Our resorts train its guides from the ground up, employing a predominantly Papuan team and building skills from first certification through years of reef experience. Around 90% of staff across the resorts are Papuan.
Guides complete the same divemaster training in Raja Ampat that Max Ammer began when he founded the region's first dive resort in 1993, progressing from Open Water Diver through Divemaster. A new group of trainees has recently been scouted from island villages near Wayag, continuing a model that creates meaningful opportunities for local people to build skills, pursue careers in diving, and access a more stable monthly income.
By supporting local employment and training, the program offers an alternative to destructive practices like shark finning and dynamite fishing while recognizing the knowledge, skills, and potential already present in these communities.
Guides trained for underwater photographers understand exactly what a shooter needs from a dive, not just where to find marine life. As the Raja Ampat SEACAM Center grows, guides train as photo guides who factor in current, light, and subject behavior to position photographers for macro or wide-angle work, then get them to the right site at the right tide.
It's why the resorts host workshops with photographers like Alex Mustard, and why the SEACAM Center, the world's first dedicated SEACAM facility, draws shooters of every level and camera brand.
