Cape Kri is well-suited for intermediate to advanced divers due to its currents, which can be challenging at times.
Cape Kri is situated off the northern tip of Kri Island in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. It is part of the Dampier Strait, a marine biodiversity hotspot known for its nutrient-rich waters and strong currents that draw in a wide array of marine life. This dive site is well-suited for intermediate to advanced divers due to its currents, which can be challenging at times.
Cape Kri features a sloping reef that extends to a maximum depth of 40 meters (130 feet), transitioning into a plateau adorned with vibrant hard and soft corals, large sponges, and gorgonian sea fans.
The reef is teeming with life and showcases impressive coral coverage from the shallow waters down to the deeper sections. The currents here can be strong and variable, often flowing parallel to the reef, making it an exciting site for drift diving.
Visibility typically ranges from 20 to 30 meters (65 to 100 feet), offering excellent conditions for viewing marine life.
Cape Kri is renowned for its exceptional biodiversity and holds the record for the highest number of fish species documented on a single dive.
Large schools of fusiliers, jacks, and chevron barracudas are commonly seen in the water column, while sweetlips, snappers, and batfish populate the reef.
Predators such as black tip and white tip reef sharks are frequent visitors, patrolling the area in search of prey.
The reef itself is alive with colourful butterflyfish and angelfish, often accompanied by red tooth triggerfish. Macro enthusiasts can spot nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, shrimps, flatworms, and even octopus camouflaged among the corals.
Larger reef inhabitants like Napoleon wrasse, Queensland groupers, and bumphead parrotfish can also be encountered, often at closer range during the drift.
Keep an eye out for hawksbill turtles, which are frequently observed lazing on the reef, and for scorpionfish blending into the coral.
Most of the time when we dive at Cape Kri there is a bit of current about. This is good news as it is what brings the pelagic’s in to feed.
We will drop into the water up current; this usually means entering on the western portion of the dive site on the south side of Kri Island, where we can keep the reef on our left-hand side. We head down the sloping reef to 25 meters and drift along the reef face on this dive.
As we start to get towards the eastern end of the site we will start to raise our profile. At about 10 meters we will engage reef hooks to sit back and watch the show of sharks, tuna and giant trevally hunting in the current.
When it’s time to head for our safety stop, we will unhook and let ourselves drift up and over to the ridge between Kri and Koh islands.
If the current is strong, we may need to reef hook on again at the 5-meter mark, as letting the current sweep you too far north at this point can lead you to a washing machine or down current on the northern side.
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Topography: Reef with Sloping Wall
Max Depth: 40 meters.
Typical Current: Moderate to Strong.
Best For: Holding the world record at having a fish count of 374 different species on a single dive site
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