Page 107 - Diving Indonesia 21 November 2019

The Dampier Strait
MISooL

it sits almost directly in the middle of cliffs plunge into the sea. Ultramarine blue
the Dampier Strait, one regularly spots lagoons are nestled next to monumental
hunting Spanish mackerel, or cruising pinnacles and untouched beaches. There
white tip and black tip reef sharks. As are many places that claim to be this
you spend the latter half of the dive beautiful, but this is the genuine article.
in the shallows, be on the lookout for Located about 1.5 hour boat ride from
wobbegong and epaulette sharks, turtles Kri Island, Fam Island has some of the
and banded sea snakes. most beautiful coral gardens and walls
in Raja Ampat, combined with stunning
If you have the option of making a trip to viewpoints on land. A fantastic place to
the Fam Islands, these islands are the very visit – both above and below.
definition of paradise. White limestone

Snorkeling and Freediving Highlights
isool Island is a remote, leading out to the stunningly turquoise
tropical hideaway, one waters. Aside from the enchanting
Mof four largest islands in panoramic scenery and wealth of marine
This is tropical snorkeling at its best. The passage is an absolute must for the Raja Ampat archipelago, and life, Misool is also home to ancient
Manta rays are easily spotted by both snorkelers and freedivers who world renowned dive destination cultural sites. A number of petroglyphs
snorkelers and freedivers at Manta Sandy will experience seeing tropical reef life can be found on walls of caves throughout
where there is a shallow cleaning station. combined with a topside view of lush, in the province of West Papua. the island, dating back approximately
The reefs located in the Dampier Strait dense jungle. This is one of the most Located off the west coast of the 5,000 years.
are both colorful and productive – you’ll unique places on Earth to snorkel. main island of Papua, directly
be astonished time and time again byt the bordering the Seram Sea, the waters Due to the remote location of Misool, it
number of fish you see in every snorkeling Take a trip to the Fam islands while you are a veritable traffic lane for many is almost exclusively dived by liveaboard,
session. are visiting the Dampier Strait and see large sea creatures, including with the exception being those staying
the world famous limestone mushroom whales. at the few land based options including
Freedivers have plenty of options in islands, snorkel in aquamarine lagoons Misool Eco resort. Liveaboards operating
the Dampier Strait too with many reefs and climb to the top of the viewing point in the Misool region often combine their
providing ideal conditions for those for one of the most rewarding (and iconic) On land, the wild territory of Misool is itineraries with either the Dampier Strait
planning to make longer or deeper dives. views of Raja Ampat. one of the most visually breath-taking or the Banda Sea.
and captivating sites in Raja Ampat. The
island is heavily forested, and at first sight The nearest airport is Sorong which is
reveals nothing but a thick green carpet of serviced domestically by flights from
dense forests and mangrove swamps. To Jakarta, Makassar, Surabaya, Manado
the east and west of the island, a maze of and Ambon. From Sorong, private
limestone pinnacles jut sharply out of the speedboats are used to transfer you to
blue sea, carved and eroded by the waves your resort. The speed boat trip from
and carpeted luxuriantly in vegetation. Sorong to Misool takes 4 – 5 hours but
the time passes quickly as you journey
The rare beaches on Misool are pure through some of the most mesmerizing
white sand, fringed with coconut trees seascapes you’ll ever see.

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