Coral Bleaching in Dampier Strait?

[kiwidives]

I'm planning a land based trip to Raja Ampat at the end of April 2025. I've been following some Facebook groups for travelers in R4 and came across some posts documenting a bleaching incident around the Dampier Strait. Has anyone dove around Kri recently? How bad is the bleaching? Some of the photos look pretty bad

I'm not sure whether I should change my planned itinerary (Kri-Arborek-Gam) in light of the bleaching event and instead try to visit a less impacted area (Pam/Fam)

Any input from recent travelers would be much appreciated!

 

[Kendall Raine]

I'm planning a land based trip to Raja Ampat at the end of April 2025. I've been following some Facebook groups for travelers in R4 and came across some posts documenting a bleaching incident around the Dampier Strait. Has anyone dove around Kri recently? How bad is the bleaching? Some of the photos look pretty bad

I'm not sure whether I should change my planned itinerary (Kri-Arborek-Gan) in light of the bleaching event and instead try to visit a less impacted area (Pam/Fam)

Any input from recent travelers would be much appreciated!

Saw no bleaching at Kri in April.

 

[rmorgan]

They looked good in November

 

[cozcharlie]

I have heard a couple of recent (late November/December) reports of significant bleaching. I should be able to confirm in 72 hours or so (although I think my dive gear just missed my connection thanks to United )

 

[FishWatcher747]

I have heard a couple of recent (late November/December) reports of significant bleaching. I should be able to confirm in 72 hours or so (although I think my dive gear just missed my connection thanks to United )

There is nothing like the feeling of getting half way around the world and being at the baggage claim carousel and watching everyone else get their bag and suddenly you are the only one standing there and there are no more bags coming out.

 

[Dan]

I have heard a couple of recent (late November/December) reports of significant bleaching. I should be able to confirm in 72 hours or so (although I think my dive gear just missed my connection thanks to United )

Sorry to hear that, Charlie!

See you on the 15th in So wrong!

 

[justinthedeeps]

What have been the biggest documented bleaching events in Indonesia so far? (Any year?)

Curious how this compares/contrasts to what is more often reported and described (Great Barrier Reefs, Hawaii, Polynesia, Florida/Caribbean...)

Depths, extents, diversities affected, durations, tipping point parameters (temp threshold/ranges), ...

GBR seems especially sensitive, such vast areas of relatively uniform, broad sub-tropical shallow reef are surely very impacted by bulk climate affects.

Does an equatorial Indonesian system of grotesquely diverse and developed deep tidal channels fare or recover any better against heatwave events?

Perhaps if we try to imagine or rank what are the biggest threats to popular [Indonesian] reefs:

• mass sediment releases due to deforestation and dredging
• bulk eutrophication from large-scale commercial/industrial agriculture/industry/mining/oil&gas operations
• bulk effluents, chems, pollutants, microbial loads etc from human and animal wastes (incl. 200+ liveaboards, nearby towns/cities?)
• invasive species, including microbial and viral
• dynamite fishing
• large-scale commercial fishing
• trawling
• anchoring
• heatwaves
• commercial removal of sensitive and beneficial species by aquarium collectors, wildlife trade, fetish foodies

Is anything missing?

Will it be heatwaves that change Indo/Raja reefs, or one or more of the above that does it first?

 

[Dan]

I was in Raja Ampat in February 2024 with @cozcharlie and saw no coral bleaching. It was possible that Blue Manta didn’t take us to the coral bleaching site.

Geographically Raja Ampat is one of the area that gets major warm surface flow coming from Pacific cool subsurface flow that brings lots of nutrients to keep the coral healthy, as shown in the global current pattern, below.

 

[kiwidives]

My understanding is that a new bleaching event began in December 2024 and that some areas of Dampier Strait have been heavily effected, see the following links for recent photos and videos

An Update: Coral Bleaching Event in Raja Ampat - Indo Ocean Project

Indo Ocean Project is a marine conservation program in Indonesia. Join our conservation divemaster internship and become a research diver!

indooceanproject.org

The World’s Fourth Coral Bleaching Event; How It's Affecting Raja Ampat right now - The SEA People

Raja Ampat’s reefs face the world’s Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event, a stark warning of climate change impacts. Learn about the resilience of these reefs, the urgent need for local action, and how individuals can help protect one of the planet's most biodiverse marine ecosystems

theseapeople.org

Current World Wide Bleaching Event Affecting Raja Ampat and the Bird's Head Seascape - Bird's Head Seascape

During the past few weeks this site has received reports and images of the current coral bleaching event taking place throughout the Bird’s Head Seascape. Some areas have been significantly impacted while others, thankfully, show little damage. We have reached out to resorts, liveaboards...

birdsheadseascape.com

Can anyone who dove around Kri this December confirm the extent of the damage? How localized is this bleaching - does it effect only a few sites or many? Are other areas of R4 like Fam/Pam also showing this amount of bleaching?

It will be my first time in R4, I'm a bit concerned my current itinerary might be centered on the most impacted areas

 

[kiwidives]

I have heard a couple of recent (late November/December) reports of significant bleaching. I should be able to confirm in 72 hours or so (although I think my dive gear just missed my connection thanks to United )

Please let me know