Raja Ampat · Indonesia · Pinnacle · Reef
Sardine Reef
Trevally and tuna in numbers that block out the light
Area photo: Buena Ventura · CC BY 3.0
Sardine Reef is an oval patch of reef sitting on its own in open water, starting at 5 m and sloping away towards the sea floor. Current runs across it, and that is what packs it: schools of trevally and tuna heavy enough to cut the light, bumphead parrotfish charging the coral heads, and snappers, damselfish and butterflyfish over the reef itself.
Also known as Kri Island Sardines, Sardines.
Where it is and how deep
0.5342° S, 130.7151° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef is an oval patch in the middle of open ocean, which makes the dive entirely a question of where the current is running when you go in. The top of the reef starts at 5 m and slopes down towards the ocean floor, and the boat sets you up so that the water carries you along it. It is a firm favourite among the Raja Ampat liveaboards for exactly that reason.
The schooling fish are the point of the site. Trevally and tuna come through in numbers that practically block out the light, and bumphead parrotfish charge around the coral, devouring it as they go. Closer in on the reef there are large numbers of snappers, damselfish and butterflyfish over colourful coral, so there is something to look at even when the big schools are elsewhere.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Tuna
- Reef fish swarms
| 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.
Know before you go
- The current across the patch is at times strong enough to discourage lingering in one spot for a photograph, so plan on a moving dive and settle for the frames the water gives you.
Dive videos
Sardine Reef - Raja Ampat · scuba-tube Dietrich (scuba-tube) on YouTube
Sources
- Sardine Reef Dive Site | PADI — PADI
- Diving Sites Indonesia - Raja Ampat — Dive The World
More dive sites in Raja Ampat
Reef
Reef hook dive at 10-12 m in very strong current
Schooling jacks hunting silversides under the village jetty
Overhang at 28-35 m with the wall dropping past 50
Reef
Five Rocks: a repeat-request reef to around 24 m
House reef from the jetty at 2 m down to 20 m
Pinnacle
Cleaning stations on the summit, mantas on the flanks in season
Fish fill the water before your BCD is finished deflating
Wall
A drift from schooling fish on the point to macro on the slope
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Pinnacle
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