Mike's Point

Mike's Point, in Raja Ampat's Dampier Strait, is a submerged pinnacle with a fascinating history — a coral-covered rocky tower that rises from 35 meters to within 4 meters of the surface, and which locals identify as the limestone remains of a small island supposedly bombed flat by US forces during World War II. Whatever its geological origin, it is today one of the region's most dramatic high-current dives, famous for its vibrant coral cover and regular big-animal encounters. The dive is a drift around the pinnacle, with divers entering upstream and spiraling the tower from top to bottom or following the current along its flanks. The pinnacle is almost entirely covered in coral — staghorn and table corals on the top, gorgonian fans the size of dining tables on the flanks, and soft corals in every color below 15 meters. Gullies and crevices shelter giant moray eels, groupers, and sweetlips. Marine life is exceptional. Napoleon wrasse and bumphead parrotfish cruise the pinnacle, grey reef and whitetip sharks patrol the deeper flanks, and schools of bigeye trevally, barracuda, and fusiliers shimmer in the blue off the pinnacle's edge. Reef mantas occasionally appear in the current, and the macro life on the coral heads includes pygmy seahorses, Coleman shrimps, nudibranchs, and a full range of crustaceans. Mike's Point is strictly Advanced Open Water — currents regularly exceed two knots, down-currents occur along the deeper flanks, and the drift is committing. Reached by liveaboard or speedboat from Kri-area resorts (45-60 minutes). Visibility 15-25 meters, water temperatures 27-29°C. Peak season runs October through April, when tidal currents are at their strongest and pelagic action is most reliable.