Triton Bay: Exploring Indonesia’s New Diving Frontier with Dr Richard Smith

On a recent expedition, marine biologist Dr Richard Smith took an intrepid group of marine life–loving divers to explore the new must-visit area of Indonesia – Triton Bay

In Greek mythology, the god Triton is usually depicted as a merman with the lower body of a fish.  Son of the god and goddess of the sea, it seems fitting that Triton Bay, a mysterious ocean wonderland in far-flung Papua, be his namesake.

I have wanted to visit Triton Bay since hearing about the first scientific expedition to the area in 2006. However, not long after the area was discovered, there was some local discord and divers haven’t able to visit until relatively recently. As soon as it reopened, I arranged back-to-back liveaboard charters, confident that it would be worth the wait.  

Enroute

Some liveaboards choose to start and end in Kaimana, the gateway to Triton, but we decided to sail down from Raja Ampat, about 300 miles northwest. I love crossing trips, such as this, as we experiencedthe full gamut of dive sites and ecosystems that the tropics can provide. When a location is as different as Triton Bay, I think it helps to put this into context.

During our journey south, we spent a day around Misool in south Raja, taking in some of the iconic sites in the area. These are some of my favourite places to dive in the world, so it was certainly an added bonus that we were able to include these on the itinerary. We had a fair amount of mileage to cover over the next couple of days, but we visited some fascinating sites along the brilliantly named Fak Fak peninsula.

We explored a little-known seamount and inshore islands, discovering a manta cleaning station at the former. Being so remote, we also enjoyed dense schools of trevally and batfishes, plus vibrant corals. A pair of Pontoh’s pygmy seahorses and a blue-ringed octopus mating quartet on an inshore island kept the macro lovers happy.

Book of Momon

Sailing down from Raja also allowed us to visit Momon Waterfall, 150 miles north of Triton. This is one of just a handful of waterfalls in Asia that flow directly into the ocean and it can be spotted miles from shore. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the scenery, playing like children in the turbulent flow and in true Indiana Jones-style went into the secret cave behind the waterfall itself.

This was our last stop before heading further south still, past Namatote Island and into the Iris Strait, between Aiduma Island and the Papuan mainland.This is where the bulk of Triton’s dive sites are located. There is very little habitation, and just one small resort, Triton Bay Divers, braves the wilderness. The lush forests seem to ooze down from the impenetrable New Guinean highlands to the water’s edge like treacle. As soon as your face hits the water, you know you’re diving somewhere very special, which is probably thanks in part to the lack of people. The fish here are bountiful and huge. Giant grouper, the largest bony fish associated with coral reefs, are ordinarily very rare, even in Raja Ampat I have only seen a couple. Here I saw two or three on a few of the sites.

Special Triton

As are all reefs, Triton’s reefs are a result of the environmental conditions. The bay is bathedin large amounts of freshwater flow from thelargerivers to its north and south. This brings with it lots of nutrients, plankton and often quite poor visibility. This hinders the growth of hard corals, which need clear water and light to be competitive and dominate. 

In their place, soft corals, gorgonian and sponges of every colour are widespread. Since the freshwater often sits atop the salt, there is sometimes a milky layer a few metres thick, and a clear, yet shadowy dive site below. It’s quite exciting and not something I’d experienced before. As a result, I would say this is probably an areafor divers that have perhaps been to Raja Ampat and Komodo already and wish to broaden their horizons further still.

Triton Bay was first explored in 2006 by scientists who had been titillated by other areas of the Bird’s Head and looking for its next biological hotspot. They found this to be another endemic-rich area, with several species found nowhere else on Earth. Jamal’s dottyback and Nursalim flasher wrasse are two of the most-charismatic, discovered in 2007 and 2008 respectively. 

Jamal’s is a small, but locally common species that mimics the black bar chromis, while the Nursalim is as flashy and stunning as you’d expect for a flasher wrasse. Another dottyback that was only named from Triton in 2008 is the zippered species. They are found at the very limits of recreational diving.  It has been suggested that two large river outflows on the boundaries of the bay act as freshwater barriers to the spread of these marine life species and has driven their evolution.Two years after the scientific expedition in 2006, a 6,000 square kilometre marine protected area was declared.

