This site is often mistakenly called Anchovy or Anchovies, but the site was actually named Antichovie.
Located north of Yillet Island, in the Misool region of Raja Ampat. Antichovie is a stella dive site. This site is often mistakenly called Anchovy or Anchovies, but the site was actually named Antichovie, so as not to jinx it for the massive amounts of anchovies that are normally present.
This dive site is also sometimes called Puri Pinnacle. Not wanting to jinx this site we can understand, at times we have had dives on this site where divers with over a thousand dives surface saying it was the best dive of their life.
This site consists of a submerged seamount with a top reef covered in bommies between 5 and 7 meters depth, and then a series of 5 pinnacles extending out in all directions surrounding the seamount.
The depths of the pinnacle tops range anywhere from 15 to 20 meters depth. Typically, we will want to dive this site on a falling tide, when the currents are running from east to west.
When this site is on, hundreds of thousands of silversides descend on the area in bait balls so thick like a huge cloud that you cannot see through, in fact you can’t even see the reef or the other divers around you.
This brings in massive schools of hunting mobula rays and all sorts of other fish. Currents here can be strong so we recommend intermediate to experienced divers tackle this site.
So what other marine life is there on this site? Well, it’s a hard toss up weather to bring a wide-angle lens or a macro lens.
For the bigger stuff this site has Mantas, mobula rays, giant trevally, golden trevally, tuna, jacks, barracuda, fusiliers, surgeonfish, batfish, clown fish, moray eels and lionfish.
For the smaller stuff you can also find nudibranchs, flatworms, dottybacks, blennies, anemonefish and pygmy seahorse. As with anything in nature though, the hallmark bait balls of silversides are seasonal – October and November is when we have tended to see them the most.
We drop in on top of the biggest bommie on the eastern end of the reef top. From here we make our way down the reef slope to a small area between the pinnacles sheltered from the current, keeping the reef on our right-hand side.
We will then swim across the saddle to the first of the pinnacles to explore this area. If the current is roaring and the anchovy show is on, we can reef hook onto this pinnacle for a while to enjoy the spectacle.
If not, we will; search for other critters for a while before changing direction to putting the main reef on our left-hand side and drifting with the current to head to the next pinnacle. We will continue this, one by one checking out all the pinnacles until we reach the one in the western most point.
From here we will raise our dive profile to come back up the slope and eventually to the reef top again at 10 meters.
Once we have hit our 50-bar air or close to one hour dive time, we will make our way back to the shallowest most bommie to start our safety stop.
Depending on the tide level at this time, this could be on a reef hook, or slowly floating across the reef top as we wait for the countdown and to ascend to share a massive smile with each other acknowledging what a special site this is at the surface.
Click the burger icon on the right to expand/collapse
Topography: Submerged Seamount with Branching Pinnacles.
Max Depth: 30 meters plus.
Typical Current: Medium to Strong.
Best For: Massive bait balls of Anchovies Being Hunted by Big Schools of Mobula Rays and Pelagic Fish
Snorkeller Friendly.
9 Days 8 Nights
Dive in AntiChovie with our 9 Days 8 Nights itinerary to the South of Raja Ampat.
12 Days 11 Nights
Dive in AntiChovie with our 12 Days 11 Nights itinerary to North, Central & South of Raja Ampat.
Scuba diving, Snorkeling or just leisure? We got you.
Contact us today to turn your dream into reality. Let’s go!
