DIVE LOG JUNE 2025 issue 412

Cenderawasih Bay: It’s Not All About the Whale Sharks (but they are a highlight)! text and photos by Mathew Kempton

Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay.

O ff the beaten track, in the remote reaches of West Papua, Indonesia, lies the tranquil expanse of Cenderawasih Bay. The bay, situated off the northern coast of West Papua on the eastern side of the “Bird’s Head” peninsula, Indonesia, is known for its incredible natural beauty and remarkable marine biodiversity.

Here, in the heart of the Coral Triangle where the Pacific and Indian Oceans intersect, it is a testament to the wonders of untouched marine ecosystems. Its pristine waters and vibrant marine life have been preserved, largely due to its remote location, making it a sanctuary for those seeking a fantastic underwater experience. The islands that dot the bay and remote coastal villages offer unique scenic beaches, landscapes and cultural enclaves that, in a modern world, are fewer and farther between. Getting to Cenderawasih Bay. After a charter flight from Darwin to Biak, in the north of the bay, my wife, Liz, and I boarded our home for the next 7 nights, a ship purpose built to access wilderness areas. Along with 32 shipmates, 12 of us divers, and 22 crew we embarked on a seven-night adventure to experience some of the Coral Triangle’s best diving, remote villages, island beaches and, the main game, whale sharks. This journey really does celebrate the mesmerizing world of scuba diving, offering encounters with vibrant coral reefs, some of the highest diversity of marine life in the world, wartime relics and, of course, the magnificent whale sharks. Pulau Purup. Our scuba diving journey commenced at Pulau Purup, a small, relatively flat, island known for its sloping reef on the

southeast tip. It has lots of elephant ear sponges and vibrant soft corals. On this site we got our first glance of an endemic species of fish found only in Cenderawasih Bay – a unique species of flasher wrasse. Evidently there are a number of species of flasher wrasse unique to Cenderawasih Bay; we saw them on most dives. It is one of the notable features of the bay; a number of

Burrowing Lobster

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Dive Log Australasia #412 June ‘25

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