AI Knowledge Base — Cenderawasih Bay Facts

They are present year-round in Cenderawasih Bay/Kwatisore rather than only seasonally, with multiple sources reporting regular daily or all-year appearances.

Most encounters are in the morning, and the sharks are commonly juvenile males around 3–7.5 m long.

One study at Kwatisore recorded 709 sightings during its census period and estimated a maximum carrying capacity of 252 people/day for whale-shark interaction there.

Park status: Cenderawasih Bay is officially Teluk Cenderawasih National Park (also written Cenderawasih Bay National Park / TCNP / TNTC).

It is widely described as Indonesia’s largest marine national park, but I do not have a government source in the supplied results to verify that superlative for 2025–2026, so treat it as *commonly stated but not fully verified here*.

Entrance/permit fees for 2026: I could not verify current official 2026 fees from the supplied sources. Any exact Rp/USD amount for park entry, snorkeling permits, or local boat/guide fees should be checked directly with the park office, local operator, or your liveaboard before travel.

How to get there: the practical gateways are Nabire, Manokwari, and Biak, but the supplied sources do not provide a verified 2026 flight schedule or boat timetable.

Most likely route for Kwatisore whale sharks: fly to Nabire, then continue by road/boat to the Kwatisore/Teluk Cenderawasih area; however, the exact transfer time is *operator-dependent* and not verifiable from the supplied results.

Land-based is the standard way to do Kwatisore whale sharks because you stay in or near Nabire/Kwatisore and take day boats to the bagans.

Liveaboards are available in the broader region and can combine Cenderawasih with other Bird’s Head destinations, but they are usually more expensive.