Wildlife watching in tropical rainforest and marine environment of Indonesia from snorkeling in Raja Ampat to hiking and birding in Manado city, Minahasa highland and Tangkoko Nature Reserve.
My e-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com
As a tourist guide, I offer adventure tours for tourists who are interested in exploring the islands, beaches, coral reef, karst and rainforest of Raja Ampat. The tour will be started from Sorong city which is the gate to the islands. We will cross the sea by fast boat, first, to Waisai town (the capital of Raja Ampat regency). It takes around 2 hours to reach it. After that we will go to a guesthouse located at the beach. After the long boat trip, we could take a rest for 1 hour to refresh our body. We can enjoy snorkeling and freediving at the house reef of the guesthouse. Participants of this tour need to bring their own mask, snorkel and fins.
Snorkeling, freediving and Taking Pictures and Videos Underwater
Diagonal Sweetlips
A good underwater camera or action camera is also useful for taking pictures of the coral reef, fish, blue sea star and other marine creatures in the water. I personally use Nikon Coolpix W300 or Fujifilm XQ2 with waterproof housing. In the past, I used an action camera, Brica B-Pro5 Alpha Edition. Taking pictures underwater is quite challenging especially for those who do freedive for the first time. There are waves, water current. The light in coral reef is less than on land. Freedivers usually use weights to help them go into deeper water. I don't use weights. The maintain a stable position while taking pictures in the water, I hold my breath for a little bit more than one minute and then hold a hard coral with my left hand. My right hand will be then one that holds the camera and press the shutter button. There are a lot of species of fish which snorkelers and freedivers can see in the coral reef including damselfish, goatfish, black-tip reef shark, trevally, wrasse, parrotfish, blenny, gobby, dottyback, puffer, frogfish, and a lot more. To take pictures of them, I position myself as lower or flat as possible in the water so that I will be on the same eye level with the fish. This is quite difficult because of the buoyant force that pushes me to the surface. Holding rock, and making my body as calm as possible will help me to attract fish. When fish are closer and within a good shooting distance, I will aim my camera and shoot them. After spending around 1 hour snorkeling and freediving, we will go back to the beach and take a rest.
Birding
Red Bird of Paradise
In the evening, just before the sun disappears in the west, we can see more activity of birds in the forest edge. Birds such as Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Great-billed Parrot, Violet-necked Lory, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, and Willie Wagtail are quite active along the forest edge and coastal area. Visitors need a good pair of binoculars to watch them. I personally use Visionking 10×42mm to watch birds. The famous brands that birdwatchers use are Swarovski, Leica, Nikon. Bringing a spotting scope with a tripod will also enhance the birdwatching experience.
Sightseeing Tour
Piaynemo Karst
The next few days will be spent in various parts of Raja Ampat. We will go by boat to karst islets that are quite far from the guesthouse where we stay. We will also visit sand bank located at sea, and swim at the beach of tropical islands. A trip to a coastal village can also be organized. Because most of this trip will be conducted by boat, participants of the tour must bring waterproof bags that can protect their cameras and other electronic devices during the trip. Raja Ampat islands and Papua as a whole are beautiful. There is a pop song in Indonesia whose lyrics say: SurgaKecil yang Jatuh ke Bumi meaning Little Heaven that falls on earth. It is important for us to preserve its rainforest and marine environment. Ecotourism is one of the solutions that can generate alternative income to the local people. When people get positive benefits from this environment, they will protect it.
Booking If you are interested in traveling to Raja Ampat and want me (Charles Roring) to organize your tour in these islands, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp. Also read:
I am guiding a Dutch lady this week on a snorkeling and freediving trip in Raja Ampat. We stayed at a guesthouse in Waigeo island run by a Papuan family. The coral reef at the front of the guesthouse is very beautiful and is the natural habitat of a lot of species of fish and other marine creatures. This morning I gave an introductory snorkeling lesson to her. It was the first time for her to learn snorkeling. She practiced snorkeling in shallow water at depths of 1 to 1.5 meters. Wearing a life-jacket, mask, snorkel and water shoes, she started swimming to deeper area to see such fish as moorish idol, goatfish, striped surgeonfish, convict surgeonfish, damselfish, longfin spadefish, and butterflyfish. She was very happy to see the marine life.
Marine Life in Raja Ampat
After giving her a short snorkeling lesson that morning, I continued my exploration of the coral reef alone. With an action camera in my hand, I enjoyed freediving for approximately 45 minutes. I descended to a depth of 5 to 7 meters to find anemonefish, sea-star, Christmas tree worm, and grouper. I was able to take some good pictures of the underwater world of this beautiful marine environment. In the afternoon, we had a tour around the King's karst, a tidal cave and a lagoon in Gam island. We really liked this adventure especially this July. The wind was strong and the sea surface was rough. During July, very few tourists come to Raja Ampat because weather is bad and the sea is mostly covered by whitish big waves. During the adventure tour by boat, we did some birding. From that afternoon trip, we saw Lesser Frigatebird, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Brahminy Kite, Eclectus Parrot, Hooded Butcherbird, Pacific Swallow, Crested Tern, Brown Cuckoo Dove, and White-breasted Woodswallow.
