Triton Bay
Alongside Raja Ampat and Cenderawasih Bay, Triton Bay formed the Bird’s Head Seascape in the West Papua region. In 2008, the waters around Kaimana and Triton Bay were declared a Marine Protected Area, covering 6000 square kilometers, ensuring the biodiversity of the marine life thrives and evolves.
Sharing the same DNA as Raja Ampat, Triton Bay boasts more than 900 species of reef fish, over 400 species of coral, some extraordinary endemic creatures, and sharks. Based on this data alone, Triton Bay should be high on the list of dream destinations for avid divers.
Exploring many of the dive sites in Triton Bay taps into one of the magnificent underwater environments in the Coral Triangle.
Top highlights of Triton Bay
- Witness the docile and gentle whale sharks nibbling on the small fish from the bagans in one of the areas where whale sharks do not migrate.
- Hunt for some of Triton Bay’s endemic species, such as wobbegong sharks, Triton Bay epaulette sharks, and Nursalim’s flasher wrasse, during the dive.
- Look carefully among the reef for four different species of Pygmy seahorse discovered in the region.
- See the huge black coral bushes formed a unique formation only in Triton Bay.
About Triton Bay
Relatively new to the dive scene, Triton Bay soon caught up with Raja Ampat and Cenderawasih Bay with its marine biodiversity and completed the Bird’s Head Seascape trifecta.
Located in the Kaimana regency, Triton Bay lies about 30 nautical miles from the town of Kaiman in West Papua. The sheltered location of Triton Bay helps maintain the richness of the underwater life and has been deemed as the last frontier of diving destination in Indonesia.
Diving in Triton Bay
One of the few distinctions between Triton Bay and Raja Ampat lies in visibility. Triton Bay is not known for excellent visibility due to the high level of nutrients, but this condition makes up for the abundance of fish life.
Giant groupers, Napoleon wrasse, schooling of jacks, barracudas, fusiliers, surgeonfish, bumphead parrotfish, rabbitfish, and tuna are just some of the hundreds of fish species that can be found in Triton Bay. They manoeuvre among the various soft and hard corals, forming giant formations, including those massive black corals in red, yellow, and brown, creating a harmony of colors underwater.
As one of the areas forming Bird’s Head Seascape and the epicenter of The Coral Triangle, some endemic species have made this area their home. From Nursalim’s flasher wrasse, Triton Bay epaulette shark, and Wobbegong sharks to Erdmann’s tilefish, Jamal’s dottyback, Mercy’s garden eel, Papuan garden eel, and Bird’s Head jawfish, these marine animals only live around Triton Bay and nowhere else, proving the diversity is well-defined.
Look for the big players like whale sharks, pilot whales, rays, and dolphins in the deeper water of Triton Bay and be mesmerized by their presence. This region also boasts many macro creatures like frogfish, ghost pipefish, wunderpus octopus, nudibranchs, and pygmy seahorses. Four of the seven seahorse species (Bargibant’s, Pontoh, Satami, and Denise) are often seen camouflaging and hiding between the crooks of the coral reefs, waiting to be spotted.
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The Speckled Giant of Triton Bay
Like Cenderawasih Bay, the whale sharks in Triton Bay have built a unique mutual relationship with the fishermen. These gentle giants can be observed year-round thanks to the large bamboo platform known as bagans. Even though whale sharks rarely stay in one area, the ones in Triton Bay are an exception. They choose to spend most of their time in the region.
At night, the fishermen will lower the nets, turn on the lights to attract fish and lift the nets from the bagans before sunrise. Over the years, the whale sharks follow the nets to the surface and nibble on the small fish. The fishermen believe the whale sharks bring fortune to their catch, and interestingly, it’s not merely an assumption. The reason is that the presence of whale sharks, in turn, attracts important fish for fishermen, such as anchovies, tuna, and mackerel, to the waters where they feed. This habit is also an indicator of nutrient- dense water and plays a role in balancing the food chain.
This collaborative nature is not only beneficial for fishermen or the whale sharks but also for conservationists. They can tag and monitor the whale sharks to learn more about their migration pattern, which ultimately helps conservation efforts.
The encounters with these speckled megafaunas are not guaranteed as the bagans target different fish species, depending on the time of the year. The dark moon period is considered the best time to see these gentle giants, and sometimes dolphins can be seen lurking around the bagans. And they can only be seen in the early morning.
The whale sharks are known for their docile and gentle nature, but keeping the distance when encountering them is still essential.
Diving Environments in Triton Bay
The choice to dive in Triton Bay is endless, not only because of the diversity of the marine life but also the topography. Everything is available in Triton Bay, from pinnacles to boulders, dramatic overhangs and caverns, with reef diving taking the hot spot. Triton Bay does not neglect those critters hunters as some dive sites cater to those who love macro creatures.
