Auri Islands
This area near Biak offers incredible diversity for diving in Cenderawasih Bay. At sites like Mange's Drop and Ange's Hollow, divers can explore walls and slopes teeming with sharks (blacktip, whitetip, silver-tip, and grey reef sharks), turtles, and a wealth of macro life including orangutan crabs and a wide range of nudibranchs. An added bonus is the shallow snorkel over the 3 downed WWII American P-38 fighter bombers in just 2 metres of water off Rouw Island.
Biak
The waters around Biak offer easily accessible plane and wreck diving. The Flying Catalina is a well-preserved PBY Catalina flying boat wreck in 19-30 metres of water, covered in black corals, gorgonians, and housing schools of glassfish and lionfish. The Pasar Ikan (Fish Market) site provides a great muck dive for critters like ghost pipefish and cockatoo waspfish, adding another layer of variety to Cenderawasih Bay diving.
Kwatisore Bay
The first thing everyone talks about when diving in Cenderawasih Bay are the whale sharks of Kwatisore Bay, near the town of Nabire on the bay's southern coastline. There are several places in the world that offer an encounter with a whale shark and some that offer an encounter with more than one. However, nowhere really promises the same density of whale sharks in crystalline waters and on scuba.
There is quite a difference between being one of a few dozen snorkellers chasing after a single shark and being one of only a few lucky scuba divers surrounded by whale sharks near the surface in clear water as they feed from below the local fishing platforms. An incredible experience for divers of any experience level. The best action is often in early morning when, below the fishermen's 'bagans' (platforms) several whale sharks often gather for an easy meal, an all-you-can-eat breakfast. Apparently the fishermen considered their presence a good omen and began offering them baitfish which also helps to prevent them disturbing the nets of sardines.
The fact that they are not being fed solely to provide entertainment for divers goes some way to assuage any guilt about human interference in the natural food chain. The whale sharks are very much focused on the delicious bounty that the humans on the surface provide but are also aware of humans sharing the water with them. They seem to swim around avoiding contact with the divers and sometimes seemingly enjoying their bubbles rippling against their bodies. Breakfast and a free massage!
If you talk to anyone who has been on a diving trip to Cenderwasih they will almost certainly confirm that the dives done here with whale sharks are unrivalled by anything else they have experienced. In terms of the number of whale sharks, their proximity to you, the clarity of the water and the length of time you have to marvel at them, it is difficult to imagine how the experience could be improved upon.
Manokwari
Near the town of Manokwari on Cenderawasih's west coastline, there are several World War II wrecks lying in various depths, a legacy of the fierce Pacific War battles of 1944. Some of the wrecks can easily be dived within normal recreational limits, others are much deeper or in locations where conditions can make it tough for all but the most experienced wreck divers. These include the Cross Wreck, Pillbox Wreck, and several landing craft, offering compelling exploration for wreck divers in Cenderawasih Bay.
The most famous wreck is the Shinwa Maru, a 120m Japanese transport ship which sank off the coast of nearby Marsinam Island. The name translates as 'friendly spirit' but there was not much friendly about the 2 large blast holes in the starboard side that consigned the Shinwa Maru to a future on its side at depths of between 16 and 34m. The wreck is still in pretty good condition and has become at one with the ocean, being home to colonies of sponges and hard and soft corals colourfully masking its metal bulk. Although it is home to a variety of life including jacks, moray eels and nudibranchs, it is more noted for the cargo scattered around. Dishes, beer bottles, batteries, sake bottles and chopsticks are among the cargo you can check out. There were 2 old-fashioned diving helmets which were great photographic subjects but someone decided they would look better on their mantelpiece and they have not been seen since.
Pulau Nusir
This remote islet is for more experienced divers seeking a thrilling dive in Cenderawasih Bay. It features dramatic drop-offs, strong currents, and thriving reef life, making it an excellent spot for wide-angle photography. Walls are covered in vibrant corals, with large schools of fusiliers and reef sharks patrolling the area. Scuba diving at Pulau Nusir also offers opportunities to see larger pelagics attracted by the nutrient-rich currents.
