The site gets it’s name from the liveaboard that Burt Jones went with during the early Raja Ampat exploration days.
Andiamo is located where you find two small islets, just to the north west of Daram island in Missool, Raja Ampat. The site gets it’s name from the liveaboard that Burt Jones (A well known local marine life photojournalist and conservationist in Raja Amapt) went with during the early Raja Ampat exploration days.
Andiamo is a pinnacle dive site with several walls and slopes, characterized by dramatic underwater cliffs and steep drop-offs adorned with vibrant soft corals and sponges.
The pinnacle rises from the depths to approximately 5 meters below the surface, offering breathtaking views at every level. Surrounding the pinnacle are boulders and coral outcroppings that provide shelter for a variety of marine species.
This is a massive and beautiful dive site that you can take many dives on before you feel like you have fully explored it.
Visibility here is generally great, ranging from 15 to 30 meters (49 to 98 feet). Currents at Andiamo are medium to strong. The site is best enjoyed on a rising tide for clear water and optimal conditions. Divers should have good buoyancy skills to navigate the currents effectively.
Andiamo is ideal for intermediate to advanced divers due to its depth and current conditions. Proper planning and experience are recommended for a safe and enjoyable dive.
The area boasts a diverse ecosystem rich with life. Schools of barracuda and trevally often circle the pinnacle, while smaller reef fish like anthias and chromis dart among the corals.
Macro enthusiasts can search for nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, and crabs in the crevices. During seasonal migrations, manta rays coming into visit the cleaning station on the far side of the ridge and blacktip reef sharks are occasionally spotted in the blue, adding to the excitement.
Other species of note found on this site are schooling blackfin barracuda, yellow tail barracuda, schooling golden-line snapper, large grouper and a resident Napolean Wrasse, orangutan crabs, bubble coral shrimp, Ocellated Tozeuma shrimp, Denise pygmy seahorse and Corallimorph Decorator crabs.
The vibrant coral gardens at the reef top are a highlight, perfect for a safety stop while observing the kaleidoscope of reef life. Photographers will appreciate the rich colours and diverse marine subjects at varying depths.
We drop into this site off the eastern side of the large island, where the 5-meter plateau drops off to a 10 meter wall, and head straight down the wall.
From here we keep the reef on our right hand side, and dive down the ridge to the connecting submerged seamount, exploring the ridge till we reach another impressive wall.
Once we reach the end of the wall, we will raise our profile and explore the top of the seamount at 15 meters, while letting the current take us back towards the ridge with the reef on our left, and up to the original starting top reef for our safety stop.
Note this is just one way to dive this site as the area is massive and really you need a few dives on the site to see it all.
If you are going for a second dive, start by dropping in to the north of the larger eastern island, and make your way down the wall to 20 meters.
From here we head north across the sandy bottom to reach the pinnacle out to the north west. We will explore this area for a while before heading back south across the sandy bottom until we hit the wall leading up to the smaller island in the west.
We will explore this area for a while, keeping the reef on our right hand side, as we eventually raise our profile to 10 meters to traverse the saddle between the two islands, and end our dive with a safety stop once again at the 5 meter reef top by the larger of the two islands.
We will explore this area for a while, keeping the reef on our right hand side, as we eventually raise our profile to 10 meters to traverse the saddle between the two islands, and end our dive with a safety stop once again at the 5 meter reef top by the larger of the two islands.
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Topography: Series of Slopes and Walls Down to a Sandy Bottom.
Max Depth: 25 meters.
Typical Current: Medium to Strong.
Best For: Not only amazing diversity on the site, but also the best safety stop in Raja Ampat over an amazing array of colourful corals.
Snorkeller Friendly.
9 Days 8 Nights
Dive in Andiamo in our 9 Days 8 Nights itinerary to the South of Raja Ampat.
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