Stop 1 of 6 · Start
Board in Sorong
Fly to Sorong, with direct flights from Bali and connections via Jakarta, Makassar, or Manado. The harbor is about 10 minutes from the airport, and transfers are included.
Liveaboard expedition with MMF scientists
Raja Ampat
Photos: Coralia Liveaboard, from earlier trips aboard Coralia, Coralia Dua's sister ship
Manta rays, walking sharks, and some of the richest reefs on Earth, hosted by Dr. Simon Pierce and Janis Argeswara. Eleven nights on the new Coralia Dua, Sorong to Sorong.
- 11 nightsSorong return, March and April 2028
- Coralia Duathe new ship from the Coralia team
- Up to four dives a dayfree Nitrox, tanks, and weights
- Hosted by MMF scientistsevening science talks and photo tips
- Reef and giant mantaspeak season, plus walking sharks
- 14 guestsseven guest cabins, 21 crew
Highlights
- Reef and giant manta rays at peak season, at cleaning stations where MMF scientists have studied their social behavior.
- The Raja Ampat walking shark, found only in this region, on night dives in the Dampier Strait and Penemu.
- Some of the world's healthiest, most colorful reefs, in Misool's community-protected waters.
- Karst islands, lagoons, and viewpoints between dives.
- Hosted by Dr. Simon Pierce and MMF's Country Manager for Indonesia, Janis Argeswara.
Your expedition with MMF
Your hosts
MMF mantas in Raja Ampat
Learning with us on board
Every MMF expedition is hosted by a working marine scientist, who shares the latest research and conservation discoveries about the animals you'll see. Across the voyage your host gives a series of evening presentations — on the animals we're looking for, how they're studied, what the current research actually shows, and the threats these populations face. There's time to ask the questions you never get to ask a researcher in person, and photography guidance for anyone who wants to come home with better images.
Your photographs do real work. Whale sharks and manta rays can be identified individually by their natural markings — the spot patterns on a whale shark's flank, the markings on a manta's underside — the same way a fingerprint identifies a person. Guests are shown how to take an identification shot, and the photographs taken during the trip are contributed to the global photo-identification databases that researchers around the world draw on. Sightings you record become part of the long-term record for that population.
Marine Megafauna Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Our expeditions exist to bring people into contact with these animals and send them home understanding them — and 100% of the profit supports MMF's research, education, and conservation work.
The itinerary
Both 2028 trips run Sorong to Sorong over 11 nights, covering Misool, Penemu, and the Dampier Strait.
Stop 2 of 6
The Dampier Strait
MMF scientists have studied the social behavior of reef manta rays at cleaning stations here, including Manta Sandy and Manta Ridge. On the current-swept reefs, sharks, giant trevally, and dogtooth tuna hunt schools of fusiliers, and Cape Kri once logged 374 fish species on a single dive.
Dive sites Manta Sandy · Manta Ridge · Cape Kri · Sardine Reef · Blue Magic · Arborek
Look for Reef and giant mantas · Walking sharks · Wobbegong sharks · Schooling fish
Stop 3 of 6
Misool
The south-east coast of Misool, in the far south of Raja Ampat, is a community-protected region that explodes with life: sea fan forests, giant and reef mantas at Magic Mountain, pygmy seahorses, and the occasional walking shark on night dives.
Dive sites Magic Mountain · Boo Windows · Daram · Fiabacet
Look for Manta rays · Pygmy seahorses
Stop 4 of 6
Penemu
The karst islands of Penemu, in the Fam Islands, rise steeply from sheltered lagoons, with soft-coral reefs below them.
Look for Soft corals · Reef fish · Walking sharks
Stop 5 of 6
Back to the Dampier Strait
A final stretch among the current-swept reefs and manta ray cleaning stations of the Dampier Strait before the run back to Sorong.
Look for Manta rays · Sharks
Stop 6 of 6 · Finish
Back to Sorong
Two morning dives on the last full day, finishing around 1 pm to allow safe flying.
This is a sample itinerary, not a fixed plan: the cruise directors change the route day by day for weather, currents and wildlife.
Coralia Dua
Operated by Coralia Liveaboard · the new sister ship of Coralia, launching in 2026
Artist's impression
Coralia Dua launches in 2026, so the pictures of the ship and her cabins are artist's impressions from Coralia Liveaboard.
