Batanta (Raja Ampat)

Batanta is one of the four main islands of Raja Ampat, in Indonesia's West Papua region, sitting near the Dampier Strait between Waigeo and Salawati. Its coastline is fringed by reef and mangrove habitat typical of the wider Raja Ampat archipelago, and dive operators based around Sorong and the strait run trips to muck sites along its shores. The island itself is largely forested and sparsely populated, with small coastal villages along its edges. Diving here is rated beginner, and the muck bottom suits the slower, close-focus style of diving typical of this side of the strait.