The diving world collectively drew in its breath when news broke that the British owned cruise liner, MV Caledonian Sky, had run aground in one of the world’s most bio diverse places on earth, Raja Ampat.

This unfortunate and entirely avoidable ecological disaster occurred on Crossover Reef located between Kri and Gam islands. Initial assessments have determined the affected area to be approximately 18,000 square metres (about the size of 3 football fields). This is a fraction of Raja Ampat, which spans 40,000 square kilometres and consists of 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals and 4 main islands (Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo), that make up the ‘Four Kings’.

Dive The World is a team of divers and we are saddened by this loss of marine life. We have reached out to the owners and operators of our liveaboards and resorts in Raja Ampat and they have assured us that although the incident is significant, it will not have an impact on any of the diving itineraries due to the size of the marine park and the hundreds of magnificent dive sites on offer to explore.

Do you know these 10 interesting facts about Raja Ampat?

• The archipelago is about the size of Switzerland!
• It is part of the famed Coral Triangle
• The Bird’s Head Seascape contains more than 1,300 species of coral reef fish
• Has 75% (537) of all hard coral species that exist in the world!
• There are 600 species of mollusc in the archipelago
• 5 species of rare and endangered sea turtles, including the hawksbill turtle, call Raja Ampat ‘home’
• There are 13 marine mammal species in Raja Ampat
• 57 species of mantis shrimp can be seen here
• Raja Ampat is ranked # 1 in terms of underwater biodiversity
• Has 3 ponds that have stingless jellyfish

Why not experience these wonders for yourself? These liveaboards are currently offering selected discounted trips:

MSY Seahorse (savings of up to US$ 1,848 per couple)
Raja Ampat Aggressor (savings of up to US$ 2,450 per couple)

Contact our sales representatives now and take advantage of these specials while they are still available. Book your discounted liveaboard cruise and dive the crown jewel of the Coral Triangle.

Contact Dive The World right away on +66 (0)94 582 7973 / (0)83 505 7794 or send us an email.