By Salah Teman · 5 August 2026
Melissa’s Garden in the Fam islands is the site divers use as a reference point for what healthy hard coral looks like. It is shallow, bright and structurally intricate, and it is frequently described as the finest hard coral garden in Raja Ampat.
Why it stands out
Much of the world’s hard coral has thinned or bleached. Melissa’s Garden has not. Table corals, staghorn and plate formations grow in overlapping layers across a shallow plateau, which means colour holds without artificial light and photographers can work at safe depth for long periods.
What you see
The coral itself is the subject. Around it: anthias in clouds, wrasse, damselfish, sweetlips, blacktip reef sharks in the shallows, and occasional turtles. Current is usually mild.
Experience level
Suitable for all certified divers and excellent for snorkellers, given how shallow the best coral sits.
Conditions
Raja Ampat sits at 27–30°C, warm and pleasant year-round — a 3mm long wetsuit suits most divers, and shorties work for those who do not feel the cold. The Raja Ampat season runs November to April. Open Water divers are limited to a maximum depth of 18m by law and insurance.
Diving it with Teman
The KLM Teman carries 12 guests in 5 ensuite cabins with a crew of 10. Raja Ampat itineraries run November to April.
More Raja Ampat dive sites
See all itineraries and dates on our Raja Ampat liveaboard page.
Salah writes for Teman Liveaboard, the owner-operator of the KLM Teman. The Teman is a 36-metre Indonesian phinisi, handbuilt in Sulawesi and launched in 2017, carrying 12 guests in 5 ensuite cabins with a permanent crew of 10 and a Cruise Director. The team behind her has more than 20 years sailing the Indonesian archipelago. The boat works Komodo National Park from June to September out of Labuan Bajo, Raja Ampat from November to April out of Sorong, and runs Banda Sea and Ring of Fire crossings between the two seasons. The dive site guides on this blog are written from the operator's own logs and itineraries, with conditions, seasons and equipment guidance checked against the dive team who work these sites every week. Where a detail depends on the day — depth on a given tide, or where a current will take you — we say so rather than guess, because that is a briefing the Cruise Director gives on the boat, not something a web page can promise.
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About the author
Salah Teman — Salah writes for Teman Liveaboard, the owner-operator of the KLM Teman. The Teman is a 36-metre Indonesian phinisi, handbuilt in Sulawesi and launched in 2017, carrying 12 guests in 5 ensuite cabins with a permanent crew of 10 and a Cruise Director. The team behind her has more than 20 years sailing the Indonesian archipelago. The boat works Komodo National Park from June to September out of Labuan Bajo, Raja Ampat from November to April out of Sorong, and runs Banda Sea and Ring of Fire crossings between the two seasons. The dive site guides on this blog are written from the operator's own logs and itineraries, with conditions, seasons and equipment guidance checked against the dive team who work these sites every week. Where a detail depends on the day — depth on a given tide, or where a current will take you — we say so rather than guess, because that is a briefing the Cruise Director gives on the boat, not something a web page can promise.
