Hi Lifesucketh,

My partner and I are also passionate snorkelers’ :D (and divers) for the past year we’ve been on a bit of a snorkel / dive mission around SE Asia, but we’ve also snorkelled in the Maldives (3 times, various atolls).

We are obsessed with Raja Ampat! Currently writing to you from our bungalow on Pulau Gam, its our forth time here which is testament to how much we rate it :) Being the most biodiverse place on the planet, it is rich in marine life! Although the diving is insane, the snorkelling here is almost equally as good! Many of the reefs are shallow, and you can see much the same as you would on a dive. For example; mantas, sharks, turtles, dugongs, barracuda, bumphead parrotfish, huge schools of fish, rays, snakes, cuttlefish, octopus plus lots of great macro.

A liveaboard is a great option if you want to reach far out spots such as Misool, or Wayag however there is excellent snorkelling to be had in the main Dampier Strait which is where you will find the majority of homestay’s. The landscape above water is equally as beautiful but it would be cool to mix up your trip and do both a liveaboard and some time on land - many people do Raja Ampat this way.

We write a snorkel / dive related travel blog with a lot of information about Raja Ampat. I’ll leave a link below to our travel guide, you will also find detailed info about the best snorkel spots, accomodation recommendations etc.

Hope this helps with your plans, pls feel free to give me a shout if you have any questions at all.

https://remoteandafloat.com/raja-ampat-travel-guide/