Kawe Island Reef

The northern fringe of Kawe Island in the Wayag subdistrict holds a broad shallow shelf, 8 to 18 m, blanketed in branching and tabulate Acropora that ranks among the least disturbed hard coral gardens in Indonesia. Occasional strong upwellings from the deep Halmahera Sea keep temperatures slightly cooler than the Dampier Strait, which suppresses bleaching and feeds dense fish communities. Titan triggerfish, Napolean wrasse, and reef octopus are common on the flat; descending the fore-reef slope reveals large gorgonian sea fans and regular sightings of the rarely-encountered tasselled wobbegong at depth. Almost no dive operators currently visit; access requires a northern Wayag liveaboard itinerary.