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Papua, formerly known as Irian Jaya is one of the world's truly remote destinations. This is the last unexplored underwater region, Papua is the western half of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea makes up the eastern half). Mind blowing exploratory diving can be found in the Raja Ampat island group, made up of over 610 islands. It was here that Dr. G. Allen broke all fish diversity records when he was able to spot over 283 species in a single dive. Because of its vast area, this region definitely has the most diverse and unspoiled marine life in the world. The confluence of the Pacific and Indian Ocean cause an overlapping of species between Asian and Australian species. This along with the rich geothermal activity and tropical climate are what provide this unique marine environment. Its proximity to the equator makes for calm seas, and the Islands are densely forested with sparkling white beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters. Native animals include red bird of paradise, hornbills, parrots, monitor lizzards, flying foxes and a small tree-dwelling marsupial called a cus cus.
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