Supersized, or tiny and flashy

The whalesharks of Cenderawasih Bay, on Papua’s north coast, have become world renowned, and many amazing photographs have emerged from there. A similar group has recently been discovered just outside Triton Bay, which in a similar fashion to those in Cenderawasih are also given a small offering of fish when they come to fishing pontoons in the mornings. They are considered good luck, which has proven to be true, as us divers can now visit these behemoths and add to the fisher’s income. Having also been to Cenderawasih, I would say that the visibility is certainly better in the former, but it’s never a bad day when swimming with the largest fish in the sea.

Also outside the Iris Strait is another site with bountiful ichthyological delights. Flasher Beach has stunning hard coral growths in the shallows, which give way to rubble with depth. This makes the perfect habitat for flasher wrasses. As well as the locally endemic Nursalim, clouds of yellowfin and blue flashers, I was very excited to see my first sailfin anthias. I had never even seen a photo of these rare fish before, which are similar in shape and size to other anthias. When displaying, however, males erect a huge and striking silvery-white dorsal fin. They were exceedingly fast and difficult to photograph, even more so than the flashers! 

Like the anthias, displaying male flashers really show off the species’ magnificent colours. With such a density of flashers, the inevitable frenzy of sexual activity has led to some accidents.  Different species end up mating, and are so closely related that they produce hybrids. Some hybrid adults were noticeable among the others and in fact, some were even more stunning than the true species.

Two of my favourite sites, Little Komodo and another we called Hole in One, sit at the northern and southern mouths of the strait respectively. The flow of water past these sites and into the strait brings additional nutrients and huge schools of fishes to feed on them. At Little Komodo, as well as mantas and giant grouper, other large grouper, batfish and silversides added to the eerie feeling of the large black coral trees. In the south, Hole in One off Dramai Island has a massive swim-through that goes under the island. On certain tides, it is full of large surgeon fishes. Just outside the cave, the rocks are covered in thick and colourful growth that makes this an outstanding site.

You snooze, you lose

I am not a committed night diver, it must be said, but the promise of some animals will get me back in the water. Triton Bay has one of these animals. The Triton Bay walking shark was discovered during the first scientific expedition in 2006 and I was eager to see it. Like its cousins, the Raja Ampat and Cenderawasih Bay species, it walks around on sturdy pectoral fins in shallow water at night. I became obsessed and did various rapid assessments of dive sites at night to find it (basically swimming around frantically to find the fish). Of course, the night I missed the dive, the others saw it. But I did manage to catch a glimpse of a shark sleeping under a table coral during the day.  Obviously, I left it to its own devices and there’s sadly no photographic evidence.

As stories of Raja Ampat’s riches spread beyond diving circles, more and more travellers are reaching its remote reefs. Triton Bay offers an alternative that remains firmly off the beaten path.  Perhaps not the best place for new divers, but definitely one for those wanting to experience a new destination while it remains largely unknown.

Photographs by Richard Smith /OceanRealmImages.com

FAQ

Q: Where is Triton Bay located?

A: Triton Bay lies in Papua, Indonesia, as part of the Bird’s Head Seascape. It’s a remote and pristine diving destination, around 300 miles south of Raja Ampat.

Q: What makes Triton Bay unique for divers?

A: The bay’s mix of freshwater and saltwater creates nutrient-rich, low-visibility conditions that favour soft corals, sponges, and gorgonians. It is also home to several marine species found nowhere else in the world.

Q: Which marine life is Triton Bay famous for?

A: Endemic species such as Jamal’s dottyback and the Nursalim flasher wrasse, plus giant grouper, manta rays, pygmy seahorses, and whale sharks. The rare Triton Bay walking shark is another highlight.

Q: Can divers see whale sharks in Triton Bay?

A: Yes. Like Cenderawasih Bay, whale sharks visit local fishing platforms and can be seen up close, often when offered small amounts of fish.

Q: Is Triton Bay suitable for beginners?

A: While stunning, Triton Bay is better suited for experienced divers who have already explored areas like Raja Ampat or Komodo. Currents, visibility, and remoteness can be challenging.

Q: What are some of the best dive sites in Triton Bay?

A: Popular sites include Little Komodo, Hole in One, and Flasher Beach. These offer mantas, giant groupers, black coral trees, flasher wrasses, and even epic swim-throughs under islands.

Q: When was Triton Bay first explored scientifically?

A: In 2006, a scientific team identified it as a biodiversity hotspot. Soon after, a 6,000 sq km marine protected area was established to preserve its unique ecosystem.

Q: How can divers reach Triton Bay?

A: Most divers visit via liveaboard from Raja Ampat or by travelling through Kaimana, the gateway town to Triton Bay.