Located at the heart of the Kaimana Marine Protected Area in West Papua, Triton Bay is the final frontier of diving in Indonesia. The region was first surveyed in 2006 and is still being explored today, with new dive sites located every year. Boasting unique underwater habitats, colourful soft corals, incredible endemic species and whale sharks, Triton Bay feels like a time capsule from the past – remote, pristine and awaiting exploration.
The diving in Triton Bay is quite distinct from other locations in West Papua. Triton Bay’s high level of nutrients means reduced visibility, but a lot more fish life. Dive sites in the bay are home to giant groupers, napoleon wrasse, eagle rays, schooling barracuda and jacks and a huge variety of other reef fish. Triton Bay is also home to some very interesting macro diving, including flasher wrasse and pygmy seahorses. Triton Bay is even a hotspot for whale sharks and is also great for spotting wobbegong and walking sharks.
Triton Bay’s dive sites offer the chance for divers to explore a huge range of landscapes including cascades of boulders, current swept islands, dramatic overhangs and caverns, and sheltered bays. The region is also renowned for beautiful carpets of colourful soft corals and huge black coral bushes. It’s safe to say, the huge range of underwater scenery mirrors the incredible biodiversity that can be found here.
One of Triton Bay’s biggest draws are the whale sharks which congregate around fishing platforms known as ‘bagans’ to feed on anchovies and other baitfish caught in the nets. These platforms target different species of fish at different times of year so encounters with the whale sharks are never guaranteed. But if divers time their visit to the dark of the moon when the fishing around the bagans is at its best, they stand a very good chance of swimming with these huge sharks. And just to make the diving even more special, dolphins are often encountered underwater around the bagans.
