Amazing images from Raja Ampat

Heard the name Raja Ampat, but not quite sure what makes it so special? In three words: location, location, location.

Raja Ampat means Four Kings and is named for the four islands Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool in Indonesia͛s West Paua Province, though in fact the archipelago comprises over 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals.

It's on the tip of what's referred to as the Bird Head Peninsula and is pretty much the geo-centre of the Coral Triangle.

Raja Ampat is in the area is sandwiched between the Pacific and Indian Oceans and subject to the Indonesian Throughflow – the steady current that arises as the Pacific Ocean slowly pushes 15 million cubic metres of water per second towards the Indian Ocean through the straits between the 17,000 or so islands of Indonesia.

It's this current that makes the Coral Triangle such a hotspot for superlatives, like: Amazon of the Seas, and 3,000 fish species which is 37% of all known species on the planet, and 76% of all known coral.

Here's an oversimplified marine biology lesson: stuff dies. When it dies, it sinks to the bottom, unless it's eaten on the way by something else – which will also die (fish aren͛t particularly known for their longevity), - where it decomposes.

The currents which move more quickly when squeezing through narrower gaps between islands, stir up this nutrient rich decomposing stuff and bring it towards the surface where the tiny critters, including corals, grab it from the passing stream as food.

And that's the start of the bigger fish eat littler fish marine food chain.

So essentially, there͛s lots of food for everyone. But the word biodiversity means lots of species, not just lots of fish; so we still haven͛t quite answered the question, and that͛s because there are two opposing theories.

Centre of Origin: much like Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of mankind, so some consider this area to be the origin of all marine species generally.

Centre of Accumulation: others believe that the conditions are so conducive for marine life, that once a species finds its way here – it sticks around.

If I was a fish born in Raja Ampat, I'd never leave; and if was born elsewhere and happened to visit, I would never leave. So maybe both theories are correct.

Either way, for divers and snorkellers, Raja Ampat is simply one of those places that never disappoints. Get it on your bucket list, and if it's already there, maybe push it to the top.

More information here: http://www.diveplanit.com/destination/raja-ampat/