Valentina Serrazanetti – Project Manager
This quarter has been nothing short of extraordinary in our little jungle paradise of Raja Ampat. With pride and joy, we celebrated the certification of 12 exceptional new dive masters. These individuals arrived with entry-level certifications and left with top-tier buoyancy, leadership skills, and the confidence to thrive in the diving industry. Witnessing their transformation has been a powerful reminder of the value of immersive, hands-on training in a supportive, challenging, and inspiring environment.
To shape these professionals, we conducted a total of 49 Diver Development Courses, each designed to push boundaries and build expertise. Highlights included our Science of Diving workshops, diving deep into dive physics and physiology; Leading Dives & Tides, for mastering current, waves, and global ocean movement; and Gas Planning Workshops, where interns learned to analyze their SAC rates and prepare for the unexpected. Search & Recovery refined their knot work and search patterns, while Peak Performance Buoyancy & Fin Kicks became a favorite, pairing in-depth practice with video feedback for maximum growth. Multiple skill circuits helped them refine every movement, turning nerves into mastery.
Our commitment to marine science education continued with 33 engaging ecology workshops, offering critical insights into marine biology, ecosystems, and conservation practices. These sessions proved essential in shaping holistic dive professionals with a strong scientific foundation. In addition, we proudly certified 12 new survey divers, now equipped to contribute meaningfully to ocean preservation efforts in Indonesia and beyond.
Our conservation impact was tangible: through regular beach clean-ups and Dive Against Debris dives, we removed 185.8 kg of trash from our reefs, directly improving the health of our precious marine environment.
But perhaps the most meaningful part of this project lies in the bonds we build—deep and lasting connections formed in the wild heart of Raja Ampat. Here, in our jungle home, we live as a family. Our days are filled with rigorous training and shared growth, while our nights are alive with laughter, communal meals, and heartfelt conversations. We, the instructors and mentors, are proud to offer both technical guidance and personal support to each of our interns as they navigate this transformative chapter of their lives.
One intern, Amélie, captured this magic perfectly in her snorkel test speech:
“Before coming here, I heard countless stories about how magical Raja Ampat is and how it’s a truly special place. Being someone who’s naturally afraid of getting hurt, I tried to keep my distance, to avoid getting too attached. But, as you can probably guess, I wasn’t immune to its charm. I fell in love with Raja, slowly at first, and then all at once.”
So what makes it so unique? Perhaps it’s the fact that we only have running water every other day. Or maybe it’s the need to turn off the fridges just to get the toaster to work. Could it be the unexpected thrill of a gecko dropping from the ceiling, or sharing dorms with rats ? Maybe Raja’s magic lies in the fact that no one here cares about moldy clothes or eating rice for two months straight. Or maybe it’s the constant mystery of whether the small cut you got from a coral will cost you your leg. Raja’s distinctiveness could also be the sound of coconut trees crashing down in the middle of the night, or the need to rush to Apothek Nadia for OtoPain. It might even be the unspoken rule that missing a sunset is simply unacceptable, or that what our instructors call a “stress test” is in fact an attempted murder.
Of course, Raja is undoubtedly a special place when I comes to diving. It’s simply amazing to be surrounded by people who share the same passion. There’s something heartwarming about buddies who pretend to listen carefully to your dive briefing, even though they know it by heart. And then there’s the exhilarating uncertainty of whether the next dive will be one of those you’ve been dreaming of.
After reflecting on it all, I’ve come to a clear conclusion: Raja is indeed a remarkable place. But what makes it truly special isn’t just the stunning surroundings—it’s the people. I know Vale says we shouldn’t point fingers, but tonight, I’ll make an exception. I want to point fingers at all the incredible Scuba Republic staff who’ve taught us so much. I want to point fingers at the crew who drive the boat for us every day, even through rough seas and dark nights. I want to point fingers at the chefs and the girls for preparing amazing meals and taking care of us.
And, of course, I want to point fingers at the IOP staff—Vale, Mia, Lois, and Max. Thank you for your boundless passion, your time, and your patience. You’ve helped shape us into the skilled divers we are today, and I’ll be forever grateful for that.
