Raja Ampat · Indonesia · Coral garden · Reef
Friwen Garden
Shallow mixed coral reef, best between 3 and 14 m
Area photo: Buena Ventura · CC BY 3.0
A shallow reef of mixed soft and hard corals, best dived between 3 and 14 metres. The current is usually very mild, so it runs as a slow potter over the coral rather than a fight against the water, and when the water does move the reef is long enough to turn the same ground into a drift instead.
Where it is and how deep
0.4866° S, 130.6973° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The best of this reef sits between 3 and 14 metres, so it is a long, shallow dive rather than a deep one. Soft and hard corals grow together across the top, and with the current usually very mild there is no need to commit to a direction early: you can work an area, turn round and come back over the same ground with air to spare.
When the current does get stronger the reef is long enough to make a drift of it, which is the other way this site is dived. The shallow profile is the practical advantage either way, since it stretches bottom time and leaves the safety stop happening in the middle of the reef rather than off it. No species list, visibility or temperature figures specific to Friwen Garden have been published, so plan on the area figures.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Raja Ampat: October to April is the drier stretch and November to April the manta season at Manta Ridge; July to mid-September can bring strong winds and rough seas.
Questions divers ask
Is Friwen Garden suitable for new divers?+
Yes. The best depth is 3 to 14 metres and the current is usually very mild, which makes it a straightforward reef dive for anyone with an entry-level certification.
Sources
- Friwen garden dive site — ScubaGo
More dive sites in Raja Ampat
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Trevally and tuna in numbers that block out the light
Pinnacle
Cleaning stations on the summit, mantas on the flanks in season
Wall
Soft corals, black coral and gorgonians from 26 m to 2 m
House reef from the jetty at 2 m down to 20 m
Reef
Five Rocks: a repeat-request reef to around 24 m
Wreck
A WWII American P-47D lying between 26 and 33 m
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