Blue Sea Star and white Sea Worm
To watch birds, we used 10×42 mm binoculars. For taking pictures of them, we used Canon SX430. For underwater photographs, I used Brica B-Pro 5 Alpha Edition. As a tourist guide, I offer a combined snorkeling, sightseeing, island hopping and birding tour to Raja Ampat for tourists who are interested in seeing the birdlife, marinelife and beautiful landscape of this tropical islands. If you want me to be your guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. I will be happy to organize your trip and guide you around this marine paradise. Also read:
Easy to Reach Snorkeling Site with Comfortable Accommodation
Marine Life in southern coast of Waigeo island - Raja Ampat
There are a lot of snorkeling sites in Raja Ampat. They are scattered across big and small islands of the archipelago.
Snorkeling Photo from Warduwer beach of Waigeo island
There are a lot of fish that make the coral reef of Waigeo island as their natural habitat. Some of them include parrotfish, butterflyfish, surgeonfish, hawkfish, anemonefish and a lot more.
Snorkeling in Raja Ampat
Marine Life in Raja Ampat
There are a lot of fish that we could see in the shores of Raja Ampat. Some of them include butterflyfishes, surgeonfishes, Damselfishes (pink anemonefish, clark's anemonefish, clown anemonefish), snappers, emperors, jacks, barracuda, sharks, dolphins, slender schoolers, groupers, hawkfishes, sweetlips, parrotfish, wrasses, cardinalfish, gobies, and etc. There are also sea stars, sea cucumbers,turtles, christmas tree worm, nudibranch, and a lot of other marine animals that we could see in the water. Because coral reef is a very fragile environment, visitors are advised to avoid standing on it. To take a rest on the water, visitors can ask for lifejackets. Or visitors can swim to shallow water and stand on the sand.
Transportation and accommodation
Adventure Tour in Raja Ampat
We may go to Raja Ampat by ferry boat but we will tour around its islands by motorized boats that belong to local people. There are guesthouses in certain islands that are frequently visited by tourists. But if we go to remote areas in northeast Waigeo, or South West Raja Ampat, such guesthouses do not exist. We will stay in homestays of the villagers or in tents in uninhabited islands. Tents and other camping equipment such as cooking and eating utensils will be provided by us. So, tourists do not need to carry heavy bags along the way from their country to Raja Ampat.
Taking Pictures Tourists who want to take this snorkeling adventure tour is highly recommended to bring underwater camera, or any digital camera that is housed in waterproof casing. Make sure that the watertightness of the case has been tested before bringing the camera into the water. I use an action camera Brica B-Pro5 Alpha Edition. It is not the best but at least it is useful for me when I want to take pictures for my trip reports that I usually write in this blog. For rainforest tour, the camera that is needed to take pictures of birds, butterflies or other animals in high trees is the one that has got telephoto lens or super zoom capability such as the Canon SX60 HS, Nikon Coolpix P900.
Rainforest Bird and Wildlife Tour in Raja Ampat
The snorkeling tour to tropical islands of Raja Ampat will include some hiking and birding trips in the rainforest. We will do hiking and birding in the forest to find Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Red Bird of Paradise, and a lot of other coastal and woodland birds.
What to bring Here are some items that visitors need to bring for adventure tours in Raja Ampat:
Snorkeling gear: mask, snorkel, fins.
Underwater camera for taking pictures of fish and coral reef
Sunblock lotion
Anti-insect lotion
Personal medicines
Biscuits, sweets and other snacks and mineral water
Towel
Watershoes
Binoculars for rainforest birding and wildlife tour.
Flights To reach Raja Ampat, first, you need to fly to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia). After that, you could take a domestic flight to Sorong city. Garuda, Sriwijaya, Batik Air and Nam Air, as well as Lion Air provide regular flights between Jakarta and Sorong. Booking
To share the cost, I highly suggest that visitors take this tour in a group of 3 to 4 people or more. However, I can also organize private tour for single traveler or a couple. To book your snorkeling, birding and wildlife watching tour with me (Charles Roring), please, your e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180
Raja Ampat is a great destination for marine tourism. It is an important destinations for visitors who want to enjoy snorkeling and scuba diving. I went snorkeling at in southern area of Waigeo yesterday.
Pink Anemonefish
I brought an underwater camera - Nikon W300 to take pictures of fish and other marine animals that I saw in the water.
