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Diver's Guide to PNG
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Dolphins off the bow of the MV Febrina (Steve Jones)
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At a Glance
Distance from the Equator: 9o30' South
Diving Season: Year-round
Highlights: WWII plane wrecks, macro critters, some of the richest reefs in the world, healthy shark populations
PNG Resorts >>>
PNG Liveaboards >>>
PNG Special Trips >>>
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Papua New Guinea is truly a lost world. A land of mysteries, head-hunters and exceptional diving! From the PNG mainland one can dive either Milne Bay or Tufi in Oro province, whilst North-East of the mainland lie the Islands of New Britain and New Ireland. In new Britain the diving is concentrated around Kimbe Bay and Rabaul, whilst over at New Ireland it is Kavieng that grabs the headlines. PNG has some of the richest reefs on earth and is one of the few places where you can experience, exhilarating shark encounters, world-class WWII wrecks, and an abundance of rare macro critters all on a single dive! |
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Crocodile, Kimbe Bay (Franco Banfi)
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Milne Bay
Tawali Resort overlooks Milne bay's reef-fringed, deep blue water and from this spectacular lookout you can watch the resident pod of dolphins that visits most days. Tawali Resort is perfectly placed to enjoy the legendary diving of Milne Bay. Milne bay was where diving started in PNG and today many still believe it possesses the best macro diving in PNG and maybe the world. Highlight dive sites include Lauadi and Cobb’s Cliff both of which can deliver Mantas and Hammerheads, combined with exceptional Macro life such as Blue Ribbon Eels, Nudibranchs, Mantis Shrimps, Mandarin fish, Frogfish, Seahorses, Ghost pipefish, Cockatoo waspfish, Leaf scorpionfish, Rhinopious and Elegant Fire Gobys. Observation Point is a true rubble dive. Here, sand slopes host snake eels, Star Gazers, Pipefish, Flamboyant cuttlefish, Mimic Octopus, Spanish Dancers, Fire urchins with Coleman shrimp and the Bugs Bunny Scorpionfish.
For those who prefer the freedom of a liveaboard, we offer Tawali's excellent MV Chertan liveaboard, operated by renowned captain Rob van der Loos. The MV Chertan offers exciting dive adventures in the Milne bay area.
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'Blackjack' B17 Flying Fortress (Don Silcock)
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Tufi, Oro Province
Tufi Dive Resort is a hidden oasis nestled atop a breath-taking fjord, with 180º panoramic views of the sea, fjords and mountains. The term ‘Muck Diving’ was invented in PNG and in front of Tufi Resort's jetty, in amongst the rubble of dumped machinery and Coca-Cola bottles from WWII, a wide variety of little critters have made their home. Goby, nudibranch, mandarin fish, ghost pipefish, banded pipefish and a plethora of other fascinating creatures, make perfect subjects for macro photography. The outer reefs of Tufi, provide for exhilarating dives. Spectacular marine life is abundant with schooling barracuda, reef fish and varieties of sharks, including the rare white hammerhead. Shark tip, one of the more newly discovered dive-sites gets its name from the whitetip, silvertip, blacktip and Grey reef sharks that come to greet you. At Bev’s reef you can often find the local Manta Ray.
Tufi Resort's location was a US base for PT boats during WWII. Now you can dive in and around the remains of two PT boats, sunk during an air raid in 1942. A couple of anti-aircraft machine guns are still scattered around. One of the highlights of this dive is a perfectly good Landrover. For serious wreck divers we recommend a visit to the famous Dutch cargo ship the 'S Jacob' or the WWII plane wrecks- the 'Blackjack' B17 Flying Fortress and the 'Pistoff' B25 Mitchell Bomber.
More information on the 'Blackjack' B17 Flying Fortress can be found on our dedicated WWII wrecks page. WWII wrecks >>>
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Snorkeler at Restorf Island, Kimbe Bay (Darek Sepiolo)
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Kimbe Bay & Rabaul, New Britain
The coral reefs of Kimbe Bay take me back forty years, to a time when corals grew in lush profusion, untroubled by the problems that beset them today. A short boat ride from Walindi Resort and I am diving on reefs that have half the coral species of the world, all awaiting those rare photo opportunities that come only with the clearest water. I am hard pressed to think of anywhere on earth that has this combination of vibrant health, diversity and beauty."
