Max Ammer is the Dutch owner of Papua‐Diving, and has been in Raja Ampat for 20 years, gaining immense knowledge about the area , working closely with the local Papuan people.He has dedicated many years to develop the two resorts, Kri Eco and Sorido Bay, what created the only employment in the area and uplifted the communities of local Papuan people.
Max is an intrepid explorer at heart with an insatiable taste for adventure.
He is committed to the conservation and preservation of Raja Ampat, working closely with conservation organizations, scientists and documentary makers to raise awareness and protect this remarkable part of the world.After 20 years of diving and exploring Raja Ampat we still are often completely blown away in with what we see here. The place keeps amazing us in many ways, even after all these years. Our company was the first to explore the islands on scuba and a lot of our knowledge we also gained by working with the local Papuan people.
Unlike other operators almost all of our staff are born and raised in the area and are trained by us. We have guided many conservationists, documentary makers, scientific teams and know the Raja Ampat and many other parts of Papua as no other.
To qualify as an ‘eco resort’ the guiding issue is that the operation should have a minimal impact on the environment. But in fact it is far beyond using local materials and operate in a sustainable way. It is also about the local communities and offering them new perspectives and alternatives.
At the moment we have over 89% Papuan team members.
Many of them ex sharkfinners and dynamite fishermen working now in our resorts, building boats and furniture. We also have a conservation center attached to our resort on Kri Island.
We also talk and brief our guests, who can be a potential treat the sea and the coral reefs, on how to become a responsible diver.
In the meantime everyone should be aware, that our oceans are under threat from warming, acidification and pollution and so we – as divers and snorkelers – need to do our bit to impact as little as possible while benefiting from all it has to offer.