The coral reef was in very good condition. There were a lot of fish including parrotfish, butterflyfish, rabbitfish, anemonefish, surgeonfish, damselfish, lionfish and even wobbegong.
The visibility was also very nice. I tried several settings of the camera to see the ones that are suitable for snorkeling or freediving. The fish symbol or the underwater mode is not always the best setting. I swam slowly from the beach to the reef flat area. Most of the fish here was small. When I moved closer to buttress zone and drop off zones of the reef, I could see bigger fish.
Tropical Fish in the waters of Raja Ampat
There were around 3 species of anemonefish that I found. They were Pink Anemonefish, Spinecheek Anemonefish and Red and Black Anemonefish. To take pictures of them, I had to freedive and hold rock coral. While my left hand was holding the coral, my right hand was busy pressing the shutter buttons of the camera to capture beautiful marine life in front of me.
I spent around two and a half hours in the water in two snorkeling sessions. In the evening which is the sunset time, the surrounding atmosphere of the resort was very peaceful.
White Sandy Beach in Waigeo
Birds such as Willie Wagtail, Mimic Honeyeater, Torresian Crow, Hooded Butcherbird, Helmetted Friarbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and several other birds were singing in trees or in the air. Raja Ampat is a nice destination for visitors who want to enjoy holiday in Indonesia. They can swim and do snorkeling or freediving as much as they like. They can also watch birds which are also colorful and beautiful.
Marine Life at the beach of Waigeo
If you are interested in taking a holiday at Raja Ampat, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180.
Beberapa minggu lalu, saya memandu Michael, seorang wisatawan dari Florida - Amerika di Pulau Waigeo, Kabupaten Raja Ampat. Kita melakukan aktivitas pengamatan burung dan satwa liar di sepanjang tepian jalan raya, di pesisir pantai serta di dalam hutan hujan tropis. Target utama kami adalah Cendrawasih Merah yang disebut juga Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra). Burung ini, seperti umumnya spesies burung surga lainnya, suka berkumpul di dahan-dahan pohon yang tinggi untuk berdansa dan kawin.
Cendrawasih Merah (Paradisaearubra)
Cendrawasih merah (Red Bird of Paradise)
Untuk menyaksikan tarian Cendrawasih Merah, kami harus bangun pagi sekali jam 04:30. Setelah melakukan sedikit persiapan, pada jam 05:00, kami pun mulai berjalan kaki dari pondok wisata tempat kami menginap di Kampung Saporkren menuju hutan perbukitan yang letaknya cukup jauh.
Hari masih gelap, kami mulai melangkah perlahan menyusuri jalan setapak di tepi pantai. Setelah melewati jembatan kayu yang lumayan panjang, kami kemudian menanjak bukit. Udara terasa dingin, dan angin bertiup agak kencang. Lautan nampak bergelora. Untuk menerangi perjalanan kami saya menggunakan sebuah senter LED kecil yang cahayanya terang sekali. Baterainya sudah 'dicharge' malam sebelumnya sehingga energinya cukup untuk perjalanan panjang pagi itu.
Kurang lebih 1 jam kami berjalan dan akhirnya tiba di bawah pohon. Nampak dahan pohon berayun ditiup angin. Suara burung-burung mulai terdengar di seluruh penjuru hutan. Ada suara burung Jagal Papua, ada burung Helmetted Friarbird serta Raja Ampat Pitohui.
Ada juga suara beberapa Cendrawasih Merah yang mulai memanggil-manggil pasangan betinanya untuk datang melihat mereka berdansa.
Sacred Kingfisher
Cahaya matahari mulai nampak dari ufuk timur. Kami duduk di bangku-bangku sederhana yang dibuat oleh warga kampung. Sayang sekali angin bertiup dengan kencangnya. Burung Cendrawasih Merah yang kami harapkan segera berkumpul, tak kunjung datang. Hanya ada 1 ekor jantan yang bertengger di dahan pohon tinggi di hadapan kami.
Michael, sang turis yang saya pandu mengarahkan kameranya ke burung Cendrawasih Merah itu dan memotretnya beberapa kali. Kami terus menanti dengan sabar hingga pukul 08:30. Sayang sekali, tarian burung surga yang kami nantikan tidak terjadi. Angin terus bertiup kencang. Kicauan-kicauan berbagai spesies burung semakin sedikit yang terdengar. Kami pun memutuskan untuk berjalan turun dan melanjutkan aktivitas pengamatan burung di sepanjang tepian jalan raya.
Ada beberapa spesies burung tropis khas Raja Ampat yang berhasil kami lihat di pohon-pohon yang tumbuh di tepi jalan. Beberapa di antaranya Eclectus Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Blyth's Hornbill, Kumkum Kelabu atau Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon dan Rufous-bellied Kookaburra. Saat berjalan pulang ke kampung, kami melihat Sacred Kingfisher. Ada juga Glossy-mantled Manucode yang juga adalah satu spesies burung surga.