Pulau Purup
This site is known for its healthy, sloping reef and incredible macro life, making it a great spot for underwater photographers. A dive at Pulau Purup is a prime location to see the region's endemic flasher wrasses (Paracheilinus walton), as well as elephant ear sponges and vibrant soft corals. Black-tip reef sharks and eagle rays are also frequently observed here.
Pulau Roon
Known for its pristine reefs and vibrant marine life, a Cenderawasih Bay dive at Roon Island offers a mix of healthy coral gardens, macro life, and occasional pelagics. The sloping walls and underwater ridges are lined with hard corals, sea fans, and soft corals. Divers can search for the remains of a Japanese Zero fighter plane here, a poignant relic now largely consumed by the reef, as well as encounter large green sea turtles and reef sharks. The sheltered channel conditions make for relaxed diving, suitable for intermediate levels.
Sungei Omiand
Although most of the talk of Cenderawasih centres around the impressive whale shark dives and the World War II wrecks, you will also dive sites which focus neither on the big nor the historical. Sungei Omiand is one such location and it is more like something you would expect to find in Indonesia's Lembeh or Ambon, or Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea. This is a muck site where you dive with your nose inches from the sea bed of black volcanic sand, poking in an around the rocks and clusters of coral, looking for the weird and wonderful. An eagle eye can be rewarded with sights such as pygmy seahorses, sea snakes (and snake eels), frogfish, tiger prawn, cuttlefish and various nudibranchs. You might also spot a blue-ringed octopus if you are lucky.
There are many such sites in Cenderawasih Bay, near to villages, although the rubbish that human settlements create can be rather off-putting, a problem common to many shallow sites throughout Indonesia. You might well be too busy marvelling at the amazing array of marine creatures scuttling over or burrowing in the black sand, to notice.
Tanjung Mangguar
This site is considered one of the most beautiful dives in the bay and is a must on any Cenderawasih Bay diving itinerary. A rich carpet of soft and whip corals covers the reef, creating a vibrant habitat that attracts a high density of fish life. Barracuda, trevally, fusiliers, and surgeonfish are common, and the site is also a known cleaning station for manta and mobula rays. The high-energy currents here bring in large pelagics, rewarding adventurous divers.
Yapen Island
A topographical feature that attracts large pelagics, a dive at Yapen Island often involves strong currents sweeping across an underwater seamount. This site features beautiful huge soft corals and a reef teaming with life, including large schools of fish. The area also offers a plateau with sandy slopes, single-standing bommies, and great coral formations.
Other sites
Mioswar and Wairundi islands offer rich coral gardens and diverse reef fish, with healthy macro communities and regular visits from whitetip, blacktip, and grey reef sharks, making them ideal for photographers and intermediate divers. Mioswar is also known for year-round whale shark sightings and WWII shipwrecks. Numfoor is one of the Biak islands and features a wall and steep slope with good coral growth in clear blue water, attracting big fish like grey reef sharks, whitetips, barracudas, tunas, big groupers, and jacks, especially when currents are running. Located at the northern outer edge of Cenderawasih Bay, Manim Island is home to more than 7 WWII landing craft wrecks sitting on a white sand slope decorated with corals, ranging from 5 to over 40 metres deep. The Padaido islands offer diverse diving for all levels with a variety of sites, from stunning walls and slopes to pinnacles, plateaus, and shallow coral gardens. Expect encounters with reef fish, small critters, schools of jacks, barracudas, and juvenile sharks. The area is also home to a muck dive at Mios Wundi village, offering a different kind of dive in Cenderawasih Bay. Pulau Sewandeh (Secret Garden, Holly's Dog Leg): A final dive destination offering pristine reefs and excellent marine life, known for muck and critter diving.
