Cendrawasih Bay is located on the east side of West Papua’s Bird’s Head Peninsula. This Bay is home to Indonesia’s largest marine park; the area offers mist- topped limestone cliffs, stunning tropical rain forests, and some of the best corals on the planet. Recognizing the importance of the Bay, in 2002 the provincial government and Conservation International determined Taman Nasional Teluk Cenderawasih as the most significant marine protected area in Indonesia. There are 200 species of fish and a variety of marine life populates the various types of coral reefs here, like barrier-reefs, and shallow water reef mounds. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the world’s most giant shark, there’s no better place than the remote this Bay! Elsewhere around the world, whale sharks come into sight usually on seasonal migratory routes but in this Bay, the sharks are always there all year round.
How to reach Cendrawasih Bay?
Trip to Cendrawasih Bay, you can fly from Jakarta, North Sulawesi and Bali to the airport at Biak or Manokwari of West Papua. The Bay is a liveaboard destination only. The perfect recommend an option to visit the place by joining Papua diving liveaboard with Hello Papua. Once you are on board, let your fantastic voyage to relation begin!
When to go?
Mostly, West Papua has two distinct rainy seasons, in July or August and in November or December. But, diving is allowed here all year round, however most liveaboards trip offer between June to October. You could enjoy cruising in calm seas, with only some rain showers warm, on sunny days. While water temperatures in this area between 27-30C. The best liveaboard and diving trip season coincides with the cooler months. Remember, that cold water can often mean you can see more big fish like sharks and trevally.
Best Dive Site in Cendrawasih Bay
Kwatisore Bay
Without question, the highlight attraction in this Bay is swimming with the whale sharks of Kwatisore on the southern coastline. Kwatisore Bay has become a unique resident location for the gentle whale shark. Therefore, they can be seen hanging around almost every day throughout the year, and up to ten species can be encountered here!
Manokwari
This Bay was used as a harbour by the Japanese fleet during WWII in the past. At this time, you can see all sorts of military memorabilia spread across the Bay. You also can see a good number of wrecks in the Manokwari area, like off Masinam Island, the 390ft Shinwa Maru, and a P40 Tomahawk fighter plane. All of these wrecks and artificial reefs are now home to all sorts of creatures, as well as grouper, moray eels, and other crevice-loving species.
Roon Island
Roon Island offers a remarkable array of exotic adventures; it is located on the northwest. You can find deserted beaches and untouched coves. Here you can see a group of fusiliers, occasional reef shark and barracuda.
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