Ada beberapa yang saya ambil fotonya menggunakan kamera Fujifilm HS50EXR. Ini adalah kamera lama tapi dilengkapi lensa tele yang cukup bagus. Saya juga membawa 2 baterai cadangan, senter, ponsel, 1 laser pointer dan 1 portable loudspeaker untuk memanggil burung.
Michael - sang turis Amerika - yang saya pandu cukup puas karena berhasil melihat burung Cendrawasih Merah di habitatnya meskipun tidak ada tarian burung surganya. Siang harinya kami balik ke kota Sorong dengan menaiki kapal cepat.
Dari perjalanan wisata nonton burung surga selama 3 hari/ 2 malam ditambah 1 pagi di hutan pesisir kota Sorong, kami berhasil melihat lebih dari 70 spesies burung termasuk Rainbow Bee-eater, Australian White Ibis, Papuan Black Myzomella, Shining Flycatcher, Yellow-faced Myna, Emperor Fairywren dan masih banyak lagi.
Wisata Pengamatan Burung Tropis di Raja Ampat
Saya membawa binocular ed lens 10×50 yang dipasang di sebuah tripod untuk meningkatkan kualitas pengamatan burung selama tur di Raja Ampat dan Sorong.
Oh, iya, untuk para pembaca yang penasaran untuk menyaksikan seperti apa Burung Cendrawasih Merah menari, silahkan menyaksikan video klip singkat di atas. Video itu saya buat di tur yang sebelumnya. Semoga terhibur dan bermanfaat.
Mari kita lestarikan hutan hujan tropis karena gas CO2 yang diserapnya, dan oksigen yang dihasilkannya bermanfaat bagi seluruh mahluk hidup di dunia ini. 🙏
Recently I often go to Raja Ampat islands of Indonesia to guide tourists who want to enjoy snorkeling in coral reef and wildlife watching in the forest. The destination that I like to visit is Waigeo island and its surroundings.
Coral Reef Snorkeling Tour in Raja Ampat
Wildlife Watching Tours
There are several important places that I often visit with my clients. Some of them include: the rainforest of Southern Waigeo, the islands of Mioskon, Merpati, Urai and even to Piaynemo islands. Tropical birds, monitor lizards, snake, cucus, beetles and butterflies, crabs, are animals that we often see during the trips.
To enhance the wildlife watching experience my clients, I bring a pair of 10×50 binoculars that is mounted on a tripod. I often use green light laser pointer to accurately locate birds and other wild animals that perch branches or twigs of trees in the forest.
The usual times to watch tropical birds are from 06:00 to 09:30 in the mornings and from 15:00 to 18:30 in late afternoons.
For watching Red Birds of Paradise (also called Cendrawasih Merah) and Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Cendrawasih Wilson), we usually leave for the forest at 05:00.
Wildlife Watching Tour in Raja Ampat
I use my old camera Fujifilm HS50EXR to take pictures of the birds and wild animals that I see during the rainforest tours. In my recent trip with 9 American visitors, I took pictures of birds such as Papuan Frogmouth, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher and Eclectus Parrot.
The wildlife watching tour is conducted by boat to Urai island and the beaches in Kabui bay. The wildlife watching tour by boat can be combined with snorkeling tour.
Snorkeling Tour
Raja Ampat islands have got a lot of spots for snorkeling. Some of them include Mioskon island, Friwen Wall, Arborek, Yenbuba and Sawondarek. I use Fujifilm XQ2 with its underwater housing to take pictures of the marine life. Anemonefish, grouper, trevally, moorish idol, sweetlips are some of the many reef fishes that we can see in the waters of Raja Ampat.
Duration of Tour and Its Extention in Mainland of West Papua
The duration of Wildlife Watching and Snorkeling Tour in Raja Ampat can be as short as 3 days/ 2 nights to as long as 7 days/6 nights.
The snorkeling and wildlife watching tour in Raja Ampat islands can be added with an extended tour in Tambrauw regency or in Sorong regency.
Snorkeling, sightseeing and wildlife watching tour in Raja Ampat
Entry Point
Sorong city is the entry point for visitors who want to travel to Raja Ampat. There are regular daily flights from Jakarta or Denpasar Bali as well as Manado city of Indonesia.
Contacts
If you plan to take tours of rainforest wildlife watching and coral reef snorkeling in Raja Ampat, please, and want me to organize your tour and guide you, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by send text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Indonesia, I used to go freediving at a beach in Waigeo island. My aim was to take underwater pictures of fish, coral reef and other marine creatures that thrive in the coral reef. Unfortunately, the visibility was very poor because of heavy rain in the previous day.
