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Raja Ampat Aggressor Review (formerly Ocean Rover Liveaboard)

Ocean Rover was one of Asia’s most famous diving liveboards, and in 2015 rebranded to the Raja Ampat Aggressor in association with Aggressor Fleet. Here’s my review of being on the Raja Ampat Aggressor when it was still the Ocean Rover back in 2008

Ocean Rover
Ocean Rover

Ocean Rover was built in 2000 in Thailand specifically for scuba diving and is widely considered as one of the best liveaboards in Asian waters. In 2015, Ocean Rover became the Raja Ampat Aggressor, operating solely in Indonesia and now as a franchisee of the Aggressor Fleet.

If you’re looking to book a trip on the Raja Ampat Aggressor, you can view current schedules, prices and book online at Liveaboard.com

I haven’t been back on the boat since I wrote this report in 2008, but it might help give you a sense of what to expect.

On this page I’ll give a rundown about the Ocean Rover liveaboard boat itself. For photos of the critters you can encounter while diving around north Sulawesi, see Parts 2 to 7 of this Trip Report.

The Ocean Rover is quite a unique looking ship – from the water it looks tall and boxy and lacks the romance of its wooden pinisi schooner peers, as it’s built entirely from steel. However, once you get onto the boat, it’s easy to see why this liveaboard has such a good reputation – what it lacks in romance it more than makes up with in practicality. This has to be the easiest liveaboard I have dived from, with the attention to detail on lots of little things making it a real pleasure to spend time on.

Ocean Rover video
Ocean Rover video

Video: To watch a 10 minute video of the Ocean Rover filmed by Peter Walker during our Sulawesi trip, please visit Peter’s website

Boat Layout
Eating Area: The main mess is inside, with four tables with comfortable cushioned benches and air conditioning. Food is served buffet style. There is also a plasma widescreen, internet radio with many stations, and sofas in this area too, making it a pleasant recreational area. There is a fairly spacious sundeck upstairs which is covered but not fully protective from UV rays, so you need sunscreen while there. The sundeck has loungers and big comfy sofa-style cushions.

Dive Deck: The Ocean Rover has a huge gearing up area at the back of the boat, with four rows of tank stations and gear boxes underneath each one for storage. There is room for 16 guests to gear up very comfortably. The deck drops down by 3 wide steps so that the back of the boat is almost level with the water, making it very easy to get in and out of the dinghy.

The boat boys are excellent at helping you and in out and retrieving all your gear – they ensure your fins and any other items are returned to you gear box and that your wetsuit is hung up to dry almost before you’ve got it off! You literally have to do nothing besides put your scuba gear on and take it off – the staff handle everything else. I had a big rip in my old wetsuit after concluding one particular day’s diving and took it off the hanger the next morning to find it had been carefully stitched and glued back together by the boat boys – without me even asking.

Sleeping quarters: Maximum of 16 guests. There are four cabins on the lower and upper deck, with a mix of twin beds and double beds with a single bunk above. All cabins are ensuite, with a powerful hot shower. There is good storage space too.

Safety: The Ocean Rover is one of the few liveaboards in Asia to have the stringent IMO (International Maritime Organisation) safety certification – the liveaboard has not one but three engines along with backup navigation and steering systems too, along with certified staff training.

Food And Drink
Ocean Rover has great food, a mixture of International and Indonesian served buffet style. Orders for eggs for breakfast are taken the night before and waiting for you after the first dive. Beer is $3 US a can, wine $35 US a can, soft drinks are free. There are biscuits and Pringles, along with coffee and tea, available all the time. The Ocean Rover has a proper espresso coffee maker which adds a real zing to the morning.

Dive Routine
Up to 5 dives a day, with night dives available most nights. Dives are restricted to 60 minutes long as there are so many each day. Backroll entry from the two dinghies. The Ocean Rover charges extra for Nitrox – $15 US per day, I think.

