The Best Diving Place In The World
Raja Ampat Islands
Raja Ampat Islands : The Best Diving Place In The WorldLocated off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo. It encompasses more than 9.8 million acres (40,000 km²) of land and sea, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua (province) of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya.
According to Conservation International, marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on Earth. Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The Coral Triangle is the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat quite possibly the richest coral reef ecosystems in the world.
The area's massive coral colonies along with relatively high sea surface temperatures, also suggest that its reefs may be relatively resistant to threats like coral bleaching and coral disease, which now jeopardise the survival of other coral ecosystems around the world. The Raja Ampat islands are remote and relatively undisturbed by humans.
The high marine diversity in Raja Ampat is strongly influenced by its position between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as coral and fish larvae are more easily shared between the two oceans. Raja Ampat's coral diversity, resilience, and role as a source for larval dispersal make it a global priority for marine protection.
Over 1,070 fish species, 537 coral species (a remarkable 96% of all scleratinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur in these islands), and 699 mollusc species, the variety of marine life is staggering.[citation needed] Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs.
22:31
freetraveltips
Kapalua Beach is a beautiful golden stretch along the west coast of the Keanae Peninsula, with a spectacular view of Molokai, and one of the prettiest and safest beaches on Maui - once voted the best beach in the world by Condé Nast Magazine. It has an exclusive beach resort called Kapalua Bay. Inside the bay is well-protected from big waves by offshore reefs and by lava peninsulas on the both sides, making this a superb swimming beach for families with small children. It is also a good place to watch whales, during the whale season. If you drive, beware that public parking and beach access is not easy to find, and it's a bit of a walk to the beach. This beach also match for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving lovers. After visit Kapalua Beach Park, Maui, I can guarantee you absolutely will love Hawaii...