Snorkeling and freediving in Raja Ampat
It was a recreational freediving, so I did not dive too deep. As usual I saw a lot of fish in the water. There was a very interesting fish that I saw today. It was sitting on a rock in the shallow water.
Fish at the drop off area of the coral reef
Waigeo is a big island in Raja Ampat. It is still covered by rainforest and coral reef.
If you are interested in visiting Raja Ampat, and want me to organize your snorkeling and rainforest tour, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send whatsapp to: +6281332245180.
There are a number of karst formations in Raja Ampat. Some of them include Wayag, Piaynemo, Insouduwer, Misool, and Kofiau. They attract thousands of tourists every year. There is a karst formation in the region that is suitable for birding activities. Its name is Raja Karst.
Last week I organized a tour to Raja Karst for 3 foreign visitors who were from the United States. We went there by a motorized outrigger boat to see the beauty of its marine landscape and the wealth of its birdlife. As we entered the waters of Raja Karst, I asked the boat driver to lower the speed of the boat. A Striated Heron (Butorides striata) that was standing on a rock looking at us. As we moved deeper into the karst formation, we saw some Rainbow Bee-eater, Rainbow Lorikeet, Torresian Crow, Pacific Swallow, Olive-backed Sunbird, Black Sunbird, Beach Kingfisher, and Lesser Frigatebird, Willie Wagtail. We also saw a Spice Imperial Pigeon (Ducula myristicivora) flying over our boat and landed on a tree.
Red Bird of Paradise
The karst islets were a very rich habitat for avifauna. They were located in remote area and far from the influence of human activities. I highly recommended this site for birders who want to see water and lowland and hill forest birds of New Guinea.
We also did several hiking in Waigeo island to watch Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra), and Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Hooded Butcherbird, Palm Cockatoo, Hook-billed Kingfisher, Great Cuckoo Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Great-billed Parrot and etc. If you are interested in birding and snorkeling in Raja Ampat and wants me to be your guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.
A beach resort is being prepared in Raja Ampat. It will be ready in 2019. It has got house reef that is very good for visitors who are interested in snorkeling, and scuba diving. I went there yesterday to enjoy freediving at the drop-off area of the house reef. I was accompanied by a villager who provided his canoe as a floating platform for me. It was approximately 10.00 A.M. when we pushed the outrigger canoe into the sea. We moved slowly to the reef whose distance was only 60 meters from the beach. After we were on a safe depth, I got into the boat and sat on the forward bench. I began to wear the swimfins and snorkeling mask. The brand of snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, and swimfin) was Whale. It was not the best in town but it was a very good quality brand whose prices were more affordable.
Marine Life at Raja Ampat Paradise Resort
We paddled too fast. I did not realize that we had been in deep water. I told the canoe driver to move back. When I saw the drop-off reef, I slowly got off the canoe and immersed my body into the water. The visibility was very good. I could see the marine life up to around twenty meters. Fish were everywhere thriving among hard corals. I used Nikon W300 to take pictures of the coral reef. Its shooting mode had been set into fish one. I did my first dive to a depth of around 7 meters. There were surgeonfish, wrasse, parrotfish, butterflyfish, moorish idol, soldierfish, sweepers, anemonefish, staghorn damsel, and a lot more. After freediving for about fifteen minutes, I returned to the canoe to take a brake and tried another camera the Fujifilm XQ2. I also applied some shampoo on the surface of my snorkeling mask to eliminate the fog that covers the glass. After that I rinsed it with fresh water. I wore the mask again and returned to the coral reef. This time the mask became clearer again. I helped me a lot in finding my target fish. I wanted to compare the results of my underwater photos taken by two different cameras. The ones taken by Nikon W300 had higher contrast whereas the ones taken by Fujifilm XQ2 were less contrast but had more details. If you are interested in snorkeling in Raja Ampat and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180. Where is Raja Ampat? Freediving Pictures from Waigeo island Snorkeling and Birding in Raja Ampat Karst
Everytime I guide tourists to Raja Ampat, I always organize tour to the karst islets. Most visitors go there to see its magnificent landscape scenery. Yes, the view is very beautiful when we travel through the small islands that look like mushrooms on the surface of the sea.
Karst islets in Raja Ampat
While in the King's karst of Raja Ampat, we do birdwatching. I usually ask our boat driver to reduce the engine of the boat so that we can watch birds easily. I use 10×42 Visionking binoculars to watch birds. Raja Ampat is rich of sea and coastal birds such as Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Plover, Radjah Shelduck, Beach Kingfisher, Beach Stone Curlew, Crested Tern, Brahminy Kite, Eastern Osprey and Frigatebird. For Frigatebirds, they are often seen soaring in groups of 2, 3, or even up to 20 birds in the sky looking for fish on the surface of the sea. They may look small while flying high in the sky but their sizes are actually big. The wing span could reach more than 1.55 meters (61 inches). In addition to sightseeing tour to the karst, I also offer birding tour to the main island Waigeo where visitors can watch Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise as well as other tropical birds of New Guinea such as Large-billed Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Hooded Butcherbird, and Hook-billed Kingfisher. If you are interested in traveling to Raja Ampat and want a private guide, you could contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.
