Diving New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is home to some of the world’s most spectacular diving. Located in the Indo-Pacific area, it is said to have as many marine species as the waters of the Red Sea, and up to five times as many as the Caribbean. Papua New Guinea is surrounded by the Bismarck, Coral, and Solomon Seas, whose constant movements feed and enrich the marine environment. From the tiniest organisms to the world’s biggest fish – the harmless white shark – divers encounter a stunning array of exotic species. The immense diversity of dive sites include the barrier reefs, coral walls (drop-offs), coral gardens, fringing reefs, sea grass beds and coral atolls. Wreck dive sites provide a collection of ships, aircraft, and submarine wrecks from World War II. Many wrecks are still in excellent condition and some locations have as many as 30 to 40 sunken ships, all fairly near the coast. The water temperatures vary from 26 degree Celsius along the edge of the Coral Sea to 29 degree Celsius in the Bismarck Sea.
Papua New Guinea’s major dive locations are Walindi, Tufi, Loloata (in Port Moresby, nation’s capital), Madang, and Nusa Island (in Kavieng, New Ireland Province.) Go check them out! One can dive in Papua New Guinea all year round, with the high season generally from May to November. Dive operators offer both land-based and live-aboard tours. Land-based tours usually consist of a day tour involving up to three dives, while live-aboard tours can take seven to ten days, with up to five dives a day. All land-based operators offer resort dive courses, as well as fully equipped dive shops with diving and snorkeling gear to hire. The majority of the dive operators run smaller operations so the emphasis is on personal attention in a relaxing environment. Dive sites are a short distance from the resorts. Several operators now offer nitrox and rebreathers and most boats have facilities for changing camera equipment. Papua New Guinea has become known as the ‘underwater photographer’s paradise’ with many international award-winning photos being taken.
With 19 dive operations spread along 17, 000 kilometers of coastline and 45 square kilometers of reef systems, divers can enjoy minimal contact with the other dive groups and in some cases even discover new dive sites. While the reefs teem with life, they are extremely fragile. In recognition of the importance of preserving the marine ecosystem, members of the Papua New Guinea Dive Association actively promotes the use of moorings on regularly dived sites. The need to practice sensible diving and to respect the underwater environment is emphasized and in doing so, the message to all divers is very clear: please look, but don’t touch.
