Triton Bay Divers Trip Recap
Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia
I’m always looking for new areas to dive and resorts to visit, and I’m happy when Raja Ampat, Indonesia, is the focus of my exploration. Triton Bay had been mentioned to me by a dive buddy for years and I finally had the opportunity to make it happen. We checked it out together. After flying into Sorong, we spent the night at the new Aston Sorong Resort which was very nice. The next morning, after an hour-long flight on the coldest plane I’ve ever encountered, we landed onto Kaimana. From there it is a short stop at a local hotel for breakfast then on to the marina. Triton Bay uses their private, larger, dive boat to transport incoming/outgoing guests on Saturdays for the 90-minute ride. Upon arrival at the island you are met with a sweet beach resort that is secluded, serene and beautiful…. a little island paradise.
The rooms at Triton Bay are simple with mosquito netting over the bed, a desk, closet space with some handy accordion style closet organizers, and an open-air bathroom, with covered commode and sink plus an outdoor shower. Ceiling fans and cross ventilation make the lack of a/c tolerable for those not used to the heat.
Food is simple with predominantly tofu, fresh fish or venison as your protein for lunch and dinner with fresh vegetables and rice. Breakfast is made to order from a selection of egg dishes, fruit, yogurt and a daily option. Lunch and dinner are a set menu, but they can adjust the meal to accommodate special meal needs and preferences. An afternoon snack is served in the dining area or brought to your room to enjoy on your front porch. The staff is very helpful, always ready to assist with a big smile and eager to make your trip as enjoyable as possible.
All diving is in small groups of 4 divers to a dive boat and a crew of 3 (including the captain) with boat rides 5 – 15 minutes for the local dives which you’ll do most of the time. Once a week, if weather allows, they offer a Whaleshark dive, which is 90 minutes (almost back to the marina) from the resort. The diving is mostly reef with great nudibranchs, wobbegongs, pygmy seahorses; a flasher wrasse dive (if you’ve not seen one it’s a riot); frog fish of all sizes and colors, carpet anemones with clown fish, porcelain crabs, candy crabs, ribbon eels, razor fish, scorpion fish, crocodile fish; and of course, the whale shark dive delivered with 4 adults and one juvenile plus spinner and bottlenose dolphins…Woo Hoo!
Most mornings divers depart after breakfast for a 2-tank dive trip, spending their surface interval at a secluded beach with hot beverages and sweet snacks. Another single tank dive is typically offered in the afternoon; each diver can customize the number of dives in their package. On occasion you might see a pod of dolphins along the way to/from the resort or if you are lucky, from your front porch. Nitrox isn’t available, but most dives are shallow, and they offer up to 3-tanks per day boat diving.
For those, like me, who don’t need a/c or nitrox, and are up to the challenge of travelling to this area, Triton Bay is a gem!
Special thanks to Mark Mitchell for his amazing underwater photos.