Raja Ampat - The Richest Marine Biodeversity in the Wold

Raja Ampat archipelago which literally translate as "Four Kings"located at northwest tip of Birhead's Peninsula, on the island of Papua, Indonesia. Comprising more than 1,500 small island, cays and shoals which surrounding the four big island Missol, Salawati, Batanta and Weigo. Encompasses area more than 400.000 kilo meters of land and sea, including the biggest marine national park in Indonesia, Cendrawasih Bay.

Fishes under Raja Ampat

Based on Conversation International in 2002, Raja Ampat recorded as the richest biodiversity in the world. The information on its marine ecosystems, mangrove and forest collected incredible information. 573 of corals species or 75% known corals in the world. 899 of fish species. Thousands of sea turtles. In the land found lush forests, rare plants and limestones in this area.

Corals Under Raja Ampat

With this combination, Raja Ampat has a special object tourism such as liveboard diving and other unforgettable tourism object.

Other information:
1. Government official site
2. Welcome to Raja Ampat
3. Liveboard Diving
4. Raja Ampat Islands
5. Raja Ampat Tour

The Biggest Park in South East

Lorent National Park, which was named after the Dutch explore Hendrikus Albert Lorentz, is located in Papua island. With area of almost 10,000 square meters, make this National park is the biggest one in South East. It is also declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is also known as the most ecologically diverse national park in the world.

This park containing full array of ecosystems spanning from marine areas, mangrove, tidal, freshwater swamp, lowland and montane rainforest, alpine areas and equatorial glaciers. The International of Birdlife called this park "one of the most important natural reserve for bird in the world". The Indonesian government had been classified the plants and animals such are :

Plants :
Nipah plants (Nypa fruticans), Bakau/Mangrove (Rhizophora apiculata), Pandanus julianettii, Colocasia esculenta, Avicennia marina, Podocarpus pilgeri, dan Nauclea coadunata.

Animals:
Contains 70% of Papua birds and 123 species of mammals.

Beside that, still this large areas contains unmapped and unexplored areas, that might be unknown species of plants and animals.


Animals of Lorentz' park




Travel to there :
Jl. Raya Abepura Kotaraja PO Box 1217
Jayapura 99351, Papua Barat
Telp. (0967) 581596; Fax (0967) 585529

The Bird of Paradise

Cendrawasih, is the folk language of Papua Island for the bird of paradise or in latin words Paradisaea raggiana. Because they have such rare and beautiful plumage, birds of paradise have been hunted for centuries, and their feathers have been used for decoration and their supposed mystical properties. They are currently listed as endangered and trapping and export are illegal, but all species of the bird of paradise are still being traded illegally on the black market.

The cendrawasih is only found on the island of Papua, the most east islands in Indonesia. There are at least 37 other species of the bird of paradise that also make their homes on this island. The males are known to gather in a specific tree together in the morning and will engage in mutual display, where they fluff out their extensive colorful feathers to try and attract a female. They live in the tops of trees and in the underbrush, making nests in tree branches and holes.

Papua man with Cendrawasih

Cendrawasih, or Birds of Paradise, are considered by many to be the most beautiful birds on the planet. The females are a relatively drab, dull brown, which helps them take cover when they are nesting and raising the young. They average about 13 inches in length (33 cm), about the size and build of a crow. The males are covered with different sizes and shapes of feathers in every conceivable color, and they often have patches of skin without feathers that are wild, shocking colors as well. The Raggiana has very long, orange, trailing tail feathers. His head and the nape of his neck are yellow, and he has a green chin.

Because of the beautiful of this bird, many people of Indonesian are loving this paradise bird. Even, some artist outside Papua Island, make a traditional dance by influenced of this bird.

Cendrawasih Dance