of the resort, and even 90 of the 100 employees are citizens of Papua. Residents also supplies fish, vegetables, fruits, and others. One of the tour package to visit villages to see the typical local plants and animals, including birds of Paradise. Many tourists who become donors church development and education of children around the Man-flare.

Max Ammer is committed to improving the economy and skills of local residents. They were trained in foreign languages ​​and use scuba gear. Tourists feel safe even in times of day and night while enjoying hot and sunsets as well as swimming and diving in the sea is very deep.

In addition to maritime affairs and fisheries, Raja Ampat has a wealth of natural resources, including oil and nickel. At the bottom of the sea there are also many old sunken ships of World War II, which is estimated to contain "treasure trove" of high value. However, if mismanaged, it is feared exploitation activities threaten the preservation and natural beauty of the sea.