About Sanctuary
We keep Sanctuary trimmed just right when we’re working through the Dampier Strait’s afternoon tides – a 48-metre phinisi with twin 420 HP engines means we don’t get pushed around by the current. That stability matters when you’re lining up a drift dive at Cape Kri or running the dive deck at dawn in South Sorong. This boat was built to cover ground without rushing, staying three days in the Misool cluster, then pushing north to Wayag with minimal transit time. Our crew of 24 know every anchorage – where the soft coral shelves start at 8 metres, where the current swings just enough to bring in the mantas at Manta Sandy.
Sanctuary sleeps 52 guests across 26 double cabins and 26 twin-share configurations, all climate-controlled with private ensuite bathrooms. The upper deck has a shaded relaxation zone with daybeds that face west – perfect for catching the evening light over Boo Windows. We’ve got a dedicated camera station with rinse tanks for macro shooters, and the dive platform drops straight into the water with tank racks pre-staged by our dive masters. There’s a jacuzzi forward of the upper lounge, but most guests end up on the lower deck dining area after dinner, where the ceiling fans move the humid air just enough.
On a standard 3D2N run, we pick up guests from Sorong on Day 1, sail overnight to Arborek Jetty for a community visit, then drift along Manduawa Reef by late afternoon. Day 2 starts early at Melissa’s Garden – one of the densest soft coral sites in the strait – followed by a surface interval at Wayag Lagoon, where the limestone karsts rise straight out of the blue. We anchor there for two hours so guests can kayak or hike the viewpoint trail. Day 3 wraps up with a final dive at Fiabacet, then a slow cruise back to Sorong with lunch served on deck.
We don’t run open-share trips with mixed operators – every guest on Sanctuary is booked directly through us or our partners, which means we control the dive roster and meal pacing. Breakfast is always ready by 05:30 for early divers, and we keep packed lunches on ice for those who want to stay out after the second dive. The galley runs on propane stoves, but we’ve got a 20kW generator for consistent power – no flickering lights during evening briefings. Our medics are DAN-certified, and we carry oxygen and a full first-response kit, though serious cases get evacuated to Sorong within four hours via our emergency tender.
This isn’t a boat that does Komodo – it’s built for Raja Ampat’s open-water crossings and remote anchoring. If you’re looking for Padar Island or Manta Point in Komodo National Park, you’ll need a different vessel. But if you want to dive the same reefs we’ve been guiding since 2010 – where wobbegong sharks nap under ledges and pygmy seahorses cling to gorgonians – then Sanctuary’s rhythm matches the region’s pulse.