Roman keeps the dive schedule tight, with briefings happening punctually and the dive deck being a great help at letting everyone gear up easily and simultaneously without having to negotiate around each other. The clanging of the dive bell is the most frequently heard sound on the boat.

On my trip, there were four guides for 8 people, which was a real plus. The guides, all Indonesian and highly experienced at critter spotting, were excellent – almost as soon as they’d found one thing, they were finding another. Admittedly in Sulawesi there is a much higher critter count than in other dive areas but even so, they have a real eye for locating marine life.

Photography Setup
The Ocean Rover has the most comprehensive photography setup I’ve seen on any liveaboard so far. It’s been purpose built with photographers in mind rather than jerry-rigged as an afterthought. Two rinse tanks are located at the back of the boat for equipment to be placed in as soon as divers return. Two outside tables provide pre-dive equipment check areas, while two large photo setup areas just inside the main cabin, equipped with 10 power sockets each, let divers power up their gear and change over ports etc with plenty of space and away from the elements. Roman is a keen photographer himself so this also helps. The boat boys and dive guides are also well versed in how to handle expensive photographic gear and handling it and out of the tenders.

Fuel Surcharge
The Ocean Rover does not currently charge a fuel surcharge.


View Larger Map
Lembeh, Bunaken and Sangihe location:
use the + and – buttons to zoom in and out to see more

Arriving and Departing From Ocean Rover
For Sulawesi trips, the Ocean Rover departs from Lembeh, which is a one and half hour drive from Manado airport. Manado’s airport code is MDC. For Raja Ampat trips, the Ocean Rover departs from Sorong. They can arrange airport pickups. See Kayak.com for flight comparisons. SilkAir fly to Manado from Singapore and Garuda from Jakarta.

Liveaboard Conclusion
I have been on quite a few liveaboards in the last 5 years, from humble Thai converted fishing boats to super luxury Pinisi schooners. The Ocean Rover to my mind is certainly the easiest liveaboard I’ve been on in terms of gearing up and dealing with camera gear and everyone having room to get their dive gear on. What it lacks in romance it makes up for in practicality and comfort, and Roman seems determined to continue the ship’s exemplary safety standards. Three of the guests on board during my trip had been on the Ocean Rover before Roman took it over, and they all reckoned the ship was as tightly run as before. How well the Ocean Rover will fare as it begins its new chapter in Indonesia remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a promising start.

Spearing Mantis Shrimp
Spearing Mantis Shrimp

Sulawesi Diving from the Ocean Rover
Onto the exciting part – the diving! Our itinerary for this trip was originally to explore a little of Lembeh and Bangka before heading further up the Sangihe archipelago to dive some of the more remote islands to the north of Sulawesi. Unfortunately the weather did not co-operate and Bangka was the furthest north that we got, with more time spent in Lembeh, Bunaken and along the northern coast of Sulawesi too. Despite the initial disappointment of the weather, we had some truly spectacular diving, especially around Bangka. My underwater photos on the following pages hopefully give some idea of the sheer abundance of life in these waters.

Ocean Rover Liveaboard, Sulawesi – August 2008 Trip Report:
  • Part 1: Ocean Rover – Boat Review
  • Part 2: Pgymy Seahorses, Pipefish, Leaf Fish
  • Part 3: Crocodile Fish and Octopi
  • Part 4: Flabellina, Frogfish and Demon Stingers
  • Part 5: Velvet and Ornate Ghost Pipefish
  • Part 6: Nudibranches
  • Part 7: Shrimp, Crab and Cuttlefish


Diving And Travel Insurance

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:: Check the availability and pricing of liveaboards in Indonesia and book online.


:: Find the cheapest flights to Indonesia - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver. You'll typically need to fly into Jakarta and then get a connecting flight to Sorong (SOQ) for Raja Ampat, Labuan Bajo (LBJ) for Komodo, Biak for Cenderawasih Bay (BIK) - but check with your liveaboard operator on optimum flights


:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials for your scuba diving trip with our comprehensive Liveaboard Packing List


:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.