Here is a drawing of Beautiful Fruit Dove that I made after visiting Raja Ampat. If you like it, you can order it in the form of products with the illustration printed on them at the following link:
There is a good site for birding and snorkeling in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. Its name is Warduwer located in the south of the island. There are big trees at the beach that attract a lot of birds to visit for resting or eating their fruits. I like to visit this beach when I guide tourists. Birding at this beach is very easy. I highly recommend that birdwatchers bring 10×42 binoculars, an if possible, a spotting scope to enhance their birdwatching experience. Professional photographers bring D-SLR camera with 600 mm telephoto lens. Today, bridge camera iIn the mornings and in the afternoons, blyth's hornbill, eclectus parrots, spangled drongo, pied imperial pigeon, sulphur crested cockatoo, palm cockatoo, coconut lorikeet (also called rainbow lorikeet), and beach kingfisher, Eastern Osprey, Brahminy Kite, are often seen in the surrounding trees. Visitors who come to this beach can also see crested tern, plover, and lesser frigate bird, white bellied sea eagle and etc. The following collage picture is my promotional material that I make for travelers who plan to visit Raja Ampat.
Raja Ampat beauty - birds and coral reef
After watching birds, tourists can enjoy snorkeling at the same beach to see a lof of kinds of fish, sea star and christmas tree worm in the pristine coral reef of the beach. Grouper, sweetlips, pink anemonefish, striped surgeonfish, black bar damsel, three spots dascyllus, parrotfish, and wrasse are some of the fish that can be seen at the coral reef of this beach. For taking pictures of the marine life, a good underwater camera should be used. I recommend Nikon W300 or Olympus Tough TG-5. Soon a beach resort will be constructed here. The bungalows are being prepared. The resort will be completed in middle of this year ready to receive tourists who want to stay for a few days, a few weeks or more.
I offer tour for tourist who likes to enjoy snorkeling and birding in Raja Ampat. If you plan to take a holiday in Raja Ampat and want me to be your guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. Also see:
As a tourist guide I organize birding and snorkeling tour adventure for tourists who want to visit Raja Ampat islands. The duration of the tour is between 3 to 5 days depending on the length of the holiday that tourists have. The tour can be organized based on the following itinerary: Day 1 Arriving in Sorong town Transfer by boat to Waisai town of Raja Ampat Arriving in Waisai, transfer to homestay. (A stay in a Beach resort can be organized depending on the request of customers) Take a rest We could start birding around the homestay to find Pacific Swallow, Torresian Crow, Lesser Frigatebird, and etc. Day 2
Coral Reef in Waigeo
Early morning trip to watch Wilson's Bird of Paradise after that visitors could return to homestay to take a rest. Birding around the area of the homestay. There are birds such as Blyth's hornbill, Eclectus Parrot, Yellow-faced Myna, Beach Kingfisher, Willie Wagtail, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, and etc. Lunch time. Rest At 15.00, another birding trip can be done to watch Red Bird of Paradise. After that visitors could return to homestay. Tour participants can enjoy snorkeling or freediving at the beach in front of the homestay. Reef fish such as Striped Surgeonfish, Convict Surgeonfish, Anemonefish, and Parrotfish can be seen in the water. Day 3 We will go to the beach. There, we can slowly walk along the area to watch Beach Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Brahminy Kite, Violet-necked Lory or Great-billed Parrot. In the afternoon, after lunch, we could check-out from the hotel and then transfer to ferry harbor before leaving for Sorong city. End of the Tour The above itinerary should be seen as a referens only. However, it can be customized according to the needs of tour participants. For booking, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com
Last week, I went to Raja Ampat to work as a guide for a group of birding tourists. We enjoyed birding in Waigeo and Merpati island. We saw a lot of birds including the Great-billed Parrot, Arafura fantail, Lemon-bellied White Eye, Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Beach Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher. On an extra trip to Sorong, we watched Orange-fronted Fruit Dove, King Birds of Paradise, Frilled Monarch, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher. I often go to Raja Ampat islands to organize tours both for solo traveling visitor or for a group of tourists. During the trips in this archipelago, I combine various activities such as hiking and birding, snorkeling and freediving, island hopping and sightseeing tours. To enhance the adventure experience, I suggest that every visitor brings his or her own binoculars, birding/ telephoto lens camera, underwater/ action camera, as well as snorkeling gear.