- Prof Charles Veron
The waters of New Britain are home to prolific and diverse marine creatures and corals. Many of the reefs have resident schools of barracuda, tuna and jacks and a range of shark species are regularly sighted, including hammerheads and silvertips. The coral reefs around Walindi Resort are extraordinarily rich. A recent coral count in Kimbe Bay revealed an incredible 413 species of hard coral. This is over half the total world species in one Bay, a truly remarkable statistic which makes Kimbe Bay the "Coral Capital of the World". Over 900 species of fish have been recorded and this number will continue to grow as more research is done. Famous dive sites within Kimbe Bay include Restorf Island, Kimbe Island, Christine's Reef and Emma Reef. There is also a well preserved Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero' fighter plane that makes a great dive and is excellent for photography!
Further out from Kimbe Bay, schools of pelagic fishes abound on the world renowned Lama Shoals, a sea mount rising to within 15 feet of the surface from the surrounding deep waters. Fathers Reefs, to the north east of Kimbe Bay along the northern coast line of New Britain, are a series of offshore reefs, which are the sunken remains of a huge extinct volcanic caldera. The reefs have interesting topography with swim throughs and arches adorned with soft corals and other sea life. Being offshore, these reefs attract many pelagic species including shark, tuna, barracuda, turtles and rays, which all come in to feed off the prolific reef fish and other invertebrate species that have settled here. To reach these dive sites we recommend Walindi Resort's liveaboard, the MV Febrina.
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Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero' fighter plane, Kimbe Bay (Don Silcock)
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Rabaul and the South Coast of New Britain are a critter lover's heaven. White sand beaches and uninhabited tropical islands stretch along the Southern coastline of the island of New Britain, with rainforest coming right down to the water's edge. There are some drift dives in the channels created between the islands, however the speciality of this region is the amazing variety of rarely seen and unusual critters. Walindi Resort's liveaboard, the MV Febrina has itineraries to explore the dive sites around Rabaul and New Britain's South Coast.
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Lissenung Island, Kavieng (Jurgen Freund)
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Kavieng, New Ireland
Kavieng is known for its big pelagic fish and adrenaline dives. There is however much more to see in these waters than just big fish and sharks! After all, Papua New Guinea's oceans have one of the largest bio-diversities in the world! Lissenung Island Resort is located a 20 minute boat ride away from Kavieng. The resort, which was started in early 1996, is all there is on the island. The resort's owner rates Albatross Passage as the best dive in Kavieng. At an incoming tide this narrow passage is like fish soup. Eagle Rays, Mobula Rays, big Dogtooth Tunas, Barracudas, plenty of Grey Reef Sharks and loads of other fish can be seen here on almost every dive. The wall itself is overgrown with big fan corals, black corals and sponges and this is the home for small creatures like Nudibranchs, Leaf Scorpionfish and Pygmy Seahorse.
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'Der Yang' wreck near to Lissenung Island (Peter Lange)
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The bottle shop dive site around the pylons of a slipway in the Kavieng harbour is probably the best muck-dive in the area. Through the years an amazing selection of bottles, cans and tyres have created a perfect environment for critters. The weird and wonderful such as Ghost Pipefish, Demon Stinger, Allied Cowries, Nudibranchs and Shrimps, Octopus, Pipefish and many more are abundant here. This dive is a must for the serious macro photographer.
Wreck lovers are also well entertained in Kavieng. A Korean fishing boat, the 'Der Yang', makes a great photography subject and is a magnet for Barracudas and Jacks. For those interested in plane wrecks, there are three Mitsubishi F1M 'Pete' Japanese float planes, a Nakajima B5N 'Kate' Torpedo Bomber and an Australian Catalina Seaplane. |
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PNG Resorts >>>
PNG Liveaboards >>>
PNG Special Trips >>>
To arrange your diving holiday to Papua New Guinea call us on 0161 442 7703 or email us at info@equatordiving.com
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Nakajima B5N 'Kate' Torpedo Bomber near to Lissenung Island (Peter Lange)
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Gorgonian fan and diver, Kimbe Bay
(Darek Sepiolo)
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Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero' fighter plane,
Kimbe Bay (Darek Sepiolo)
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Ornate ghost pipefish, Kimbe Bay
(Franco Banfi)
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Trumpetfish, Kimbe Bay (Franco Banfi)
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Silvertip shark, Lissenung Island
(Peter Lange)
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Nakajima B5N 'Kate' Torpedo Bomber near to Lissenung Island (Peter Lange)
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Longnose Hawkfish, Lissenung Island
(Peter Lange)
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Bigeye Trevally, Lissenung Island
(Peter Lange)
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