Raja Ampat Islands
is a series of four adjacent group of islands and is located in the
western part of Bird's Head (Vogelkoop) Papua Island. Administratively,
this group is under the Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua Province. The
archipelago is now the object of divers who are interested in the
beautiful views of the sea. Four group of islands is a member named by
the four largest islands, namely Pulau Waigeo, Misool Island, Salawati
Island, and Island Batanta.
Origins and history
The
origin myth name of Raja Ampat by local communities comes from a woman
who found seven eggs. Four grains of which hatch into four princes who
separated and each became a powerful king in Waigeo, Salawati, Misool
Misool East and West. Meanwhile, three other eggs became a ghost, a
woman, and a rock.
In the course of history, the Raja
Ampat region has long been inhabited by aristocratic society and
implementing custom systems Maluku. In this system, a group of human
society. Each village is led by a king. Since its establishment five
Muslim sultanate in the Moluccas, Raja Ampat claim to be part of the
Sultanate of Tidore. After the Sultanate of Tidore subject of the
Netherlands, the Raja Ampat Islands became part of the claim, the
Netherlands Indies.
community
Raja Ampat
Islands society generally traditional fishermen who dwell in small
villages are located far apart and different islands. They are a
friendly community receive guests from outside, especially if we take
take home their form of nut or candy. Goods will become a 'peace pipe
indian' in Raja Ampat. Event chat with eating nuts also called "The-the
Pinang" often turns throwing each other mutually mob, the local term for
funny stories.
They are converts to Islam and Christianity, and
often in a family or clan are members embrace one of the two religions.
This creates a community standing rule of Raja Ampat although different
confidence.
Wealth of natural resources
Raja
Ampat Islands is a great potential to serve as a tourist attraction,
especially diving tourism. Raja Ampat Islands waters according to
various sources, is one of the 10 best waters for diving site in the
world. In fact, it may even be recognized as number one for the
completeness of underwater flora and fauna at this time.
Dr.
John Veron, coral experienced members from Australia, for example, in a
site he reveals, Raja Ampat Islands located in the most western tip of
Papua Island, about 50 miles northwest of Sorong, has the best reef
areas in Indonesia. Around 450 types of coral identified during two
weeks time to research in the area.
Our team of
experts from Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and the
National Oceanographic Institution (LON) Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI) have done a quick assessment in 2001 and 2002.
Consequently, they recorded in these waters there are more than 540
types of hard coral (75% from the total of the world), more than 1,000
types of reef fish, 700 types of mollusks, and the highest note for
gonodactyloid stomatopod Crustaceans. This makes 75% of the world's
coral species in Raja Ampat. None of the area have the same area of this
coral species.
There are several coral reefs are
still very good condition with a percentage close to 90% live coral,
namely in the Dampier strait (strait between the island and the island
Waigeo Batanta) Kofiau Islands, Southeast Misool Kepualauan Wayag
Islands. Type of coral reefs in Raja Ampat is generally reef edge to the
steep sloping contours. But also found atoll type and type char or
taka. In some places like the village Saondarek, when the lowest tides,
coral reefs can be seen without a dive stretch and with his own
adaptation, coral will still be able to survive even in the open air and
exposed to direct sunlight.
Unique species that can
be found on the second dive is some kind of dwarf seahorses, wobbegong,
and manta rays. There are also four other endemic fish king, namely
Eviota king, that is a type of fish gobbie. At Manta Point supernal
Arborek Dampier strait, you can dive in the company of some tail Manta
Pari tame like when you dive in Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan. If the
dive at Cape Kri or Chicken Reef, you can surrounded by thousands of
fish. Sometimes the tuna, giant trevallies and snappers. But the stretch
if we are surrounded by a group of barracuda, even though it is
relatively harmless (which is dangerous if we'll see barracuda solitary
or alone). Reef sharks are also frequently seen, and if you are lucky
you can also see the turtle is still eating sponge or swim around you.
In some places like the Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo also seen Dugong or
sea cow.
Because the district of many islands and
narrow straits, so most of the dive at any given time has a strong
current. It is also possible to do a drift dive, dive while pursuing
strong currents with very clear water while penetrating the fish.
Relics of prehistoric and historical
In
the Misool archipelago prehistoric relics found in the form of
hand-stamped mark on the walls of rock. Interestingly, this hand marks
are very close to the sea and not in a cave. According to estimates, the
age of this hand marks around 50,000 years and are part of a range of
indicators of human transmission lines from the west toward New Guinea
and the Melanesian archipelago.
Waste aircraft of World War II shipwreck relics can be found in a number of diving spots, such as on the island of Wai.
access
Visiting
these islands is not too difficult but it takes time and considerable
expense. We can use an airline from Jakarta to Sorong via Menado a 6
hour flight. From Sorong-town big enough and lucrative full-facilities
for exploring the Raja Ampat option two, follow the tour by boat Pinisi
or stay in the resort of Papua Diving. Though most of the tourists that
come to Raja Ampat is currently divers, this site is actually
interesting also for non divers as well as tourists have white sandy
beaches are very beautiful, cluster karst islands nan fascinating and
unique endemic flora-fauna such as Cendrawasih red, Cendrawasih Wilson,
Maleo Waigeo, parrots and parrot variety, fitch Waigeo, as well as many
species of orchid.
The threat to the islands'
Wealth
of biodiversity in Raja Ampat has made himself a high threat level was.
This could be seen from damage coral reefs and forests. Damage to coral
reefs generally is because fishing activity that is not environmentally
friendly as bombs, cyanide and roots bore (sap from the roots of a tree
treatment for poisoning fish).
Conservation efforts
To
maintain the sustainability of the underwater Raja Ampat Islands,
conservation efforts is needed in this area. There are two international
institutions konsen the preservation of natural resources, Raja Ampat,
namely CI (Conservation International) and TNC (The Nature Conservancy).
The government itself has set Waigeo sea around the South, which
includes the small islands such as glue, Mansuar, clusters and cluster
stem Yeben Pele, has been confirmed as a Marine Sanctuary. According to
SK Menhut No. 81/KptsII/1993, vast territory reached 60,000 hectares.