We aren´t exaggerating when we say that one of the best places on earth to do snorkel is Raja Ampat. It´s not just about all the animals you will be able to find (there is a huge variety) but also about its coral reefs, which are one of the best preserved in the world.
When planning a trip to Raja Ampat, you should always leave some time for diving and snorkeling. Many people say that these waters are even better than the ones in Australia. Plus, in Raja Ampat they do an amazing eco-job so you will see one of the clearest waters. Next you will find all the information about snorkelling in Raja Ampat: Including of course the best places to snorkel in Raja Ampat, best time to do it and all kind of tips.
Where to snorkel in Raja Ampat
During our time in Raja Ampat we got did snorkel more than a few times in very different places. The truth is that snorkelling in Raja Ampat is very simple. These 4 islands are all very wild and almost everywhere you go you will be able to find a lot of wildlife and clear waters when you go under the sea. Anyway, these were for us the best places to snorkel in Raja Ampat:
Snorkel in Waisai Island
Waisai Island is probably one of the biggest islands in Raja Ampat, plus it´s where we were staying. Since Waisai Island was where we spent most of the time, we got to do snorkelling a couple of times on our free time.
Normally in bigger places you expect less wildlife and more pollution, but this time was different. We were surprised by the reefs of Waisai islands. We actually consider it the best place to do snorkel in Raja Ampat.
Just so you can have an idea of how beautiful this area is, here we got to see Nemo (clown fish) for the first time. The best of all is that if you are staying there, you don´t need to take a one-hour boat. As soon as you get out of your room you will be able to jump into the water and start snorkelling.
See sharks while snorkelling in Wayag Islands
That´s right, in the area of Wayag Islands in Raja Ampat, you will be able to see sharks and don´t be afraid but…You may be able to see them while snorkelling!
These areas are very well known for its sharks, although normally you would see sharks when diving, in some parts of Wayag islands you may be able to find them when you are snorkelling as well.
We spent some time at a paradise beach in a zone called Pos Wayag, where we got to do some snorkel and here, we were lucky and found the black tip sharks, which are the most common ones but there are other types as well.
Yenbuba Raja Ampat:
Most popular area to do snorkel
Although we were not really lucky with the strong current, we have to admit Yenbuba Island is one of the best snorkel sites in Raja Ampat. What we saw under the water, was amazing.
Yenbuba Island is the most famous area to do snorkel in Raja Ampat. Actually here is the only place where we saw another group doing snorkel at the same time…don´t worry there was enough space for everyone.
The view of these waters is impressive but the best of all was when we got to experience our favourite moment of the trip to Raja Ampat. A sea turtle appear to us in Yenbuba, and it was the first one we see in our whole life, so you could imagine how happy we were.
Don´t miss Sauwandarek Jetty:
The underwater paradise in Raja Ampat
Once you visit Sauwandarek island your mind will be divided in two. The village is beautiful, the locals are really nice and there are a lot of photo opportunities. On the other hand, this place is known for being one of the best places for snorkelling in Indonesia!
We didn´t have much time but we still decided to do both. We started seeing the local life so at the end we didn´t have much time to do snorkel (we regret it). The few minutes we had snorkelling were amazing and we are already thinking on coming back to spend more time!
Best time to snorkel in Raja Ampat
Now that you know where to snorkel in Raja Ampat is time to know when. The best time to snorkel in Raja Ampat of course depends on what are your goals.
In our case we enjoyed a lot doing snorkel very early in the morning at sunrise time as the water was very calmed and it was easier to move all around the area. Another good time to do snorkel is when the sun is up as you will have an incredible light under the water (between 13:00 Pm and 15:00 Pm)
Scuba diving in Raja Ampat
During our 5-day trip to Raja Ampat what we regret the most is not diving. We didn´t have much time and there were many places to see so at the end we couldn’t do diving in Raja Ampat. Anyway, we have heard many stories from locals, and they say the experience is unique. If you are not able to do it, don´t worry because doing snorkel you will be more than satisfied.
Animals and Marine life in Raja Ampat
If you know us, you probably know that we are animal lovers, so Raja Ampat was a paradise for us. If this happens to you too, you should know that there is an uncountable number of animals and fish species in Raja Ampat. We got to see a turtle, clown fishes, sharks, squids and many more. If you go there specially to see animals, we are sure you will find many more. We recommend you going during the manta season, we have heard is amazing.
Hope you enjoyed our snorkel tour of Raja Ampat!
Well, that´s all you need to know about the best places to snorkel in Raja Ampat and in general about going under the water in this area. We hope you have an amazing time and see many animals. Before leaving, we need to ask you to please be respectful with the environment everywhere you go in Raja Ampat as that´s the only way to preserve the beauty you are about to see.