Raja Ampat Snorkeling Yacht Charter
The reefs top out at one to three metres, so the best snorkelling in the world is reachable with a mask. What varies is the kit and the tender support behind it.
13 of the 20 Raja Ampat yachts we charter supply snorkelling equipment for every guest as standard. Celestia carries 38 sets plus children's sizes, Lamima kits all 14 guests, and 4 yachts add underwater scooters. Because the hard coral here rises to one to three metres, surface snorkelling reaches most of what divers see.
- Google rating4.9 / 5 — 120+ reviews
- Owner ratesDirect — no broker markup
- AvailabilityOwner-confirmed before quoting
- Fleet50+ curated yachts, licensed & insured
- Yachts kitting everyone
- 13 of 20
- Underwater scooters
- 4 yachts
- Two or more tenders
- 11 yachts
- Reef crest depth
- 1 – 3 m
Who supplies what
Wording taken verbatim from each yacht's own inventory. Where a yacht does not publish a snorkel line, it is not in this table — we confirm kit with the owner rather than assume it.
| Yacht | Guests | Snorkel kit as documented | Tenders | From / night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Bonny | 9 | Full dive and snorkelling equipment for all guests | 2 | USD 4,450 |
| Kayra Phinisi | 12 | Full snorkelling kit | 1 | USD 7,000 |
| Fenides | 11 | Snorkelling gear for every guest | 2 | USD 8,580 |
| The Oracle | 12 | Full snorkelling equipment | 1 | USD 13,000 |
| Celestia | 14 | 38 × snorkel sets (ScubaPro Solo mask + Trinidad snorkel) for guests and crew | 3 | USD 13,500 |
| Mutiara Laut | 14 | Snorkelling equipment for all guests | 2 | USD 14,000 |
| Prana by Atzaró | 18 | Snorkelling sets for every guest | 2 | USD 14,500 |
| Alila Purnama | 10 | Snorkelling equipment for all guests | Not published | USD 15,500 |
| Silolona | 12 | Full snorkelling kit for every guest | 3 | USD 18,700 |
| Kudanil Explorer | 16 | Snorkelling gear for every guest onboard | 3 | USD 26,000 |
| Lamima | 14 | Snorkelling equipment for all 14 guests | 3 | USD 27,000 |
| Vela | 12 | Snorkelling gear for every guest | 2 | On request |
| Si Datu Bua | 6 | Snorkelling kit for every guest | 2 | On request |
- Guests
- 9
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Full dive and snorkelling equipment for all guests
- Tenders
- 2
- From / night
- USD 4,450
- Guests
- 12
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Full snorkelling kit
- Tenders
- 1
- From / night
- USD 7,000
- Guests
- 11
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Snorkelling gear for every guest
- Tenders
- 2
- From / night
- USD 8,580
- Guests
- 12
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Full snorkelling equipment
- Tenders
- 1
- From / night
- USD 13,000
- Guests
- 14
- Snorkel kit as documented
- 38 × snorkel sets (ScubaPro Solo mask + Trinidad snorkel) for guests and crew
- Tenders
- 3
- From / night
- USD 13,500
- Guests
- 14
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Snorkelling equipment for all guests
- Tenders
- 2
- From / night
- USD 14,000
- Guests
- 18
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Snorkelling sets for every guest
- Tenders
- 2
- From / night
- USD 14,500
- Guests
- 10
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Snorkelling equipment for all guests
- Tenders
- Not published
- From / night
- USD 15,500
- Guests
- 12
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Full snorkelling kit for every guest
- Tenders
- 3
- From / night
- USD 18,700
- Guests
- 16
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Snorkelling gear for every guest onboard
- Tenders
- 3
- From / night
- USD 26,000
- Guests
- 14
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Snorkelling equipment for all 14 guests
- Tenders
- 3
- From / night
- USD 27,000
- Guests
- 12
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Snorkelling gear for every guest
- Tenders
- 2
- From / night
- On request
- Guests
- 6
- Snorkel kit as documented
- Snorkelling kit for every guest
- Tenders
- 2
- From / night
- On request
Kit that extends what a snorkeler can reach
A mask and fins get you onto any reef in the archipelago. These five pieces of equipment decide how far, how long and how comfortably you stay there.
