Text: Andreea Lotak; Photographs: Justin & Andreea Lotak • 10 min read

There aren’t many places left on Earth with ecosystems as healthy as those in the Raja Ampat Marine Park. There are over 1,700 species of fish here — with a few dozens of them found nowhere else — swimming among what represents 76% of the world’s coral diversity. The park’s crystal waters protect an area stretching across 35,000 sq km (13,500 sq mi), where large gatherings of manta rays, sharks, whales, mollusks, fish and other aquatic organisms are attracted by the rich nutrients brought by strong oceanic currents. Among all this natural beauty there are roughly 50,000 residents living in villages, settlements and the small town of Waisai, surrounded by limestone cliffs shooting from the turquoise waters and by dense forests where the loud birdsong creates a perfect musical background for a tropical paradise.

The Coral Triangle is located at the confluence of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, spread across the waters and coastlines of six countries: Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. Raja Ampat Marine Park sits almost in the middle of this region and is one of the best protected areas within the Coral Triangle. Now a true paradise for scuba divers and snorkelers, Raja Ampat has experienced its share of destruction from modernization and industrial development up until recently. Luckily, in the past decade and a half, international and local coalitions have been working on protecting this breathtaking place, and its biodiversity has improved significantly. Despite the rough times of cyanide fish collecting, dynamite fishing, wildlife poaching, and mining, Raja Ampat remains an underwater marvel. Above the water its beauty is equally as mesmerizing and the local cultures are just as fascinating. Nowadays the park still struggles with population growth, unregulated tourism and some plastic pollution (relatively small compared to other coastal parts of Indonesia or the world, but growing), however restrictions and control have improved significantly. Responsible tourism has played an important part in bringing more sustainable alternatives for locals to make a living, especially with the involvement of many of the scuba diving resorts which made a commitment to invest in the protection of the marine park. More recently, a project called Stay Raja Ampat has gathered under one online “roof”; guesthouses and homestays in the archipelago that subscribe to certain sustainable practices are giving visitors a way to interact directly with locals and to be sure that their tourism money offers real opportunities to residents.

If you’re planning to visit Raja Ampat you can read our online guide about four conservation areas in Indonesia, including this amazing marine park. Also, this resource is a good starting point to find out more about conservation in the region and about what organizations are working to protect its biodiversity and the seascape as a whole. And if you’d like to learn more about the Raja Ampat Research & Conservation Centre (RARCC) and support them, you can head here.