Finally, I want to express my gratitude to all the interns who’ve been part of this journey with me. Meeting people from all over the world, sharing stories, experiences, and knowledge—it’s made me realize that, even though we speak different languages, come from different countries and have different backgrounds, we’ve all managed to adapt and grow together. This gives me hope that we can indeed make this world a better place.
So, guys, cheers to you all, to this paradise on Earth. I wish each of you nothing but the best of fortune, and I hope our paths cross again—somehow, somewhere, sometime. Until then, keep making bubbles, savor every moment and take care of yourselves.
Maxs Marten – Marine Biologist
Over the past several months in Raja Ampat, I’ve been fortunate to witness firsthand the resilience of marine ecosystems, the magic of underwater megafauna, and the meaningful connections forming between conservation work and local communities. From coral recovery after mass bleaching to surprising shark sightings and joyful education days in Saporkren village, every week has brought something new to learn, feel, and appreciate. This is a reflection on those experiences—both scientific and personal—that continue to shape my journey with IOP in this incredible part of the world.
After the mass bleaching event that affected Raja Ampat at the end of last year, it’s no surprise that some coral colonies didn’t survive. However, it’s encouraging to see that many of them are starting to regain their zooxanthellae—the symbiotic algae that provide energy and color. Sites that were once dominated by stark white, bleached corals are slowly returning to life with vibrant hues. This recovery seems closely tied to the recent stabilization of sea surface temperatures, which have remained consistently around 29°C over the past three months. It’s fascinating to witness how nature has its own mechanisms for healing damaged ecosystems. Still, global warming—closely linked to rising ocean temperatures—remains a major global threat to the sustainability of ecosystems like this one.
It also looks like the oceanic manta season has come to an end in Raja Ampat. The last sighting reported by IOP was on March 31st at the Cape Kri dive site. In fact, since mid-March, cleaning stations like Blue Magic and Lao-Lao have been noticeably quiet, with no manta sightings. Some divers still catch the occasional glimpse around Chicken and Sardine dive sites, but those encounters have become far less frequent compared to the peak season from November through early March. For interns eager to see mantas, diving in Arborek is a popular option—reef mantas are often spotted at sites nearby. And if luck is on their side, they might even come across an oceanic manta there as well.
Over the past couple of months, whale sightings have also become rare, hinting that manta season may bring more than just mantas—it seems to coincide with the activity of other marine megafauna like whales and dolphins. April was unusually quiet in terms of dolphin sightings, but in the past two weeks, we’ve started to see bottlenose dolphins again around the Dampier Strait. On February 1st, the IOP team witnessed a leatherback sea turtle breaching near Blue Magic—a breathtaking moment I sadly missed, as I wasn’t on the boat. Seeing rare megafauna like leatherbacks is always awe-inspiring. Another unforgettable moment happened on April 21st during a BRUV retrieval, when we spotted a wedgefish. It was my first time seeing one, and I was so thrilled I screamed underwater for nearly three minutes. Then on May 2nd, Scuba Republic staff spotted a pelagic thresher shark while transporting guests to Sorong on a private longboat. The guests were catching an early flight and had to skip the ferry. At 8 a.m., Anggi—their boat captain—sent me a video asking, “Bro, what species of shark is this?” and I couldn’t help but scream alone in my room out of excitement.
Now, shifting to the science activities here. As many already know, IOP uses three main methods for ecological data collection: the Roving Survey to monitor fish populations, the Benthic Survey to track changes in benthic cover, and Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) to estimate the presence of apex predators like sharks, rays, and turtles. If you’re an intern at IOP, chances are you’re eager to become a survey diver. I totally understand—it can feel a little frustrating to be part of a dive team doing surveys but not have your data counted yet because you haven’t completed your species ID online training, passed your photo ID test, or cleared the sizing test. I’ve been there too, which is why I’m always happy to help any intern working toward meeting all the IOP requirements to become an official survey diver. Personally, I enjoy benthic surveys not just for the science, but also because we usually take group selfies afterward—those make for some fun memories. And when it comes to BRUVs, I’m always curious about which apex predators will show up in the footage. Blacktip reef sharks are the usual stars in Raja Ampat, but every now and then we get lucky and spot whitetip or grey reef sharks too.
