Irian Jaya Diving

Yangelo Island

Yangelo Island faces directly across from Gam Island and has beautiful and very healthy coral coverage. Yangelo Reef is situated at the mouth of a channel, with its shallows rising up to a beautiful hard coral garden. The deeper parts are home to numerous wobbegongs and probably the greatest abundance of schooling large fish in Raja Ampat.

The dive starts with a jump on the north side of the island from where you can still see a couple of bungalows on the beach that used to be shelters for fishermen. Once in the water, it is just a matter of going with the current (if any). The reef drops down to a depth of 25-30 metres, where the visibility is still very good (an average of 20 metres) due to clean water and direct natural light.

2 colours stand out here: purple and orange, as the bommies scattered all around the slope are completely covered in soft corals of these 2 hues. All around are schools of glass fish chased by yellow fin fusiliers and trevallies. Watch out for lionfish and scorpionfish that like to rest on table or brain corals, plus nudibranchs and Pantohe seahorses both of which are commons sights at this spot. Also look out for octopus and banded sea snakes, which also enjoy the rich and diverse habitat of Irian Jaya.

Yangelo Pinnacle is located between the islands of Gam and Yangelo and begins with a jump into the blue. It is easy find the pinnacle as there is not a great distance between the islands and because the pinnacle rises from the bottom until up to 6-7 metres below the surface. It is mainly covered in hard coral and you will be astonished by the size of brain corals and table corals. However there are also huge gorgonian fans that can sometimes host ghost pipefish, Pantohe or Denise's pigmy seahorses, so be ready to peer in close.

The real action, if you define "big stuff" as action, is usually around the pinnacle. If there is a strong current then all the predators will be there looking for an easy catch. These include dog tooth tunas, spanish mackerel and giant trevallies.

If the current is mild then you should try to end your dive at the top of the pinnacle, where interesting nubibranchs can be spotted, usually the kind of Atromarginata or the more delicate Flabellinas. The light in the shallows is just perfect for shooting clear, vibrant macro.

Look around for anemones as a great variety of anemone fish can be found in Irian Jaya. Common here are the spine-cheek anemone fish and the more common clown anemonefish. They can often be tricky little photographic subjects to get in focus as they keep moving around!

Yangelo Island Reef Basics: Reef dive and submerged pinnacle
Depth: 5 - 40m
Visibility: 20 - 30m
Currents: Moderate to strong
Surface conditions: Normally calm but can be choppy
Water temperature: 28 - 29°C
Experience level: Beginner - advanced
Number of dive sites: 2
Diving season: All year round
Distance: ~125 km north of Sorong (8 hours)
Access: Irian Jaya liveaboard

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