Chicken Reef

Papua Barat, Indonesiareef30 m maxintermediate

Conditions & tides

Channel site — tidal current funnels through here and can run fast, changing quickly with the tide. It is usually strongest around mid-tide and eases near the slack windows below. Dive with a local operator who knows the timing.

Chicken ReefPapua Barat

Good · 5/5

conditions visualisation

Good5/5

Calm and diveable right now — best window today 6 AM–7 PM.

Wind4 kn W

Current~0.2 kn SW · model

Swell

0.1 m · 8s · ENE

Water

31 °C

Max depth

30 m

Conditions through the day

5 AM8 PM

Calmest current near slack — 11:30 & 00:15 local

Sunrise 05:57 · Sunset 18:05 local

Show details

Tide · local

Outlook — select a day for full conditions

On-face swell 0.1 m — the component of the swell aimed at this site’s exposed face. Strong-current reef: plan a drift and enter near the slack windows above. Current is a regional model value (Copernicus, ~9 km grid) — a guide to the area, not a precise reef measurement. Imagery © Esri · not depth or visibility.

Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model

Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.

Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?

About this site

Chicken Reef is a coral reef dive site in the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, reaching a maximum depth of 22 m with a shallowest point of around 3–8 m. The reef is characterised by large table corals and a healthy hard coral structure, and it is reached by boat with a travel time of approximately 20 minutes from the nearest base.

The reef holds an unusually varied mix of macro and reef life. Resident critters include ghost pipefish, pipefish, pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, flatworms, crabs, shrimps, leaf scorpionfish, and crocodile fish. Larger animals regularly seen here include fusilier schools, snapper schools, reef sharks, turtles, barracuda, and occasional wobbegong sharks. Wobbegong sharks are most reliably encountered between October and April, while visibility is generally at its best from May to September; pygmy seahorses are present year-round.

Conditions include water temperatures of 27–30 °C and generally good visibility. Currents range from mild to strong and can be particularly strong during full or new moon phases and when tides are high, so divers should be aware of tidal timing. The site is otherwise protected and suits a wide range of experience levels, making it a practical warm-up or afternoon dive as well as a rewarding macro photography site.

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