Cape Kri

Cape Kri — Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Cape Kri holds a world record. In 2002, American marine biologist Gerald Allen counted 374 fish species on a single 95-minute dive here — a record for a single reef dive site that has never been formally beaten. The number is not a statistical artefact; Raja Ampat sits at the apex of the Coral Triangle, the global center of marine biodiversity, and Cape Kri is one of its highest-concentration points.

The Current and the Life

The cape sits at the northwestern tip of Kri Island, where currents from the open Dampier Strait collide with the reef and create a nutrient-rich upwelling. The result is a fish soup — literally. Descend to 15 meters, look in any direction, and what you see is not a reef with fish on it. It's fish so numerous that the reef itself is almost secondary.

Schooling fish dominate the water column: thousands of fusiliers (Caesionidae) moving in coordinated sweeps, massive schools of big-eye trevally forming and reforming, bumphead parrotfish in groups of 30 or more grinding the hard coral. Running through all of it are the predators: grey reef sharks working the edges, whitetip reef sharks patrolling the bottom at 18–22 meters, Napoleon wrasse in pairs cruising the current line.

The coral substrate itself is extraordinary — hard coral coverage at 60–80% over large sections, with cabbage corals (Turbinaria), staghorn forests, and massive Porites boulders hosting more species of damselfish, wrasse, and butterflyfish than most divers can name.

Dive Profile

The typical approach is a drift dive, starting at the cape's tip and following the current along the reef face. Depth is manageable — 5 to 25 meters — and the site suits intermediate divers comfortable with current. Stronger flows occur on spring tides and can accelerate rapidly; local guides manage the entry timing.

Season: Year-round, with calmer conditions October–April. Current peaks during the southeast monsoon (May–September) but this also increases fish aggregation.

Practical Info

• Depth: 5–25m | Difficulty: Intermediate — current, fish density
• Access: Day trips from Kri Island resorts (5 min by speedboat) or liveaboard
• Record: 374 fish species on a single dive (Allen, 2002)
• Marine life: 374+ documented fish species, bumphead parrotfish, grey reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, massive school aggregations