Raja Ampat karst
My favorite snorkeling and freediving sites are Isanak beach and Mamiaef in the east of Waigeo, Yenbuba strait, Sawondarek jetty, West Mansuar, Kri island, Fam, Five Rocks and Friwen. There are also a lot of coral reef sites around Gam islands that are very good.
The duration of the trip is usually 3 days to 5 days. I usually bring field guide books such as Birds of New Guinea written by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler; and Reef Fish Identification Tropical Pacific by Gerald Allen and his friends. These books are important for identifying fish and birds that we will see during the tours in Raja Ampat islands.
I know that there are tourists who go to Raja Ampat just to enjoy the scenery and see the beauty of the marine seascape without feeling the need to identify wildlife. For me, I am fine with that kind of trip.
Most of my tours are supported by local villagers whose homestay we use as an affordable accommodation. When we go on a tour to karst islets, we will use an outrigger motorized wooden boat. This small marine vehicle will allow us to visit remote islets that are locate inside Kabui bay. If the weather is good, I could organize trip to islands located in the south west of Kri and Mansuar to enjoy swimming and birding.
Courtship Dance of a male Red Bird of Paradise
Red Bird of Paradise is the vocal point of the birding activity in Waigeo island. The watch them we need to go hiking in the mornings and in the afternoons. More birds activity can be seen during those time periods. However, there are also other beautiful birds that we could watch such as the Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, or Palm Cockatoo.
Most of the trip can be customized according to the needs of visitors. Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp through this contact link.
I have just returned from an early morning birding walk in the forest of Waigeo island. I guided two American tourists Paige and Bruce. We left Raja Ampat Dive Resort at 04.50 for a coast in the southern area of Waigeo by a small motorized boat. After that we continued our trip on foot to the lek of Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaearubra). It was still dark and we were walking under the trees of Raja Ampat's rainforest. We used some flashlights. A long the path, we saw millipede and toad. It took around 1 hour 30 minutes for us to reach our birding ground. The sun began to appear in the east providing more light for us.
Male Red Bird of Paradise was performing courtship dance
We heard the sounds of thunders above us. Soon the rain started to fall. Because we were determined to watch the paradise birds, we decided to stay at the birding platform. After waiting for around 30 minutes we could see the male birds of paradise jumped to the dry branches and danced up and down the near vertical branches of a tree in front of us. Sometimes they only sat on the horizontal branches or flew to palm trees in the surrounding area. The rain fell again for another 30 minutes and the birds stopped dancing. Because they did not leave their tree, we did not leave our benches either. Soon after the rain stopped, two female Red Bird of Paradise showed up. The male ones jumped to their "poles" and began performing their courtship dance again. The cloudy weather made it dificult for me to capture this important moment by camera. I was able to take some pictures of the paradise birds. Some were quite sharp but the rest were blurry.
Palm Cockatoo
After watching birds of paradise, we walked down the slope again to the beach. We saw Moluccan King Parrot, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Mimic Meliphaga, Hooded Butcherbird, and Blyth's Hornbill, Papuan Eclectus. We heard the sounds of Common Paradise Kingfisher but we did not see the birds. When we set our foot again on the beach of Raja Ampat Dive Resort, we saw some leftovers of catappa fruits falling on to the ground in front of us. When we looked up, there was a Goliath Palm Cockatoo in the tree. He walked on the branch of the tree trying to find delicious fruits for his breakfast. If you are interested in taking a birding tour in Raja Ampat, and Sorong regency of West Papua, please, contact me by whatsapp through this contact link or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com
I had a wonderful tour in Raja Ampat early this month. I focused my activity in Warduwer beach. Here, I spent my time snorkeling over its very nice coral reef. White sand strecthed along the southern region of Waigeo island making it an ideal site for snorkeling and freediving. I brought two cameras, i.e. the waterproof Nikon AW 130 and Fujifilm XQ2 (which I put inside a waterproof case). I went snorkeling and freediving during high tide e ofspecially in drop off area of the beach. The drop off is around 50 meters (164 feet) from the beach. As a matter of fact, the beach is very flat and shallow. So, it is safe for visitors who bring their children to Warduwer beach. They can learn how to swim shallow beaches in Raja Ampat.
Marine Life in Raja Ampat
When I was in the water, I saw hundreds of species of fish and other marine creatures. There were parrotfish, surgeonfish, butterflyfish, blenny, anemonefish, moorish idol, hawkfish, lemon damsel, wobbegong, scorpionfish, and a lot more.
To make videos, I dived to a depth of 2 to 7 meters and recorded anything that I saw. I did not scuba dive. I only used mask, snorkel and fins. It was a freediving. So, I could not stay longer in the water. I spent between one and one and a half minutes during each dive. Underwater swimming is a fun thing to do.
