Misool, the area around Four Kings

Misool · Indonesia · Pinnacle · Channel & pass · Wall

Four Kings

A steep wall drops 5–35 m off the northernmost of four pinnacles

Area photo: Bird's Head Seascape / Jones/Shimlock / Secret Sea Visions · CC BY-SA 4.0

Four imposing rocky pinnacles rising from the deep water of the Wayilbatan channel, dived as one site. The dive typically starts on the northernmost pinnacle, where a steep wall drops from 5 to 35 m under leather corals, bubble corals and gorgonian fans, with whitetip and blacktip reef sharks cruising the reef edges and Napoleon wrasse foraging among the coral heads.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Four Kings: typical dive 5–35 m (15–115 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit5 m35 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

2.2128° S, 130.4324° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The dive typically begins at the northernmost of the four pinnacles, where a steep wall drops from 5 to 35 metres, covered in leather corals, bubble corals and gorgonian fans. Set your depth on the wall and let the pinnacle's contour lead the dive — the deep water of the Wayilbatan channel is all around, so the rock is the reference throughout.

Traffic on the reef edges is steady: it is common to encounter whitetip and blacktip reef sharks cruising lazily along them, while Napoleon wrasse and bumphead parrotfish forage among the coral heads. Work back up the wall as the dive winds down and spend the last minutes in the shallows near 5 m at the top of the pinnacle.

Marine life and season

  • Reef sharks
  • Napoleon wrasse
Month-by-month season rating for Four Kings
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodPrimePrimeGoodGoodFairFairFairFairGoodPrimeGood

Season follows Misool: Rough seas July–early September; visibility peaks in November and February–March, baitfish and mobulas arrive September–October, and May–June south winds bring more sharks.

Sources

  1. Diving sites Indonesia - Raja Ampat — Dive The World
  2. Pulau Wayilbatan — OpenStreetMap

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