Raja Ampat has been on my list of dream dive destinations ever since I began learning about the Coral Triangle when I was in the Peace Corps in the Philippines.

So when the chance came up to join friends Jos and Lida on their boat the Seven Seas in January 2018, I cleared the schedule and booked the flights from Bali to Sorong.

Our expedition lasted for a full twelve days, traversing the most biodiverse coral reef on the planet. Our group was an inspiring group of friends, artists, activists, scientists, and ocean-lovers.

A personal highlight was seeing a pod of dolphins while diving one of Raja Ampat’s underwater sea mounts – the first time I’ve ever seen these animals underwater and in the wild. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime diving experience.

We explored environments from blue water pinnacles, to blue water mangroves, to brilliantly-colored coral reefs, to beautiful karst limestone islands with secluded beaches. You’ll find aerial photos of the islands, underwater photos of the dolpins, reefs, sharks, corals, clown fish, sea turtles, and much more.

Check out the gallery below to see my favorite photos from the trip, or see the all the photo galleries from our Raja Ampat liveaboard dive trip – from scuba diving, to aerial photos, to freediving, to the incredible wildlife and local people living in this amazing place. You can also see galleries from other Seven Seas liveaboard dive trips – my absolute favorite way to explore the awesome natural beauty and unique cultures of Indonesia.

Click here for info about Raja Ampat Liveaboard diving trips on the Seven Seas.