Diving in Raja Ampat

Boo Island

From the surface there are 2 rocks separated by a short stretch of water, beneath which there is a wealth of Raja Ampat marine life waiting to be explored. The first thing you'll notice as you deflate your BCD and descend onto this vibrant reef, is a large swim through in shallow water which several divers can penetrate at the same time. This is usually done at the end of the dive and there is much to see before doing so.

Firstly you will work your way along a wall which features much of what makes Raja Ampat special. Gorgonians, barrel sponges, dendronephtya soft corals and various forms of acropora all compete for space of this colourful seascape. Be sure to inspect the sea whips here as you may be able to spot small commensal shrimps attached to them, camouflaged in an identical green to that of their hosts.

Along the wall, and elsewhere on this site are a huge variety of nudibranchs including Chromodoris willani, Phyllidia elegans and Phyllidia nigra. The wall morphs into a sloping reef before giving way to a reef shelf, as you cruise around over topography that seems to change every few minutes.

What does not change is the variety of marine creatures that can come into view with schools of unicornfish, surgeonfish and blue dash fusiliers swarming around you in large numbers. Also look out for less common reef inhabitants such as octopus lurking in many of the fissures of the reef, their knowing eyes watching you more than you are watching them. Banded sea kraits are also not uncommon, probing around the reef as they hunt for food.

Green turtles can also be seen resting and apparently admiring the view as vivid blue and yellow angelfish (Centropyge bicolour), titan trigger fish, oriental sweetlips and several species of butterflyfish fill the water. There are also some enormous Platax teira batfish that are resident here in this overpopulated and memorable Raja Ampat dive spot.

Boo Island Reef Basics: Wall and Shallow Reef Dive
Depth: 5 - 30m
Visibility: 5 - 25m
Currents: None to Moderate
Surface conditions: Calm
Water temperature: 26 - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner - intermediate
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: All year round
Distance: ~140 km (11 hours) southwest of Sorong
Access: Raja Ampat liveaboards

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