Raja Ampat (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and First Lady Iriana visited Piaynemu Bay in Raja Ampat District, West Papua, on Friday.

The head of state and his entourage departed from Waiwo Pier in Waisai Sub-district at around 8 a.m. local time aboard a speedboat.

A speedboat ride from Waisai to Piaynemu Bay takes 1.5 hours.

After arriving in Piaynemu, Jokowi scaled 300 steps to reach a hilltop to witness the string of isles scattered across the bays clear waters.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya and Head of the Presidential Staff Office Teten Masduki were among those accompanying the president.

Acting District Head of Raja Ampat Elyas Sroyer stated that there are around 1.8 thousand isles in Raja Ampat District.

Therefore, ships or boats are crucial means of transportation in the region, he added.

Raja Ampat, which literally means "Four Kings," is located in the Coral Triangle, the heart of the worlds coral reef biodiversity.

The seas around Raja Ampat Islands are home to the richest varieties of species in the world, including 75 percent of all known coral species.

The Raja Ampat archipelago encompasses 15 thousand square miles of land and sea off the northwestern tip of the Indonesia province of West Papua.

Its four large islands --- Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, and Misool --- shelter a vast array of terrestrial species and valuable forests.

The region includes the Pacifics most important Leatherback Turtle nesting site, The Nature Conservancy writes on its website.

Offshore reefs protect some 1,427 species of fish and more than 550 species of coral.

Some of these reefs have proven to be particularly resilient, and include coral-building resources that help sustain the entire Coral Triangle, making its protection all the more vital.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2016