Citrus Ridge

Overview

Bird's Head Seascape places Citrus Ridge in the channel between Yanggefo and Gam islands and describes a T-shaped reef whose stem is attached to the Yanggefo side of the channel. La Galigo Liveaboard says the site lies off the coast of Gam Island and that its name comes from the abundant soft corals in orange and yellow hues. The two accounts frame the region differently: La Galigo Liveaboard places the site in the southern part of the Raja Ampat archipelago, while Bird's Head Seascape calls it one of north Raja Ampat's most colourful reefs, with a slope covered mostly in orange and purple soft corals. PADI's page for the site, contributed by Meridian Adventure, describes a hard coral garden in the sunlit shallows at the edge of a sloping channel.

The dive

Bird's Head Seascape says the reef can be dived in either direction but preferably from outside the channel to the inside, north-west to south-east. La Galigo Liveaboard describes dropping in at the end of the ridge the current is coming from, descending to around 25 metres and following the slope of the ridge. Halfway through, its account continues, divers cross a large sand slope where the current can pick up, after which the current drops off again along the reef until the ascent to 5 metres for the safety stop. La Galigo Liveaboard says the view on surfacing takes in mangroves, with a chance to see archer fish spitting water at insects on the branches above.

Depth, current and visibility

La Galigo Liveaboard gives depths of 10 to 27 metres, and PADI's page also lists a maximum depth of 27 metres. La Galigo Liveaboard describes the currents as moderate to strong, often running along the reef, and recommends the site for intermediate to advanced divers because of the currents and depths. It reports visibility of 15 to 30 metres, with the best conditions in the dry season from October to April.

Marine life

Bird's Head Seascape reports good schooling fish action on the deeper Gam side of the reef, along with reef fish, schooling pelagics, colourful bommies, wobbegong sharks, turtles and macro life. La Galigo Liveaboard lists schools of bumphead parrotfish, barracudas, fusiliers and surgeonfish, as well as nudibranchs, pufferfish, spadefish, eels, octopus, scorpionfish and the occasional wobbegong shark. It also reports green turtles resting on the corals. PADI's page adds that lionfish and scorpionfish are sometimes found resting on table and brain corals during the descent.