The new sister ship of the original Coralia, launching in 2026 and run by the same team, with cruise directors Debbie and Jerry Arriaga. At 52 meters (171 feet) long and over 10 meters (33 feet) wide, she has eight cabins, one of them kept for the MMF host, so our trips carry 14 guests, with 21 crew. Photographers have a full-width camera room with individual workstations, and between dives there are open-air lounges, an onboard masseuse on the sky deck, and complimentary satellite WiFi.
Cabins
Master cabinFour cabins, 35 m² (377 sq ft), on the main and upper decks, each with a private deckUS$9,350 per person
Deluxe doubleTwo cabins on the lower deck, where a sofa bed takes a third guestUS$8,250 per person
Deluxe twinTwo cabins on the lower deck, two single bedsUS$8,250 per personDeck plan
Boat photos, cabin videos and deck plans: Coralia Liveaboard
Before you go
Getting there
Fly to Sorong (SOQ), with direct flights from Bali and connections via Jakarta, Makassar, or Manado. The harbor is about 10 minutes from the airport, and transfers to and from Sorong airport are included. Sorong accommodation is not included.
Do I need to be a diver?
Certified divers of all experience levels are welcome, and each dive guide leads no more than four guests. Snorkelers are welcome too, and the Cenderawasih Bay whale sharks are seen at the surface.
How experienced a diver should I be?
Some sites have currents and depth, so recent diving helps you get the most from them. Tell us your certification, logged dives, and when you last dived when you inquire, and we will confirm the trip suits you. Courses, including Advanced Open Water and Nitrox, can be arranged on board if you book them ahead.
What insurance do I need?
Personal dive-accident insurance that includes emergency evacuation (Divers Alert Network is recommended) is required for every certified diver. Our trip terms and conditions also require comprehensive travel insurance covering trip cancellation and interruption, overseas medical expenses, and emergency evacuation: these trips run in remote places where medical care is scarce, and MMF cannot help with canceled flights or lost luggage.
Can children come?
Guests must be 18 or older at the time of departure, as our trip terms and conditions set out.
Is Nitrox included? Can I rent gear?
Nitrox is free for certified Nitrox divers, and tanks, weights, and belts are included. Full rental gear is available (BCDs, regulators, wetsuits, computers, fins, masks, torches, and SMBs); reserve it before the trip.
Is there WiFi, and what about my camera?
Free satellite WiFi works when coverage allows, best for messages and email rather than streaming. The boat has a dedicated air-conditioned camera room with workstations, charging points, and rinse tanks.
What if my flight is delayed?
Contact the boat straight away. Depending on the itinerary and where the boat is, the crew will do everything possible to help you join. Plan a spare day either side for international flights; the last full day ends with two morning dives, finished around 1 pm, so you can fly safely.
What should I pack?
Light clothing, swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, personal medication, insect repellent, your dive certification card and dive insurance details, chargers and camera gear, and a light jacket for cooler evenings.
How do tips and on-board extras work?
Tipping is your choice and is shared equally among the whole crew. Drinks, massages, laundry, and souvenirs are settled at the end of the trip, in cash in several major currencies or by Visa or Mastercard.
Prices and inclusions
What's included
- Liveaboard cruise on Coralia Dua
- Up to four dives a day
- Complimentary Nitrox
- Shore excursions according to the program
- All meals and snacks, every day
- Hot and cold soft beverage selection
- Tanks, weights, belts
- Transfers to and from Sorong airport
- Presentations from MMF hosts
Not included
- International or domestic flights
- Sorong accommodation
- National park, port, and fuel fees ($385 pp, paid on board)
- Dive courses
- Dive gear rental
- Alcoholic beverages
- On-board massages
- Laundry
- Use of on-board satellite phone
- Encouraged gratuity
- Travel insurance
Fees, booking and terms
National park, port and fuel fees (US$385 per person for 2028) are paid on board. Inquire with no commitment. A 30% deposit and the completed terms and conditions form confirm your place, and the balance is due 120 days before departure. Travel insurance is required. Trips terms and conditions · Trip FAQ
Inquire about this trip
No commitment. We reply within a few days with availability and the next steps.