The water temperature in the region is within the constant range of 26 to 29 degrees Celsius. Still, it can drop to around 24, especially during the monsoon season, which occurs from June to September. Many of the dive sites in Triton Bay are on the shallow side, with depths ranging from 5 to 35 meters. Even without going deeper than 20 meters, the coral garden, schooling of fish in every color, shape, and species, already shows their magnificence.
The visibility in Triton Bay is varied, but generally, it can be expected to be in the range of 10-15 meters. It can fall to 5 or over 25 meters, depending on the weather and the currents. The currents in this region are generally strong, so it is important to check the condition beforehand and follow the diving instructor’s guidance.
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How to get to Triton Bay
The entry point to Triton Bay is through Utarom Airport in Kaimana, the regency of Triton Bay. Getting to Triton Bay requires multiple stops as no direct flight is available to reach this area in West Papua, which is considered quite remote by Indonesian standards.
Makassar will be the first stop if you fly from Jakarta. Then, it will be followed by the flight to Sorong as the second stopover. If you want to fly directly to Kaimana, only Wings Air has this route. If you take Lion Air or Batik Air from Sorong, the flights will have another stopover in Manokwari before heading to Kaimana via Wings Air.
If you fly from Denpasar-Bali, the flight will have a stopover in Surabaya, followed by a flight to Makassar. From then on, the flight will fly to Sorong before making Kaimana the last stop.
Diving Seasons & Weather in Triton Bay
Triton Bay experiences two wet seasons, which occur from November to December and then from July to August. The southeast monsoon season, which lasts from June to September, brings strong winds and is not ideal for diving due to rough conditions.
The immediate period after the monsoon is recommended for diving, making it the start of diving season, which starts in October and lasts until early June. Though the visibility is less, the water is calm. December to May brings in the best visibility in the area, and the water is warmer, averaging 30 degrees Celsius.
Rain is possible even outside the rainy season in West Papua.
Marine Life in Triton Bay
Corals
The corals in Triton Bay are astonishing, as it’s in the center of the Coral Triangle. Hard and soft corals are everywhere, especially the black coral bushes, which are prominent in many of the dive sites around Triton Bay.
Different shapes of corals, from staghorn corals, porites, cup corals, leather corals, brain corals, and mushroom corals to gorgonians and sea fans, adorned the walls, boulders, and slopes in the area in vibrant colors. The popping of red, yellow, orange, green, purple, pink, and white creates an eclectic scenery, but a beautiful one at that.
Fish
With over 900 fish species found in Triton Bay, there are guaranteed plenty of fish in the sea, literally.
Among those hundreds of species are angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, cardinalfish, anthias, fusiliers, groupers, Napoleon wrasse, sweetlips, snappers, as well as barracudas, jacks, and trevallies. Triton Bay is also home to endemic species such as Nursalim’s flasher wrasse, bird’s head jawfish, and Jamal dottyback.
The fish are abundant, thanks to the strong currents which bring many plankton into the water around Triton Bay.
Sharks
Though not famous for shark sightings, Triton Bay is still the place to be, especially for the whale sharks. Similar to the ones in Cenderawasih Bay, the whale sharks feed on the fishermen’s small fish from the bagans. Though they are migratory creatures, some whale sharks have been known to hang around the area, thus making the encounter with these gentle giants possible year-round.
Whale sharks are not the only ones occupying the waters in Triton Bay. The healthy conditions and abundant coral reefs mean reef sharks like blacktip and whitetip are commonly seen.
Two of the most famous sharks in Triton Bay are the Triton epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium henryi), which is endemic to Triton Bay, and the wobbegong shark. The Triton epaulette shark is a nocturnal creature that walks along the seabed with its pectoral fins. While the wobbegong shark is often found resting on the sea floor or under the ledge of coral reefs.
Critters
Triton Bay has everything when it comes to marine life. Not only reef fish or coral reefs, this area is also home to some beautiful critters, and a few are endemic.
Four species of pygmy seahorses (Bargibant’s, Pontoh, Satami, and Denise) can be found among the vibrant coral reefs. Ghost pipefish, mantis shrimp, cuttlefish, scorpionfish, and octopus (including blue-ringed, wonderpus, and mimic). Meanwhile, nudibranchs like Mercy’s garden eel and Papuan's garden eel—both are endemic to Triton Bay—add diversity to the already diverse marine environment.
Cetaceans
Dophins are prominent in Triton Bay, and some can be found around the whale sharks when they feed on the fishermen’s fish of the bagans. Spinner dolphins and bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen in the area.
Some dive sites in Triton Bay border open seas, which means the currents in the deeper water are strong. This condition attracts certain species of whales, like Bryde’s whales, sperm whales, and humpback whales, into Triton Bay. The sightings of this mammal are not guaranteed and depend on the time of the year when they usually migrate.
