Keruo Night Dive

Keruo Night Dive is a dedicated night diving site in the Keruo Island area of Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. The site is specifically known for epaulette sharks (Hemiscyllium freycineti) — a species of walking shark endemic to Raja Ampat and nearby New Guinea — which emerge after dark to hunt across the reef flat.

Overview

As night falls, the reef at Keruo transforms. The epaulette sharks — also called walking sharks for their habit of using their pectoral and pelvic fins to “walk” across shallow reef flats — emerge from their daytime hiding places and begin systematically working the rubble and coral heads in search of crustaceans and small fish. Watching an epaulette shark navigate the reef in a diver’s torch beam, its patterned body moving with a distinctive wriggling gait, is one of Raja Ampat’s most memorable wildlife encounters.

Beyond the walking sharks, the reef at night reveals a different world. Parrotfish sleep in their mucus cocoons beneath coral ledges. Octopuses jet across the sand in flashes of colour. Cuttlefish hunt under the torchlight, hypnotising prey with rippling chromatophore displays. Moray eels are active and visible, cruising the reef surface rather than hiding in their daytime crevices. Crustaceans that spend the day concealed emerge to feed — Spanish dancer nudibranchs, decorator crabs, and mantis shrimp are all commonly encountered.

Water temperature holds at 27–29°C. Depth is generally shallow — the walking sharks work the shallowest sections of the reef flat, so much of the dive takes place at less than 10 metres.

Marine Life

• Epaulette sharks (walking sharks) hunting on the reef flat
• Octopuses and cuttlefish active in the open
• Sleeping parrotfish in mucus cocoons
• Moray eels hunting across the reef surface
• Spanish dancer nudibranchs, decorator crabs, and mantis shrimp

Dive Profile

The night dive explores the shallow reef flat at 3–15 metres by torch, moving slowly and methodically to find cryptic nocturnal species. The epaulette sharks are the primary target, found in the shallowest sections. Intermediate divers comfortable with night diving will appreciate this site. Entry and exit are by boat.

Practical Information

• Depth range: 3–15 m (primarily shallow reef flat)
• Visibility: 10–15 m (torchlight dependent)
• Current: Light
• Best time: October–April; epaulette sharks present year-round
• Water temperature: 27–29°C
• Entry: Boat

Sources: Papua Diving - Raja Ampat Dive Sites, Bluewater Dive Travel - Raja Ampat Diving, La Galigo Liveaboard - Top 10 Raja Ampat Dive Sites, Girls That Scuba - Scuba Diving Raja Ampat, PADI - Diving in Raja Ampat. Last updated 2026-04-04.