Now, about the education days with the kids in Saporkren village—so far, we’ve done nine visits, and each one has been incredibly enjoyable. The kids bring such positive energy. They’re sweet and full of life, even if they occasionally argue with each other. Since this is a relatively new activity for IOP Raja, I’ve learned a lot—from preparing the activities we’ll do and deciding what to teach, to thinking ahead about how we can grow this program to make it even more meaningful for the local community in Saporkren.
I think Vale may have already mentioned another new IOP Raja Ampat activity—the Reshark nursery visits. I won’t go into too much detail about that, but for me, the joy doesn’t just come from seeing the zebra shark nursery—it’s also about meeting new friends and sharing stories with the passionate staff and interns from the Reshark Foundation, who are working so hard to restore zebra shark populations in Raja Ampat’s waters.
Mia Johnston – Program Coordanitor
It’s been a full and exciting few months here in Raja Ampat, and I’m thrilled to share what’s been going on at the project since the start of the year. As always, time seems to fly by with so much happening both above and below the surface.
We welcomed 14 new arrivals this quarter, with interns coming from all corners of the globe—including the USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Israel, and the UK.
It’s always such a privilege to see how quickly everyone settles in and bonds over a shared love for the ocean and conservation work. Huge thanks to Abdul Rahim and SR for being amazing when it comes to helping with transportation logistics—be it airport pickups or runs to Sorong, they’ve made everything run super smoothly.
Interns have been making the most of their days off, organizing fun dives in places like Arborek and Piaynemo, and even getting involved in other activities like birdwatching tours and trips to Blue River. It’s been a great reminder that Raja has so much to offer beyond diving, and we’re lucky to call this place home—even if only temporarily.
One of the highlights for me personally has been the ecology workshops, which we’ve recently moved to the new bar space. The vibe has been super relaxed, and it’s been awesome to see Scuba Republic guests stopping by and getting curious about turtle conservation or reef ecology. I always think—how cool would it be to be on holiday and stumble across a marine conservation talk at the resort I’m staying at? Apparently, the guests agree!
Underwater, we’ve had some incredible encounters this quarter—especially during January and February, when Oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) made regularappearances at sites like Blue Magic and Lao Lao. Sightings have tapered off a bit as we moved into March, which has coincided with the end of the tourist high season, but those early-season dives were nothing short of magical.
Weather-wise, it’s been relatively typical for this time of year: occasional rain, low swell, and flat seas most days. Visibility has been a bit of a mixed bag, anywhere from 5 to 25 meters depending on the day, but that’s pretty standard around here.
We did face a bit of a challenge in February when a noticeable amount of floating rubbish was brought in by currents, particularly around the house reef and Yenbuba. It was disheartening to see, but it also gave us an opportunity to reflect on the importance
of the work we’re doing and recommit to our reef clean-up dives and awareness efforts.
After the coral bleaching event in December, we’ve been keeping a close eye on reef health—especially at Yenbuba, which was one of the harder-hit sites. Thankfully, sea temperatures have dropped back down to around 29–30°C, and many dive sites are showing signs of recovery. To monitor this progress, we’ve been conducting benthic surveys at Yenbuba every month, making it a key focus in our ongoing monitoring efforts.
February was a bit rocky staffing-wise, as we experienced some turnover that caused a slight lag in citizen science contributions. But with our new team settled in, we’ve bounced back strong—completing 29 citizen science dives and uploading 31 entries across our shark, turtle, and manta databases. iNaturalist has been a bit quiet, so we’re aiming to ramp up that effort next quarter.
And on a final, exciting note—construction has officially started on two new staff bungalows! It’s a great step forward in improving the infrastructure for our team and making sure we’re all set up to keep doing the work we love.
Want to join the team?
We are always seeking hard working and enthusiastic ocean lovers to join our award-winning and innovative divemaster and research diver internship. Contact us and apply online today!
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