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Visit Raja Ampat before you die, says West Papua gov
West Papua Governor Abraham Octavianus Atururi was busy promoting the upcoming Sail Raja Ampat event at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Wednesday, telling potential tourists to visit the islands at least once in their lifetime
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W
est Papua Governor Abraham Octavianus Atururi was busy promoting the upcoming Sail Raja Ampat event at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Wednesday, telling potential tourists to visit the islands at least once in their lifetime.
Billed as being home to the highest diversity of coral reefs, fish and stomatopods in the world, the governor said the islands were the greatest place on earth for diving.
'Raja Ampat has the richest underwater flora and fauna in the world,' Atururi said as quoted by Antara news agency. 'Don't die without visiting Raja Ampat.'
The richness of Raja Ampat covers 1,320 species of fish, 75 percent of coral reef species in the world, five species of rare sea turtles, 57 species of mantis shrimps and 27 species of rare fish.
The coral reef species in Raja Ampat are said to be 10 times larger than species in the Caribbean.
Foreign Ministry director-general for America and Europe Dian Triansyah Djani has also been promoting the tourism potential of Raja Ampat.
'I am not only a diplomat, but am also a salesperson for Raja Ampat,' added Dian.
Dian invited diplomats to visit Raja Ampat, especially in conjunction with the launching of the Sail Raja Ampat event, scheduled to be launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono early in June.
The event will also be highlighted by various presentations, including Papuan traditional dances and ethnic handcraft exhibitions. (yln)