| Equipment | What it changes | Yachts that carry it |
|---|---|---|
| Underwater scooter | Covers a 400 m reef wall without finning; keeps weaker swimmers with the group | Kayra Phinisi, Celestia, Lamima, Vela |
| Glass-bottom kayak | Reef viewing for anyone who will not get in the water | Celestia, Kudanil Explorer |
| Children's sizing | A mask that seals and fins that fit — the whole difference for under-tens | Celestia, Silolona, Si Datu Bua |
| Underwater torches | Dusk snorkels, overhangs and colour at depth on a bright day | Celestia, Prana by Atzaró |
| Two or more tenders | Drift entries, and a snorkel group that runs independently of the dive group | Anne Bonny, Fenides, Celestia, Mutiara Laut, Prana by Atzaró, Dunia Baru, Silolona, Kudanil Explorer, Lamima, Vela, Si Datu Bua |
| Reef-safe sunscreen supplied | No oxybenzone on the coral, and nothing to buy before you fly | The Oracle, Mutiara Laut, Kudanil Explorer, Vela |
- What it changes
- Covers a 400 m reef wall without finning; keeps weaker swimmers with the group
- Yachts that carry it
- Kayra Phinisi, Celestia, Lamima, Vela
- What it changes
- Reef viewing for anyone who will not get in the water
- Yachts that carry it
- Celestia, Kudanil Explorer
- What it changes
- A mask that seals and fins that fit — the whole difference for under-tens
- Yachts that carry it
- Celestia, Silolona, Si Datu Bua
- What it changes
- Dusk snorkels, overhangs and colour at depth on a bright day
- Yachts that carry it
- Celestia, Prana by Atzaró
- What it changes
- Drift entries, and a snorkel group that runs independently of the dive group
- Yachts that carry it
- Anne Bonny, Fenides, Celestia, Mutiara Laut, Prana by Atzaró, Dunia Baru, Silolona, Kudanil Explorer, Lamima, Vela, Si Datu Bua
- What it changes
- No oxybenzone on the coral, and nothing to buy before you fly
- Yachts that carry it
- The Oracle, Mutiara Laut, Kudanil Explorer, Vela
Why the snorkelling matches the diving
Raja Ampat sits at the centre of the Coral Triangle, and its reefs are shallow-topped: hard coral gardens crest at one to three metres before falling away down a wall. That geometry is unusual, and it is the reason a snorkeller here is not looking at a lesser version of the dive. On a bright, slack-water morning the top three metres carry more colour than the same reef at twenty, because the light has not been filtered out of it yet. Bumphead parrotfish, blacktip reef sharks, turtles and — on the cleaning stations — manta rays all pass within sight of the surface.
What a private yacht changes is timing and position. A liveaboard runs to a dive schedule; a private charter can hold the boat at a shallow reef through the slack tide, which is the hour that matters for snorkelling, and move on when you are done rather than when the third dive is due. See private yacht vs liveaboard for the wider comparison.
How a snorkelling day is actually run
Tender drops at slack water on a shallow crest. Kit is already loaded and rinsed from the day before; on the yachts with a dedicated dive deck it never comes inside.
The yacht repositions while you eat. Shade, fresh water and a hot shower between sessions is the single biggest comfort difference against a day boat.
A second, easier site — a lagoon, a jetty or a sandbank — plus kayaks and paddleboards off the swim platform for anyone who has had enough of a mask.
If nobody in your party dives at all, the trip is shaped differently — see charters for non-divers. If the group is split, the diving charter page covers the tank side, and water toys lists the full inventory per yacht.
Snorkeling charter questions
Do I need to bring my own snorkelling gear to Raja Ampat?+
No. 13 of the 20 yachts we charter supply mask, snorkel and fins for every guest as part of the rate. Celestia carries 38 sets of ScubaPro Solo masks with Trinidad snorkels; Lamima kits all 14 guests. The exception is a prescription mask, which no yacht stocks — bring your own if you need one.
Which yacht suits a snorkeler who does not want to swim hard?+
Four yachts carry underwater scooters that tow you along a reef with no finning at all: Kayra Phinisi, Celestia, Lamima, Vela. Celestia and Kudanil Explorer also carry glass-bottom kayaks, which let a non-swimmer see the same reef from above the surface.
Are there children's snorkel sets on board?+
Celestia is the only yacht that publishes a specific inventory of kids' wetsuits, masks, snorkels and fins in smaller sizes. Silolona and Si Datu Bua both list a kid-friendly water-sports setup. On the rest, child sizing has to be confirmed with the owner before you sail — adult fins on a seven-year-old ruin the day.
Can you snorkel a drift site, or does that need a dive boat?+
A drift entry needs a tender to drop you up-current and collect you downstream. 11 yachts run two or more tenders, so one can shadow snorkelers while the other services divers. Anne Bonny's spec names snorkel drift entries explicitly as one of the jobs its two tenders do.
Is night or dusk snorkelling possible?+
Yes, where the yacht carries proper lights. Celestia lists ZeePro M1200 torches at 1,200 lumens, which is enough for a shallow night snorkel over sand and coral; Prana by Atzaró carries underwater torches and SMBs. Surface marker buoys matter as much as torches — a lit snorkeler still needs to be visible to the tender.
What sunscreen should I bring for snorkelling here?+
Reef-safe, and ideally none at all — a rash vest does the same job without putting oxybenzone on the coral. The Oracle, Mutiara Laut, Kudanil Explorer, Vela all supply reef-safe or reef-friendly sunscreen and toiletries as standard, so you can leave the supermarket bottle at home.
Keep exploring
Plan a Raja Ampat snorkeling charter
- 1. We review your dates, group size and budget.
- 2. We check suitable Raja Ampat yachts and availability.
- 3. You get curated options with pricing and route ideas.
Independent specialist guidance — not a generic booking engine. We only recommend yachts we would send our own family on.