Snorkeling in Raja Ampat Reef - Birding in its Rainforest

Raja Ampat has got beautiful coral reef which we could explore while snorkeling over it. The snorkeling sites that I highly recommend are Yefkabu island, Tamako reef, Yefnabi island, Sand Bank, Mutus island, Lesser Mutus, Yef Tip, Yet Moi, Piaynemo Karst, and etc. They are located in the west of Waigeo island.

Jousuba Homestay in Raja Ampat

The snorkeling sites that are closer to Waigeo island are the southern coast of Waigeo, Saporkren beach, Friwen wall, Urai island, Yenbuba Strait, Mioskon, and etc. A lot of fish could be seen in coral reef. There are striped-surgeonfish, diagonal sweetlips, butterflyfish, anemonefish, moorish idol and etc. We could also see christmas tree worm, sea cucumber, nudibranch, turtle and etc. 

Coral reef in Raja Ampat

Stonefish in Waigeo island

Island Hopping

Islands that could be chosen as the sites for snorkeling include Kri, Mansuar, Gam, and Waigeo. The snorkeling tour to remote places could be conducted by speed boat. Traveling with 2 or 4 participants will allow every participant of the tour to share the cost.

Birding/ Wildlife Watching

The activity of watching wild animals in the rainforest of Raja Ampat is also interesting. Usually, Waigeo island is the most recommended destination. The main target of observation include Red Bird of Paradise, Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Blyth's Hornbill, Beach Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Red-cheeked Parrot, Papuan Eclectus, Great-billes Parrot and Violet-necked Lory. 

Pinon Imperial Pigeon

There are also Waigeo-spotted Cuscus, Fruit Bats and soa-soa which we could watch in the forest.

Binoculars such as the Swarovski, Leica or Nikon Monarch 10×42 mm will greatly enhance the birding experience of tour participants who bring them. Camera for bird or wildlife photography is usually the d-slr or mirrorless one with a 150-600 mm telephoto lens.

A beach in Kri island of Raja Ampat

Equipment

There are some snorkeling device that tour participants need to bring such as snorkeling mask, fins. Some beach resorts provide them for free or for rent. To take underwater picture and videos, a digital camera will be needed. The famous one is Olympus TG-7 or Nikon W300. 

If you are interested in taking a snorkeling tour that is combined with birding/ wildlife watching tour in Raja Ampat islands, and want me to organize your trip, please, contact us by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Related Posts

• Adventure Tour in the Islands of Raja Ampat
• Raja Ampat Adventure Snorkeling and Birding

Birdwatching,  Butterfly watching and Farm Tour in Sonder Town of Minahasa Highland

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa Highland. It is a beautiful destination for visitors who love to see nature, farmland, do birdwatching and insect watching. 

Sulawesi Scops Owl

Birds in Subdistrict Sonder

A lot of species of birds could be watched there. Here are some of them:

• Sooty-headed Bulbul
• Sahul Sunbird
• Brown-throated Sunbird
• Black Sunbird 
• Crimson Sunbird
• Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
• Sulawesi Brush Cuckoo
• Pygmy Hanging Parrot
• Gray-sided Flowerpecker
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
• Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
• Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
• Sulawesi Pygmy Hanging Parrot
• Sulawesi Myzomela
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
• Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove
• Sulawesi Crow
• Citrine Canary Flycatcher
• Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher
• Warbling White-eye (also called Japanese White-eye)
• Black-crowned White-eye
• Little Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Purple Heron
• White-breasted Woodswallow
• Collared Kingfisher
• Sulawesi Drongo 
• Hair-crested Drongo 
• Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove
• White-faced Cuckoo-dove
• Green Imperial Pigeon
• Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon
• Sulawesi-crested Myna
• Chestnut Munia
• Black-faced Munia
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Sulawesi Scops Owl
• Pale Blue Monarch
• Sulawesi-crested Myna
• Yellow-billed Malkoha
• White-browed Crake
• Isabelline Bush-hen
• Buff-banded Rail
• Barred Rail
• and etc. 

