Raja Ampat Island, Papua

The Raja Ampat island is a series of four neighboring group of islands located in the western part of the Bird's Head (Vogelkoop) Papua Island. Administratively, this cluster are under the Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua Province. The islands are now a destination of divers who are interested in the beauty of underwater scenery. Four islands are members named by four largest islands, namely Pulau smalldam, Misool Island, Salawati Island, and Island Batanta.

The origin and history

The origin of the name of Raja Ampat by local myth comes from a woman who found seven eggs. Four points in four of them hatch into a prince who parted and each become king who ruled in smalldam, Salawati Misool Misool East and West. Meanwhile, three other eggs became a ghost, a woman, and a stone.

In the course of history, the Raja Ampat Islands have long been inhabited by fishing communities and apply the customary system of Maluku. In this system, the community is a member of a village community. Each village is led by a king. Since the establishment of two Muslim sultanate in the Moluccas, Raja Ampat to be part of the Sultanate Tidore claims. After the surrender of the Dutch Empire Tidore, Raja Ampat Islands became part of the claim of the Dutch East Indies.

Community

Raja Ampat Islands society generally traditional fishermen who resided in small villages are located far apart and different islands. They are a friendly community receive visitors from outside, especially if we bring souvenirs for them in the form of nut or candy. This item is a kind of 'peace pipe indian' in Raja Ampat. Events chatting with eating betel nuts are also called "The-the Pinang" often take turns throwing each other mob, the local term for funny stories.

They are Muslims and Christians, and often within a family or clan members who have embraced one of the two religions. It makes society remains harmonious despite Raja Ampat different beliefs.

Wealth of natural resources

The archipelago is a place of great potential to serve as a tourist attraction, especially the dive tourism. Raja Ampat Islands waters according to various sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving sites around the world. In fact, it may also be recognized as number one for the completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time.

Dr John Veron, coral expert from the Australian experience, for example, within a site was revealed, the Raja Ampat Islands located in the western-most tip of the island of Papua, about 50 miles northwest of Sorong, has the best reef areas in Indonesia. Approximately 450 species of corals could be identified during the two weeks of research in the area.

A team of experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and National Oceanographic Institutions (LON) Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has been rapid assessment in 2001 and 2002. The result, they note in these waters there are more than 540 species of hard corals (75% of the total species in the world), more than 1000 species of reef fish, 700 species of molluscs, and the highest record for gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of coral species in Raja Ampat world. No single place, with an area having the same number of these coral species.

There are several areas of coral reefs that are still very good condition with the percentage of live coral cover up to 90%, namely in the Dampier Strait (the strait between P. and P. smalldam Batanta), Kofiau Islands, Islands and South East Misool Wayag Islands. Types of coral reefs in Raja Ampat are generally reef edge with sloping to steep topography. But it was also found atoll type and type of burns or taka. In some places like the village Saondarek, when the lowest tides, can be witnessed stretch without a dive and coral reefs with their own adaptations, these corals can remain alive even in the open air and direct sunlight.

Unique species that can be encountered when diving is some kind of dwarf sea horses, wobbegong, and manta rays. There's also the king's four endemic fish species, namely Eviota king, which is a type of fish gobbie. At Manta Point inlying Arborek Dampier straits, you can dive with the Manta Ray was accompanied by several heads of benign like when you dive in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If you dive at Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can be surrounded by thousands of fish. Sometimes a collection of tuna, giant trevallies, and school of snappers. But the thrill If we were surrounded by a collection of barracuda fish even though in fact it's relatively harmless (that dangerous if we see barracuda solitary or alone). Reef sharks are also frequently seen, and with luck you can also see the turtle is still eating sponge or swim around you. In some places like in Salawati, Batanta and smalldam also seen Dugong or sea cow.

Because the area of many islands and narrow straits, so most of the dives at a particular time has a tight flow. It allows also for the drift dive, dive, following a strong flow of water so clear, while through the collection of fish.