Last updated: August 2026 · Prices & availability verified for the 2026/2027 season
Aljui Bay is the quiet western answer to Raja Ampat’s postcard spots: a deep, sheltered fjord on west Waigeo where working pearl farms string their lines across jade water, and where night dives under the farm jetties turn up critters most divers only see in books. There is no airport, no homestay strip and no crowd — the bay is reached by liveaboard, which is exactly why it stays the way it is.
Why Aljui Bay Is Worth the Detour
Three things pull boats west. First, the pearl farm itself — one of the few places in Indonesia where you can watch South Sea pearls being seeded and harvested, a working operation rather than a show. Second, the diving: the bay’s sheltered, nutrient-rich water makes it Raja Ampat’s most reliable muck-and-macro theatre — wobbegongs under the jetty, walking sharks after dark, mandarin fish at dusk. Third, the setting — sheer, jungle-walled inlets where the only traffic is a farm skiff crossing at sunset.
The Night Dive Under the Jetty
Ask any cruise director who works west Waigeo and they will name the same dive: the pearl-farm jetty after dark. Torchlight over silty sand reads like a field guide — epaulette (walking) sharks, bobtail squid, decorator crabs, and the occasional Spanish dancer in open water. It is shallow, calm and long — the kind of dive that fills a logbook page.
Getting There: Liveaboard Only
Aljui Bay sits on the far western side of Waigeo, a long run from the Sorong-Waisai corridor — practical only as an overnight anchorage on a multi-day route. Most itineraries pair it with Kabui Bay and the Fam group: read our Kabui Bay guide and the top islands of Raja Ampat for how the pieces fit, then compare full Raja Ampat boat trip itineraries that can route west.
When to Go
The Raja Ampat season runs October to April, and Aljui’s sheltered geography makes it one of the region’s most forgiving anchorages even in marginal weather — cruise directors often hold it in reserve as the calm-water fallback. Macro life is consistent year-round.
Route Aljui Bay into your charter: WhatsApp +62 811 3823 875 or [email protected] — concierge desk 24/7.