Birdwatching activity is usually carried out by walking through farm forest where local villagers grow fruiting trees such as clove, coconut, avocado, rambutan, jackfruit, durian, duku. There is tropical rainforest on the top of the hill in the south of Sonder. Birding along its edge will allow visitors to see Sulawesi Bush Warbler, Yellow-billed Malkoha, and other endemic species of birds of Sulawesi.

Pale Blue Monarch

Birdwatching Equipment

Most birdwatchers bring a good pair of 10×42 mm or 10× 50 mm binoculars from such brands as Nikon Monarch, Leica, Swarovski, Olympus. As a birding guide, I usually bring my SVBONY 20-60×80 mm spotting scope. All participants could share the use of this scope when observing birds in tall or distant trees. 

Sonder town and its surrounding farmland

Accommodation

Visitors who are interested in taking a birding tour can stay in homestays of local villagers. The rooms are basic/ simple. For more comfortable accommodation, visitors could stay in the nearby Tomohon town. 

How to get there?

It is easy to reach Sonder town. Visitors can combine the marine tour in Raja Ampat with the birding tour in Minahasa highland. They can fly from Sorong city to Manado city. There are daily flight services between these cities that are served by TransNusa and Lion Air. 

For international travelers, they could fly from Singapore to Manado city by Scoot Air or from Guangzhou in China to Manado city by TransNusa or China Southern Airlines.

Flight routes to Manado city

Car route to Sonder

Booking

The duration of snorkeling tour in Raja Ampat can be as short as 4 days-3 nights to 1 week. The duration for birding in Sonder and other areas of Minahasa Peninsula can be 1 week. You could book this combined trip of snorkeling and birding in Raja Ampat and birwatching trip in Sonder of Minahasa highland by sending your message to our e-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp:+6281332245180. 

Also read:

• Birding in Minahasa Peninsula
• Birding in North Sulawesi
• Sonder's Birdwatching and Butterflywatching Sites
• North Sulawesi Tour Package

Bird Photography Tour in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is not only famous for its marine environment but also its rainforest wildlife. There are Red Bird of Paradise, and Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, and etc.

In my recent trips with photographers from the USA and India, we saw the Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise in the forest of Waigeo.

Wilson's Bird of Paradise

We had to wake up at 04:00, made preparation and had some breakfast before leaving for the forest by car at 04:30. It took around 30 minutes to reach the entrance site of the forest. When we arrived, we still had to continue our trip on foot for around 30 minutes to reach the lek of Red Bird of Paradise and then another 30 minutes to the Wilson's Bird of Paradise. 

Although we experienced heavy rain, we were able to see the paradise birds as well as other birds such as Blyth's Hornbill, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Papuan Eclectus, and Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Hooded Butcherbird, Red-cheeked Parrot and etc. 

In my last trip with the Indian photographer, we went to a small island in Kabui bay by boat. There, we saw Violet-necked Lory, Beautiful Fruit-dove, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Great-billed Parrot, Dusky Scrubfowl, Palm Cockatoo and Helmetted Friarbird and Black-naped Tern.

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

During the tour, participants will stay at a beach resort. So, in addition to birding or wildlife watching, participants could enjoy snorkeling at the house reef of the resort. For scuba diving, we could arrange it with the dive center of the resort. 

Marine Life in Raja Ampat

If you are interested in visiting Raja Ampat to enjoy snorkeling and birding, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Village Trip and Waisai Town Tour in Waigeo of Raja Ampat

I am now guiding two tourists in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. They are from Australia. In the past few days, we have been doing sightseeing and birdwatching tour. 

This morning we went by car to the northeast area of Waisai town to have a tour around traditional market of Waisai and Warsambin village. We were accompanied by a boy from the village who showed us interesting things about his village. We took pictures about the village, its houses and alleyways, flowers, and its unique people. 

Tour from Waisai town to Warsambin village in Waigeo

Warsambin was a small coastal village. Villagers had been working as fishermen but now more of them were getting involved in tourism business. They used their motorized boats to transport visitors to Blue River. 

The landscape or the seascape of Warsambin was beautiful if we saw it from one of the jettys. It took around 1 hour for us to explore the village. We had some light but interesting conversations with the villagers. There were elementary school children and their mothers who went to school carrying foods for celebrating their graduation party. There was also a man who was making traditional wooden drum. He used simple tools such as small chisel and hammer. He could only make 1 wooden drum per week. 

Snowy Orchid-Tree

While passing by the houses of the villagers along the coast of Warsambin, I saw a shrub plant whose white flowers looked very beautiful. I stopped to make some photographs. Later when I asked Google Lens to identify it, it replied with description about Dwarf White Bauhinia or  Snowy Orchid Tree (Bauhinia acuminata).

On the way back to the resort where we were staying, we stopped at a waterfall near the road to enjoy the view. After that we stopped at a place where people were making bricks using adobe which they digged from the hill at the roadside. We also visited WTC (Waisai Torang Cinta) beach and had a car tour around Waisai town to see housing areas of the town dwellers, and government buildings. At the WTC beach, we had lunch that we took in lunch boxes from our resort. We watched Beach Kingfisher, tern and coconut lorikeet there. 

Swimming and Snorkeling

During the tour, we stayed at a beach resort in southern Waigeo. Its waters has got beautiful coral reef. It is suitable for swimming and snorkeling. So, we combined swimming, snorkeling and sightseeing during the 3 days 2 nights trip in Raja Ampat.

A wooden jetty of a beach resort on the seawater allows easy and safe access to the coral reef for snorkelers

Anemonefish in Raja Ampat

If you are interested in traveling to Indonesia to enjoy your holiday in Raja Ampat, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com.

Related Posts:

• Things to do in Raja Ampat
• Snorkeling, Island Hopping and Birdwatching Trip in Raja Ampat
• Raja Ampat Coral Reef Snorkeling and Rainforest Wildlife Tour
• Bird Tour in Raja Ampat

Also read:

• Sonder's Birdwatching and Butterflywatching Site
• North Sulawesi Tour Package
• Nature Tour in North Sulawesi

Birdwatching Tour in Southern Wageo of Raja Ampat

The island of Waigeo in Raja Ampat is often visited by birdwatchers and wildlife photographers. They go there to watch and take pictures of birds, mammals, reptiles and insects that could be found in the forest and coastal area of the island. 

Red Bird of Paradise

A female Red Bird of Paradise in Waigeo 

General birdwatching activity is usually conducted along the roadside to look for such birds as Papuan Eclectus, Blyth's Hornbill, Coconut Lorikeet, Red-cheeked Parrot, Willie Wagtail, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Brown Oriole, Hooded Butcherbird, Helmeted Friarbird, Sahul Sunbird, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Claret-breasted Fruit-dove, Beautiful Fruit-dove, Channel-billed Cuckoo and a lot more.

There are also sea birds that we could find along the beach such as Osprey, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Lesser-crested Tern, Common Tern, Black-naped Tern, Whimbrel, Pacific Reef Heron, Striated Heron, Purple Heron, Common Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Little-ringed Plover, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, and etc. 

The main attractions for visitors who love birding are Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise. They can be watched in the mornings and in late afternoons depending on the weather. There are several places in the forest of Waigeo island to watch the paradise birds. 

Birdwatching Tour in Waigeo of Raja Ampat

If the weather is calm, visitors could enjoy swimming and snorkeling at the beach. Usually, the accommodation for tour participants is the beach resorts that are built along the southern beach of Waigeo. Participants could enjoy swimming and snorkeling after doing the birdwatching activity in the mornings and in the afternoons.

The duration of this birding trip in Waigeo is 3 days/ 2 nights. It can be combined with another 3-day/ 2-night wildlifewatching tour in Sorong regency's forest.  

Palm Cockatoo in Waigeo of Raja Ampat

If you are interested in taking this birdwatching tour in Raja Ampat and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Related Posts:

• Snorkeling and Watching Birds in Raja Ampat
• Birdwatching, snorkeling and sightseeing in Raja Ampat and Sorong
• Wildlife Watching and Snorkeling Tour in Sorong and Raja Ampat

Snorkeling, Island Hopping and Birdwatching Trip in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is one of the most favorite destinations in the world for marine tourism. For visitors who love snorkeling and island hopping, perhaps, this tour is interesting. We could start from the Kri island. The coral reef around this island is very beautiful. It is the habitat of a lot of species of marine creatures from batfish that likes to swim around the jetty of the resort or homestay to anemonefish and parrotfish that are common in coral reef of this tropical archipelago. For more unusual species such as the longtail carpet shark or also called epaulette shark, we could see it at night at the shallow water of the beach. 

A beach in Kri island

During the transition period from high tide to low tide in Yenbuba strait, most often, there is current. Tour participants need to wear swim fins. As a guide, I often carry an orange lifejacket with me which I can give to snorkeling participant who may have problems with leaks on his or her snorkeling mask. It is also a clear sign for boat drivers that there are snorkelers in coral reef area where they are passing. 

Homestays and dive resorts in Kri and Mansuar can be used as a base for marine tours around northern Raja Ampat archipelago. There are dive centers that provide equipment for snorkelers and scuba divers who want to see the beauty of coral reef and its marine life. 

Warahnus homestay in Kri island

Dive center in Warahnus homestay of Kri island

For those who are interested in birdwatching, the nearby Merpati island and Mioskon island are very good destinations to watch Lemon-bellied White-eye, Varied Honeyeater, Violet-necked Lory, Papuan Eclectus, Great-billed Parrot, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Beach Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, White-bellied Sea Eagle and etc.

Coral reef in the east of Waigeo island

Underwater picture of marine life in Mioskon

The next trip during the tour is going to Piaynemo. It takes around 1 hour 30 minutes to reach it. The wonderful view of the karst of Piaynemo looks like emerald jewels that are arranged in turquoise blue water. One the way back, we could enjoy snorkeling in Piaynemo and Mansuar island. 

For visitors who are interested in birdwatching, the island of Waigeo is the next stop. It can also become the base for exploring other parts of Raja Ampat such as Kabui bay, Kali biru (Blue River), Gam Island, and a lot of small islands in the west of Waigeo. There are homestays and beach resorts along the south of Waigeo. 

Coconut Lorikeet in Waigeo island

A lot of species of birds could be watched in Waigeo. They include Red Bird of Paradise and Wilson's Bird of Paradise, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Claret-breasted Fruit-dove, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Coconut Lorikeet, Black-capped Lory, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Hooded Butcherbird, Brown Oriole, Papuan Eclectus, Blyth's Hornbill, and etc. 

Beautiful Fruit Dove

Tour participants need to bring birding binoculars such as the Nikon Monarch 7 or Leica Trinovod 10×42 mm, and photographic device with telephoto lens.

If you are interested in taking a snorkeling, birdwatching, and island hopping tour, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Birding, Snorkeling and Sightseeing Tour in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is a famous destination for visitors who love marine tourism. They go there to enjoy snorkeling, scuba diving and island tours. As a matter of fact, there are other attractions which visitors can enjoy while in Raja Ampat. 

Most of the big islands of Raja Ampat are covered by tropical rainforest. They are the natural habitat of a lot of species of birds, butterflies and other insecte, reptiles, and mammals. Visitors can enjoy rainforest tour while doing snorkeling or scuba diving in Raja Ampat. 

Piaynemo Karst

The easiest wildlife tour that anyone can enjoy while in Raja Ampat is doing roadside birding. The birds that can be watched include Hooded Butcherbird, Shining Flycatcher, Spangled Drongo, Eclectus Parrot, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Beach Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher and etc. Most visitors want to watch birds of paradise. Usually, this is carried out early in the morning. Visitors need to wake up early at 04:30 to have coffee or tea with some biscuits. After that, they need to leave their resort or homestay at 05:00 for the site of paradise birds. Most guides will organize a car to reach the site earlier. The trip to the jungle will be carried out on foot. Birding can easily be carried out along the roadside of Waigeo island. 

The view of Kabui bay as seen from a homestay

However, it can also be done in remote islands along the beach. For example to Lesser Urai or Merpati island. Birds that live in remote islands of Raja Ampat include Violet-necked Lory, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Great-billed Parrot, Singing Starling, Palm Cockatoo, Claret-brested Fruit Dove and etc.

Birding in Raja Ampat

The birding activity in remote islands can be combined with snorkeling in coral reef areas. Raja Ampat is the habitat of tropical reef fish such as Wobbegong, butterflyfish, damselfish, parrotfish, moorish idol, grouper, trevally, and a lot more. 

Marine Life in Waigeo island

Coral reef in Mioskon island

Sightseeing tour can be done to interesting places of Raja Ampat such as Blue River, Piaynemo Karst, Yenbuba Strait or Kabui bay. For this purpose, a speedboat will definitely be needed. 

If you are interested in taking a tour in Raja Ampat and want me to organize your tour and guide you, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. 

Snorkeling and Rainforest Tours in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat archipelago has got a lot of snorkeling sites for visitors to explore. The ones that are closer to Waisai town in Waigeo island include Saporkren coast, Lesser and Greater Urai islands, Friend Wall, Yenbuba Strait, Cape Kri, and Mioskon island. Visitors can enjoy snorkeling to see various kinds of marine creatures such as parrotfish, butterflyfish, wrasse, moorish idol, boxfish, anemonefish, lionfish, and etc. 

Snorkeling photo from Yenbuba Strait between Kri and Mansuar

Giant clam in Arborek island

Visitors need to bring their own underwater camera such as Nikon W300 or Olympus TG-6 to take pictures of these marine animals. They can also use action camera such as Go Pro to take underwater pictures. To get good results, the cameras have to be set for underwater use. 

The best time for snorkeling is in the mornings and during high tide. 

Brown Cuckoo-dove

In addition to snorkeling, visitors can also take hiking tour in rainforest for watching birds of paradise and other tropical birds of West Papua such as Eclectus Parrot, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Olive-crowned Flowerpecker, Golden Monarch, Red-cheeked Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet and etc. To take this rainforest bird watching tours, visitors need to bring their own binoculars. 

Endemic paradise Bird from Raja Ampat

For visitors who are interested in more adventurous trips, Batanta island is one of the destinations that they should go. There, visitors can enjoy snorkeling, dolphin and dugong watching as well as watching wildlife in the forest. 

Accommodation

There are a  lot of homestays and beach resorts that are built in the islands of Raja Ampat. They can be booked online through the internet or through tour guide like me. 

Booking

If you are interested in taking a snorkeling tour with your base in Waigeo island or Batanta island of Raja Ampat and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by WhatsApp to: +6281332245180. 

Raja Ampat in July

July is the month where a lot of travelers want to go to Raja Ampat to spend their vacation. As a matter of fact the sea is full of waves particularly in south and central regions of the archipelago. I used to guide a Dutch lady in July. We went to southern region of Waigeo and stayed at a homestay near the entrance area to Kabui bay. Although the sea was quite protected, we could still experience waves. Snorkeling was possible only in the morning. Sometimes,  We did a tour by a motorized wooden boat around Kabui bay. The waves were quite strong. We used outrigger boat. We went to karst in the bay to see the scenery and enjoyed some birdwatching. Waves hit us from the bow when we were heading back to the homestay. All our clothing was wet. The boat crews was busy taking out water from inside the hull using a small water dipper.

Orange-skunk Anemonefish

Although the wind and the waves were quite strong at the beach, when I did freediving at a depth of 2 to 5 meters, the visibility was quite good. I could still make pictures of coral reef and marine life. I used a small action camera Brica B-Pro 5 Alpha Edition. It was not the best camera for underwater photography but it was good enough for snorkelers who want to have an affordable underwater photographic device.

Karst inside Kabui bay of Raja Ampat

In July, Raja Ampat is more suitable for wildlife/ birdwatching tour

For those who want to explore the tropical rainforest in Raja Ampat, July is a perfect month. Orchids, tropical plants, reptiles, mammals, birds and insects can be seen while we walk in the jungle. As a tour guide, I organize birdwatching tour to Raja Ampat all year round, even in late June, July and September when the waves are big. There are a lot of birds that we can watch including Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Great-billed Parrot, Violet-necked Lory, Red-cheeked Parrot, Spice Imperial Pigeon, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pied Imperial Pigeon, Hooded Butcherbird, Beach Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Pacific Swallow, White-breasted Woodswallow, Wimbrel, Brahminy Kite, White-belly Sea Eagle, and a lot more.
Birdwatching activity can be done using binoculars, and spotting scope.

North coast of Wageo

Which places you could visit in July?
You could visit places in Raja Ampat that are not directly exposed to sea current and waves that come from south-east or south-west directions. So, doing land tours in Waigeo, Salawati or Batanta will be ok. However, transport vehicles are not always available especially for big boats that go to Salawati and Batanta. Regular passenger ferry go to Misool, and Waigeo. There are also ships that go to Kofiau. Coastal villages in northern region of Waigeo have got calm waters in July, August and September. It is a suitable place for swimming, fishing, and wildlife watching in the forest.

After your trip to Raja Ampat, you could extend your holiday in Sorong city to explore its mangrove forest, rainforest to watch wildlife, city life, traditional market. 
Booking
The spread of Covid-19 around the world is still going on. If the threat of this virus has stopped and tourism activities can be continued again, anyone will be allowed to visit Raja Ampat again.
If you are interested in traveling to Raja Ampat and want me to organize your tour and accompany you, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180

Also read:
Raja Ampat Birds
Snorkeling and Watching Birds of Paradise in Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat beach

Traveling to North East Coast of Waigeo Island

A Beach in North-east Coast of Waigeo island

There was a village in north eastern region of Waigeo island. I visited it 3 weeks ago. I accompanied Wally and Coby in our efforts to help local people build sanitation facilities at a black sand beach. There was a turtle conservation project at the beach. The villagers had built a small wooden house as their shelter while doing monitoring works on turtles that were landing and laying eggs. Unfortunately, the house did not have toilet and clean water facilities to support tourists who want to see turtles landing and laying eggs at the beach.

Bird Tour in Raja Ampat

Last week, I guided six Singaporean tourists on a bird tour in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. They stayed at Putras, a beach resort in southern region of Waigeo. We enjoyed birding in the forest of Saporkren, at Warduwer beach and along the road side in the southern and eastern regions of Waigeo.

In the forest of Saporkren, the main target birds were Wilson's Bird of Paradise, and Red Bird of Paradise. However, there were other birds which we also saw such as the Common Paradise Kingfisher, Papuan Pitta, Brown-headed Crow, Frilled Monarch, Blyth's Hornbill.

Singaporean birdwatchers in Raja Ampat

It was quite difficult to watch birds under the canopy of the forest. So, at 10.00, we moved to Wardower beach to watch Hooded Butcherbird, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Spangled Drongo, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Glossy-mantled Manucode. Because there were more open spaces at Wardower beach, birdwatching activity could be carried out with the use of spotting scopes. The Singaporean birdwatchers brought Kowa and Swarovski spotting scopes. They greatly enhanced our birding experience. We even visited the beach twice - in the morning and in the afternoon.
When we were at the beach, we saw some construction workers were working at the beach. They were building wooden bungalows. Soon, a beach resort would be open at this beach. 

Red Bird of Paradise

If you are interested in visiting Raja Ampat and want me to organize your tour and guide you, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Raja Ampat Birding

Red Bird of Paradise

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 (Paradisaea rubra). 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. 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 to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

 -written by Charles Roring

Also read:
Birds in Raja Ampat
Birdwatching in Raja Ampat Karst

Snorkeling Video from Raja Ampat

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 especially 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 st Warduwer beach.

Snorkeling photo from 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.

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

Boat Trip to North of Raja Ampat

I visited Yenbekaki village of Raja Ampat last week. It was located in north-east region of Waigeo island. I went there with Rani and two villagers by a small wooden boat powered by two 15 HP outboard engines. We went there to see turtle conservation innitiatives at Warebar beach.

At Pasir Timbul (sandbar) of Raja Ampat

The weather was very nice. We made several stops along the way. First, at the Pasir Timbul (meaning: sandbar), Second: at Yenandau beach, Third: Warebar Beach, and Finally: Arrived at the beach of Yenbekaki. Although the weather was very hot, we really enjoyed the view, the fresh air and the crystal clear blue sea of Raja Ampat.
When we stopped at Yenandau beach, it was around 14.00. Rani took out cake for our lunch. There were also two packages of lunch wrapped in paper. The ingredients were rice, fried fish and some vegetables. Sitting at a big stone by the beach, we had our lunch. Yusuf, one of the villagers whom picked some green leaves which we used as our "plates." The sea was calm and the sun was brightly shining from above. It was a very beautiful beach. Minutes after lunch, we left the beach for Warebar beach.

Yenandau beach in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat

Children were playing at the beach when we arrived. They were happy to see us. When our boat landed on the beach, they welcomed us and helped us pushing the boat to the land. There was a small house at the beach which was used by villagers as a post for their Turtle Conservation Works. There are three rooms in it. There was a big table in front of the house facing the beach.

Children were helping us push the boat when we landed at Warebar beach

The sand was black. It was the location of turtle conservation works conducted by Yusup and his friends from Yenbekaki village. There were two plastic containers with with baby turtles in them. They planned to release them at night. We also checked the relocated nests. Eggs of the turtles were given labels about the species and time when their mothers landed on the beach to lay them. In the relocated nests, special net was installed to protect the eggs from predators such as soa-soa lizard, and dogs.

Relocated and Protected Turtle Nests in Raja Ampat

We continued our boat trip to Yenbekaki village. The waves at the beach were quite big. We had to wait for the right moment to leave it. Still, one of us fell back into the bottom of the boat when a big wave hit us from the front. Everything back to normal again when we had reach deeper water. In around five minutes we landed at Yenbekaki village. Here, the sand had a cream whitish look. We brought our bags into Yusup's house and took a rest at the bench across from his house. Sweet hot coffee was brought to us. We drank the coffee and then decided to do a short walking tour around the village. The village was quite big. The houses were neatly arranged, some were decorated with flower plants or motif paintings. At the beach, we saw some people were building a wooden boat. They were happy to see us. Some children were playing at the beach.
We also had a long beach walk to see the beautiful scenery of Yenbekaki village. At night I and some villagers left the village for the Turtle Conservation Post by small motorized boat. At was only a short trip but we had to be very careful when entering the beach. The waves were big. We decided to enter it through Warebar river. The villager at the front of the boat used torch to find the entrance of the river.With the push from a big wave, we entered the river and slowly turned left to a big pool. We landed near the relocated nests. We still needed to walk for a few minutes to the post. I did not want to wait for long to see the release of the turtle. When everybody has arrived at the post, I asked them if it was ok to see them releasing the baby turtles. They said yes. 

Release of Baby Turtles at Warebar beach of Raja Ampat

Two big containers with baby turtles in them were released. Villagers released the turtles at night to prevent predators from attacking them. We still did night patrol to see whether there were mother turtles that landed on the beach to lay eggs but we did not see any. Back to the post, at the table in front of it, I enjoyed having good conversation with the villagers and a university student who was doing researches on turtles.