Location of Raja Ampat
What to bring
Raja Ampat was a nice place for anyone who wants to see beautiful fish and coral reef in its natural habitat - and not in aquarium. Visitors who want to go snorkeling at this beach need to bring:
Clothing that is suitable for tropical climate, and for swimming
Sun-block lotion,
Snorkeling device such as mask, snorkel and fins
Underwater camera
How to get there?
It is easy to visit Raja Ampat.
First, you need to take international flight from your country to Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia.
Second, you need to continue your trip by taking a domestic flight provided by Garuda, Sriwijaya, or Batik Air to Sorong city.
When you arrive in Sorong, I could meet you at the airport and then organize your tour to Raja Ampat islands.
There are a lot of beach resorts and homestays in Raja Ampat which visitors could choose to stay.
As a tourist guide, I often organize tours to Raja Ampat for visitors who like snorkeling, sightseeing and birdwatching. If you are interested in visiting Raja Ampat to enjoy snorkeling and want me to be your guide, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com
Recently I visited Waigeo island of Raja Ampat to enjoy snorkeling and birding. I spent 4 days/ 3 nights exploring the reef and rainforest of the tropical island. It was a nice experience because I could see a lot of fish such as surgeonfish, damselfish, yellow tail blue devil, pink anemonefish, parrotfish, moorish idol, wrasse, butterflyfish and a lot more.
Marine Life in Raja Ampat
The coral reef that I explored was located in the south of Waigeo island particularly at Warduwer beach. The length of the beach was around 200 meters with fine white sand covering it. To avoid stepping on the reef flat areas, I went to the drop off side by an outrigger canoe. A villager paddled the small boat for me.
Underwater picture from Raja Ampat
My snorkeling gear was a pair of swimfins, a snorkeling mask and snorkel. All of them had Whale logo as the brand name. They were comfortable to wear on my feet, face and mouth.
Coral Reef in Waigeo
For taking pictures underwater, I used Nikon Coolpix W300 and Fujifilm XQ2. I did not bring dive watch to measure how deep I went into the water. The visibility was very good and the reef was abundant with fish. I preferred drop off to reef flat because in deeper water, I had more freedom of moving in the water. I could also see big fish in drop off reef. Actually, the pictures in this blog post were made when I was around 2 to 7 meters below the sea surface. So, it could be considered as freediving. If you are interested in snorkeling in Raja Ampat and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by text to my whatsapp: +6281332245180. Related Post:
Raja Ampat has become my favorite destination when I guide visitors on various snorkeling tours in the regency. I usually go to the archipelago with some tourists and stay in one of the resorts or homestays. From that place, we will visit islands where coral reefs are in very good condition to enjoy snorkeling, sightseeing and even birdwatching. We usually spend between 3 to 5 days to see a lot of species of tropical fish and other marine animals. Some of them were Pink-Anemonefish, Striped Surgeonfish, Butterflyfish, Sweetlips, Blacktip Shark, Moorish Idol, Three-spots Dascyllus, Sweetlips, and grouper. A special trip by motorized boat could also be arranged for visitors who want to enjoy sightseeing in Kabui bay, Piaynemo or Wayag, Sandbank, and Mansuar, Friwen wall, and the passage between Waigeo and Gam island.
Marine Life in Raja Ampat
Visitors need to bring their own masks, snorkel and fins if they want to enjoy the beautiful underwater scenery of Raja Ampat. The marine tours are usually carried out by speed boat or motorized wooden boat to islands that are located within one or two hours trips from the resort or guesthouse where we stay.
Raja Ampat reef and Fish
The number of participants of the tours are from 1 or 2 to 6 or 8 people. Sometimes I guide more tourists. For safety reason, tourists are advised to wear snorkeling jackets that we provide. Snorkelers will be able to keep afloat on the coral reef that is a fragile environment. In addition to snorkeling, freediving, and sightseeing, your trip to these islands can be combined with birdwatching. Birds such as Red Bird of Paradise, and Wilson's Bird of Paradise are important targets. There are also other interesting birds which visitors can see during the tour including Eclectus Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Eastern Osprey, and Brahminy Kite, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Red-cheeked Parrot, Hooded Butcherbird, Beach Kingfisher, Coconut Lorikeet and a lot more. Most birdwatchers bring their own binoculars.
Getting to Raja Ampat
You need to take international flight from your country to Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia). After that you could continue your trip to Sorong city. Most Domestic airlines in Indonesia such as Garuda, Sriwijaya, Nam Air, Batik Air and Lion Air provide regular flights to Sorong. Alternative route: You could fly to Singapore. After that, by Silk Air you could fly to Manado city (the capital of the Province of North Sulawesi). There are regular flights by one of the above airlines to Sorong city. I could organize your trip from Sorong to Raja Ampat islands. If you are interested in visiting Raja Ampat and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. Also read:
