4
5
3
species count of any dive destination in the world,
Raja Ampat is the heart of the Coral Triangle
and the most diverse underwater environment
on the planet. Commune with mantas one dive,
photograph pygmy seahorses the next, and then
spend the afternoon on one of the most pictureperfect reefs you’ve ever seen – or do it all on the
same dive. The problem is trying to decide where
to point the camera without missing anything, and
that never quite seems possible here.
Although many dive sites have been described,
there are hundreds still to be found – entire
island chains that have yet to be thoroughly
surveyed. Raja Ampat remains a vastly unexplored
paradise, where the opportunity for the
underwater photographer to capture something
truly unique will keep bringing them back time and
again.
2. Ribboned sweetlips
congregating at the
local coral bush in the
Dampier Strait
Equipment & settings:
Canon EOS 7D, Aquatica
housing, Canon 10–22mm
lens, two Sea & Sea YS-250
strobes, f/6.3, 1/50s, ISO200
4. Mobula rays send
schooling silversides
scattering as they pass
through in formation
Equipment & settings:
Canon EOS 7D, Aquatica
housing, Sigma 10mm, two
Sea & Sea YS-250 strobes,
f/6.3, 1/80s, ISO320
3. Anthias exploding from
a soft coral covered reef
in Misool
Equipment & settings:
Nikon D810, Nauticam
housing, Nikon 16–35mm
lens, two Sea & Sea YS-250
strobes, f/9, 1/250s, ISO200
5. Mangroves framed
against the sky
Equipment & settings:
Canon EOS 7D, Aquatica
housing, Tokina 10–17mm
lens, two Sea & Sea YS-250
strobes, f/8, 1/250s, ISO200