Raja Ampat
🇮🇩 Indonesia
🦈 Watch Epaulette Sharks Walk Shallow ReefsRaja Ampat is a remote protected archipelago in Southwest Asia, Indonesia, featuring dense tropical rainforests, mangrove fringes, and shallow coral shelves. Trails wind through thick coastal vegetation and lush jungle foliage beneath a humid canopy.
-0.245° S 130.733° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Tasselled Wobbegong
Eucrossorhinus dasypogon
★ Munguna
Mobula alfredi
★ Waigeou Cuscus
Spilocuscus papuensis
★ Red Bird-of-Paradise
Paradisaea rubra
📊 Most Spotted
Blacktip Reef Shark
Carcharhinus melanopterus
Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys
Indonesian Speckled Carpetshark
Hemiscyllium freycineti
Helmeted Friarbird
Philemon buceroides
Red-sided Eclectus
Eclectus roratus
Moluccan Bluespotted Maskray
Neotrygon moluccensis
Pacific Swallow
Hirundo javanica
Hawksbill
Eretmochelys imbricata
Papuan Hornbill
Rhyticeros plicatus
Reef ray
Taeniura lymma
Red-cheeked Parrot
Geoffroyus geoffroyi
Pinon Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula pinon
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Northern Common Cuscus
Phalanger orientalis
Striped Possum
Dactylopsila trivirgata
Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin
Stenella longirostris
Omura's Whale
Balaenoptera omurai
Dugong
Dugong dugon
Moluccan Naked-backed Fruit Bat
Dobsonia moluccensis
Spectacled Flying Fox
Pteropus conspicillatus
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops aduncus
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin
Stenella attenuata
Common Spotted Cuscus
Spilocuscus maculatus
Common Echymipera
Echymipera kalubu
Dark Sheath-tailed Bat
Mosia nigrescens
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys
Helmeted Friarbird
Philemon buceroides
Red-sided Eclectus
Eclectus roratus
Pacific Swallow
Hirundo javanica
Papuan Hornbill
Rhyticeros plicatus
Red-cheeked Parrot
Geoffroyus geoffroyi
Pinon Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula pinon
Lesser Frigatebird
Fregata ariel
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
Rufous-bellied Kookaburra
Dacelo gaudichaud
Torresian Crow
Corvus orru
Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis
📊 Most Spotted
Hawksbill
Eretmochelys imbricata
Pacific Bluetail Skink
Emoia caeruleocauda
Mangrove Monitor
Varanus indicus
Green Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Indonesian Brown Skink Carlia
Carlia fusca
Emerald Tree Skink
Lamprolepis smaragdina
Mourning Gecko
Lepidodactylus lugubris
Banded Sea Krait
Laticauda colubrina
Brown Tree Snake
Boiga irregularis
Common House Gecko
Hemidactylus frenatus
Papua Bow-fingered Gecko
Cyrtodactylus papuensis
Littoral Whiptail-skink
Emoia atrocostata
📊 Most Spotted
White-lipped Treefrog
Nyctimystes infrafrenatus
Papua Wrinkled Ground Frog
Cornufer papuensis
Batanta Wrinkled Ground Frog
Cornufer batantae
Cophixalus rajampatensis
Cophixalus rajampatensis
New Guinea Bush Frog
Asterophrys turpicola
Dotted Wrinkled Ground Frog
Cornufer punctatus
Cophixalus salawatiensis
Cophixalus salawatiensis
Common Indian Toad
Duttaphrynus melanostictus
Wondiwoi Callulops Frog
Asterophrys pullifer
Arfak Mountains Frog
Papurana arfaki
Papua Frog
Papurana papua
Eilogo Estate Frog
Papurana garritor
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Blacktip Reef Shark
Carcharhinus melanopterus
Indonesian Speckled Carpetshark
Hemiscyllium freycineti
Moluccan Bluespotted Maskray
Neotrygon moluccensis
Reef ray
Taeniura lymma
Whitetip Reef Shark
Triaenodon obesus
Oceanic Manta Ray
Mobula birostris
catshark
Chiloscyllium punctatum
Gray Reef Shark
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos
Ox Ray
Mobula kuhlii
White-spotted Eagle Ray
Aetobatus ocellatus
Tawny Nurse Shark
Nebrius ferrugineus
Mangrove Ray
Urogymnus granulatus
Animal Events
1Manta Ray Aggregations
During January, the coastal cleaning stations experience peak visits from Mobula alfredi, offering exceptional viewing opportunities for divers.
2Bird-of-Paradise Display Season
Mid-year months mark intense courtship displays as male Red Bird-of-Paradise gather at traditional lekking trees in the forest canopy.
3Epaulette Shark Coastal Activity
The shallow reef flats see increased nighttime activity from Hemiscyllium freycineti as they forage across exposed coral rubble.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Manta Ray Aggregations
- 2Bird-of-Paradise Display Season
- 3Epaulette Shark Coastal Activity
Sighting Zones
Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Raja Ampat?
The most likely sightings are Tasselled Wobbegong (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Blacktip Reef Shark (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Willie Wagtail (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Indonesian Speckled Carpetshark (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Helmeted Friarbird (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 920 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Raja Ampat for wildlife?
February has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Tasselled Wobbegong in Raja Ampat?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Tasselled Wobbegong sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 269 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Munguna in Raja Ampat?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Munguna sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 105 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Waigeou Cuscus in Raja Ampat?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Waigeou Cuscus sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 152 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Red Bird-of-Paradise in Raja Ampat?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Red Bird-of-Paradise sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 837 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
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