Raja Ampat

Clarity Raja Ampat: The beauty of Raja Ampat Island Images above, is part of an article about Papua Raja Ampat Islands - Paradise in Indonesia, which is categorized in the category of Raja Ampat. Article Summary: Raja Ampat Islands is a place that has the potential to serve as a tourist attraction, especially diving tour. Raja Ampat Islands waters according to various sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it may also be recognized as number one for the completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time. The origins and history The origin of the name of Raja Ampat by local myth comes from a woman who found seven eggs. Four grains of which hatch into four princes who separated and each became king ruling in Waigeo, Salawati, Misool Misool East and West. Meanwhile, three other eggs became a ghost, a woman, and a stone. In the course of history, the Raja Ampat region has long been inhabited by the nobility and apply the customary system of Maluku. In this system, skumpulan human society. Each village is led by a king. Since its founding five Muslim sultanate in the Moluccas, Raja Ampat became part of the Sultanate of Tidore claims. After the defeat of the Dutch Empire Tidore, Raja Ampat Islands became part of the Dutch East Indies claim. Natural resources Raja Ampat Islands is a place that has the potential to serve as a tourist attraction, especially diving tour. Raja Ampat Islands waters according to various sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it may also be recognized as number one for the completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time. Dr. John Veron, coral experienced experts from Australia, for example, in a site it is revealed, the Raja Ampat Islands are located in the most western tip of New Guinea, about 50 miles northwest of Sorong, has the best reef areas in Indonesia. Approximately 450 species of coral had been identified during the two weeks of research in that area. A team of experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Institute of Oceanography (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) have done a quick assessment in 2001 and 2002. As a result, they are noted in these waters there are more than 540 types of hard coral (75% of the total species in the world), more than 1,000 species of reef fish, 700 species of mollusks, and the highest record for gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. It makes 75% of the world's coral species in Raja Ampat is located. None of the places with the same area has a number of coral species as much as this. There are several areas of coral reefs are still very good condition with the percentage of live coral cover by 90%, namely in the Dampier Strait (the strait between P. and P. Waigeo Batanta), Kofiau islands, archipelagic South East Misool and Wayag Islands. Types of coral reefs in Raja Ampat is generally fringing reef with gentle slope to steep contour. But it was also found atoll type and type of scorched or taka. In some places, such as village Saondarek, when the lowest tides, coral reefs can be seen without a dive and with his own adaptation, corals can still be alive despite being in the open air and direct sunlight. Unique species that can be encountered when diving is some kind of dwarf seahorses, wobbegong, and Manta rays. There are also endemic fish Raja Ampat, namely Eviota king, which is a kind of fish gobbie. At Manta Point which is located in the Dampier Strait Arborek, you can dive in the company of some tail Manta Ray is benign like when you dive in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If diving in Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be surrounded by r ibuan fish. Sometimes a collection of tuna, giant trevallies and snappers. But stressful if we are surrounded by a collection of barracuda fish, even though it is relatively harmless (which is dangerous if we see barracudas solitary or alone). Reef sharks are also frequently seen, and if you are lucky you can also see turtles were quietly eating sponge or swim around you. In some places, such as Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo also seen Dugong or sea cow. Because the area is many islands and narrow straits, then most of the dive at any given time has a strong current. It is also possible to do a drift dive, dive while following the strong currents with very clear water while breaking through a collection of fish