Raja Ampat MPA Network

Raja Ampat's protection is not one park but a network of marine protected areas declared from 2007 onward across the Four Kings — Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, Misool — and outlying groups like the Dampier Strait, Mayalibit Bay, Kofiau, and Southeast Misool. Together the MPAs cover on the order of two million hectares of the most biodiverse reef system ever surveyed, the core of the Bird's Head Seascape. The network governs essentially all recreational diving in Raja Ampat, from Cape Kri's record fish counts to Misool's soft-coral ridges and the manta stations of the Dampier Strait, and it pairs zoning with village patrols, sasi customary closures, and a shark and ray sanctuary declared across the regency.

The rules that bind divers

Every visitor buys a Raja Ampat Marine Park entry permit — a personal card or tag, valid for a set period, sold online and through operators — with proceeds funding patrols and community programs. MPA zoning sets aside no-take sanctuary zones and reserves large areas for traditional fishing; commercial shark and ray fishing is banned regency-wide. Boats must not anchor on reef, and manta sites carry specific codes: limited boats, no touching, keep clear of cleaning stations. Liveaboards and homestay operators register with the park authority, and rangers patrol from village posts.

Fees & permits: Personal marine-park entry permit purchased per visitor and valid for a fixed term; price and validity have changed over the years, so confirm before travel.