Raja Ampat Diving

Gamfi Damu Island

The currents can be strong around Gamfi Island but it is always good news since it brings nutrients to the reef and you will see the soft corals at their best. Most are at full extension, ready to trap and eat any free floating food, such as minute brine shrimp.

It is common to spot a marauding legion of bumphead parrotfish here, crunching hard corals with their impressive teeth. In the same shallow water, green turtles are often seen while eating or swimming to the surface to get a breath of fresh air. Trying to keep your eye on a swimming turtle is quite a challenge here since the water at this Raja Ampat dive site is so thick with fish.

All around the reef are schools of jacks, giant trevallies and yellow-tail barracuda. They are voracious predators and hunt using a classic example of lie-in-wait or ambush so it is easy for divers to to come close and get a good shot of these formidable hunters.

Sea snakes and octopus (Octopus vulgaris) can be spotted inside the crevices in bommies but be careful because the extremely venomous greater blue-ringed octopus has been seen in this area.

If you are a macro lover you will be pleased by the variety of nudibranchs that can be found here. Gamfi Damu Island is another one of those dive sites that showcase the best of Raja Ampat: healthy reefs, lots of fish life and more macro than you know what to do with.

Gamfi Damu Island Reef Basics:Wall dive
Depth: 5 - 30m
Visibility: 20 - 30m
Currents: Moderate to strong
Surface conditions: Can be choppy
Water temperature: 27 - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: All year round
Distance: ~200 km (14 hours) west southwest of Sorong
Access: Raja Ampat liveaboards

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