:: Find available places to stay in Indonesia on Booking.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too. The Jakarta Airport Hotel, located in Terminal 2, is convenient for a transit stayover.


:: Need inspiration? See our Best Places To Dive In Indonesia for ideas of where to go and what to do.


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My Recent Dive Trips

  • February 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • December 2022: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • December 2022: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2022: Komodo liveaboard, Indonesia
  • June 2022: USAT Liberty shipwreck, Bali, Indonesia
  • April 2022: Stonehenge, Koh Lipe, Thailand
  • March 2022: Manta Rays at Koh Bon, Thailand
  • January 2022: Richelieu Rock liveaboard, Thailand
  • March 2021: HTMS Chang and Alahambra Rock liveaboard, Thailand
  • February 2020: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • December 2019: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2019: Malapascua, Philippines
  • June 2019: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • April 2019: Tulamben, Bali
  • December 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • December 2018: Anilao, Philippines
  • October 2018: Moalboal, Philippines
  • October 2018: Malapascua, Philippines
  • July 2018: Tulamben, Bali
  • May 2018: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • April 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • May 2017: Apo Island and Dumaguete, Philippines
  • April 2017: Tubbataha Reef, Philippines
  • April 2017: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • March 2017: Triton Bay, Indonesia
  • March 2017: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • September 2016: Tulamben, Bali at Alba Dive Resort
  • August 2016: Cenderawasih Bay on Damai 1
  • April 2016: Sogod Bay at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
  • February 2016: Raja Ampat and Banda Islands on Damai 1
  • April 2015: Anilao at Crystal Dive Resort

My Less Recent Dive Trips

  • March 2015: Myanmar and Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • May 2013: Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • April 2013: Tubbataha Reef on Discovery Palawan
  • January 2013: Komodo, Indonesia on MSY Damai
  • August 2012: Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia
  • April 2012: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • January 2012: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2011: Hanifaru, Maldives
  • June 2011: Tubbataha Liveaboard Hans Christian Andersen
  • April 2011: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • April 2011: Carpe Vita Liveaboard, Maldives
  • March 2011: Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
  • December 2010: Menjangan, Bali
  • July 2010: Tofo, Mozambique
  • July 2010: Sardine Run, South Africa
  • May 2010: Sangalaki / Derawan, Tambora
  • March 2010: MV Flying Seahorse, Similan Islands
  • March 2010: MV Orion, Southern Maldives
  • January 2010: Big Blue Explorer, Palau
  • November 2009: MSY Damai, Banda Sea Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MSY Damai, Komodo Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MV Orion, Maldives Liveaboard
  • September 2009: MV Scubanet, Koh Losin, Thailand
  • May 2009: MSY Seahorse, Banda Sea liveaboard, Indonesia
  • March 2009: Sachika Liveaboard, Maldives
  • February 2009: Daytrips, Koh Lanta, Thailand
  • January 2009: MV Jazz, Burma (Myanmar) Liveaboard

Back In The Day Bragging Rights Dive Trips

  • November 2008: Borneo Explorer, Visayas Liveaboard
  • September 2008: S/Y Siren, Komodo Liveaboard
  • August 2008: Ocean Rover, Sulawesi Liveaboard
  • August 2008: NAD Lembeh Resort, Indonesia
  • June 2008: Koh Tao
  • March 2008: Maldives, Bandos Island
  • February 2008: MSY Seahorse, Raja Ampat Liveaboard
  • January 2008: MV Jazz, Burma Liveaboard
  • October 2007: Bali Dive Safari
  • September 2007: Davao, Philippines
  • July 2007: Great White Sharks, Rodney Fox Liveaboard
  • June 2007: Big Blue, Palau Liveaboard
  • May 2007: Whale Sharks at Exmouth, Australia
  • April 2007: Borneo Explorer, Tubbataha Reef Liveaboard
  • December 2006: Komodo Dancer, Komodo Liveaboard

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