Land
of adventure, mystery, lost cultures, tropical jungles, high mountains and excellent diving! - a land of contrast.
Papua New Guinea is the eastern half of the second largest island in the world, New Guinea; the western half makes up the Indonesian State of Irian Jaya. As a consequence, Papua New Guinea is one of the world's
largest countries, with a total area of 178,000 sq miles, approximately twice the size of the entire UK landmass. This huge territory sustains
a population of only 3,500,000, making it one of the least densely populated countries in the world. The rugged and mountainous coastline deterred
even the most adventurous of pioneers from entering the hinterland of New Guinea.
Currents from three seas meet around Papua New Guinea; the Bismarck Sea, the Solomon Sea and the Coral Sea, bringing diverse nutrients to feed the
remarkable variety of marine life living in these waters.
Papua New Guinea is an ultimate diving destination and can be best experienced in style onboard a liveaboard but also has very good landbased diving.
The dive industry is more than 20 years old here but there are still many coral reefs that have not even been charted, let alone dived. Liveaboards
are making exploratory cruises in different regions in Papua New Guinea even today. Liveaboards in the Milne Bay leave from the provincial capital
of Alotau. Local boats can be found that will transport visitors to Samarai, however there is no dive operator on Samarai itself.
Papau New Guinea has too many excellent dive sites to mention here. Below is a selection:
Kimbe Bay
Kimbe Bay's diversity is astounding. The bay is home to some 200 reef and dive sites. More than 350 species of reef-building coral have been
identified in the bay (more than half the known number of coral species), plus 900 species of fish, and still counting.
Madang
Superb reefs lie just offshore of the north coast town of Madang. Divers will also find some spectacular drift dives, hammerheads, turtles,
and even a B-25 bomber right in Madang Harbour. This area was fiercely defended by the occupying Japanese in World War II, and the surrounding
seas are littered with wrecks, especially at Hansa Bay, where 35 Japanese and U.S. vessels lie in as little as 15 feet of water.
Rabaul
Rabaul is location of one of the world's largest concentrations of WWII wrecks. 64 ships alone are located within Simpson Harbour, with
more outside. The Duke of York Islands, midway between New Britain and New Ireland, offer some of the best reef diving in Papua New Guinea.
Whales and other marine mammals are common sights in the islands. These islands are only accessible by live-aboard or on special day departures
during exceptional weather.
Kavieng
Kavieng on New Ireland is one of the country's most picturesque and tranquil outer island destinations with crystal clear tropical waters
teeming with spectacular marine life and relics of World War II. Undisturbed by visitors for many years, Kavieng is a refreshingly new dive location
with many sites still to be explored.
More dive sites in Papua New Guinea...
Diving is year round, with the calmest and warmest months from November through May, and the clearest water June to November, though anytime is good. Papua New Guinea's weather is dependent on local topography. Only in the Highlands does it get cool at night. The driest time of
year is May - October, but it rains considerably even then. Some boats beat the rainy weather by moving to the other side of the mountains
at Kandrian, miraculously transporting to a dry climate. It's a bit of a steam for the crew, but for guests, it's a quick flight over the
mountains by small plane. The water temperature is a wonderfully warm 84°F and the nights are T-shirt comfortable. The heaviest rains occur in
the Rabaul area during January - April.
Diving and Snorkeling in Papua New Guinea, Lonely Planet, Bob Halstead and Tim Rock|
Buy
The Dive Sites of Papua New Guinea, Bob Halstead|
Buy
Discover Loloata Island, Neville Coleman
Lonely Planet Papua New Guinea :: Online
Buy
Papua New Guinea Divers Association
Papua New Guinea Online
DESTINATIONS » Micronesia » Bikini Atoll | Guam | Palau | Papua New Guinea | Truk (Chuuk) | Yap