PNG Questions

[Hike]

For a myriad of reasons, I have to put off my next significant dive trip until next October. As I have to wait so long, I have decided to do something special. I have been looking into Papua New Guinea as I have always heard great things and as I am located near Hong Kong, it does not seem so difficult to get to (direct flight from Hong Kong to Port Moresby about 6 hours and a connecting flight from there, as the flight to Port Moresby is a redeye, it seems to set up well for connections). I have also found that it is not ridiculously expensive if its all booked together as a package.
A little about me, I am AOW/Nitrox with about 100 dives all around Asia (Philippines, Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand). I enjoy macro photography and am still learning, but really enjoy sharks and am really hoping to see hammerheads (especially the great hammerhead), whalesharks and basically any sharks other than white tip reef sharks would be welcome. I have only done one liveaboard (in Komodo) and really enjoyed it, I would look at the option of doing another but if I can get the same level of diving from a luxury land based resort, it would probably be best as we could get more friends to come along. I have been looking into Milne and Kimbe bay, but am open to anywhere that is the best in the beginning of October.

What is the best area to go to, I am planning about a ten day trip, so I would like to keep to one location, maybe a quick stop near Port Moresby (I have read Loalota is nice way to end the trip) to wind down the trip?

So if I want to go to PNG and see large sharks and still have great macro opportunities in October, where do I go? Price isnt really too much of a concern as long as its justifiable and not ridiculous. Thanks for your advice!

 

[ocdiver1]

PNG is not particularly known for large pelagics, although I believe Kavieng has that reputation (although I haven't been there). In 3 trips to various spot in PNG I can only remember seeing a handful of sharks...although you've got a shot at some "different ones" such as epaulette and wobbegongs. Personally, with 10 days on a first trip I'd do Milne Bay, with a couple of day stop in Loloata..along the same lines of what you were thinking. Even though Alotau is a short flight, PNG airlines are incredibly unreliable and schedules likely won't match up to allow getting all the way in/out without a stop over in Moresby on both legs..so a 10 day trip could only mean 7-8 days of actual diving. Loloata has great diving, and is a much more pleasant place to spend time in POM than staying in the city. Milne Bay has nice, varied diving, including a couple of the best muck sites you'll find anywhere in the world. I've stayed at Tawali both times and recommend them, although I'm aware there's at least one other resort-type option now. I've also gone to Tufi and Rabaul, if you'd like any info about those places. You'll love PNG both underwater and topside!

 

[jake11]

" but really enjoy sharks and am really hoping to see hammerheads (especially the great hammerhead), whalesharks and basically any sharks other than white tip reef sharks would be welcome." What you are describing here sounds like our trip to the Galapagos.
You might want to look into a trip there during whale shark season. We saw "29" whale sharks on 12 dives and hundreds upon hundreds of hammerheads! Check it out.

On our PNG trip we did see a few grey reef sharks and various sharks on a shark feed dive they did for us. Our PNG trip was really more about the macro! I do remember the crew talking about the sharks in Kavieng and how much fun that diving is! We did a LOB from Walindi to Rabul. Have a great trip!

 

[baitballer]

If you want to sharks in PNG head to Kaveing. IMO the best place to stay is Lissenung island, Dietmar and his staff know the area better than anyone and they will show you more pelagics than you thought you could see but you will have to dive in current to see them. Dive sites like Albatross channel have large numbers of Grey Reefs, silvertips, black tips, white tips on most dives and the occassional Great hammerhead, silky and even Oceanic whitetips have been seen.

The other diving in the area is also fantastic with some WW2 wrecks, amazing reefs and some great much dives as well.

 

[Hike]

Thanks for all the info, I had always thought PNG was more of a macro destination, but after checking into some of the resorts, I noticed a lot of information about Mantas, sharks and other pelagics (including hammerheads), it seems my initial thoughts stand correct

 

[silent running]

Thanks for all the info, I had always thought PNG was more of a macro destination, but after checking into some of the resorts, I noticed a lot of information about Mantas, sharks and other pelagics (including hammerheads), it seems my initial thoughts stand correct

Hello Hike, there are plenty of big fish in PNG, you just have to put in the time and effort to find the right place/operator/time of year and day. I've seen more and varied shark species in PNG than in Indonesia or the Philippines. You will likely see more big animals if you chose a liveaboard, which can access more remote places and at the right times. The only place I have seen a great hammerhead was in the Eastern Fields/Portlock reefs in SE PNG. Also saw scalloped hammers, grey reefs, black tips, leopard sharks and a school of 30+ silvertips. And that was on 1 trip. There were many other shark encounters, with more species, on all 4 of my trips on the Golden Dawn, which is my favorite liveaboard of all time... -Andy

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

Greetings Hike,

I would agree with silent running. I book two resort / liveaboard operations in PNG and both are excellent. The Walindi Plantation also runs the M/V Fe Brina while Tawail Resort runs the M/V Chertan. You can check the websites for detailed information, but my recommendation is book ASAP. October is a prime month in PNG and both of these resort and liveaboards sell out. That doesn't mean others aren't available...

Cheers - Greg

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[Peter69_56]

Hike,

We spent 10 days at Walindi resort and loved it. Great diving, good reef and we saw a significant number of larger fish and sharks. Also a wreck or two. Its a well organised place, good food and the water is safe to drink which is unusual. If you go there dont go into Port Morsby as such its dangerous. If you take a taxi into the town you can be stopped at places and robbed or acosted. If you come into the airport, there is a Hotel up the road which can be reached by a free bus which is a safe trip. You can drink and eat there while waiting for your next flight or stay the night quite safely.

 

[Magrone]

Just returned last week from three weeks (50 dives) in PNG. I started the trip at Loloata near Port Moresby. The dive sights were nice but the weather and visibility wasn't. Winds made wave heights a burden and I didn't get to dive some of the premier sights due to these conditions. According to Dik Knight, the owner, October is a month of extremes for weather. One week it will be sunny, the next it will windy and rainy. I hit the wrong week. There were no Rhinopeas in the area at the time either, something I really hoped to see. If your trip is definitely October, I would suggest skipping Loloata.

I then traveled to West New Brittain to board the Febrina for ten days for a tour of Kimbe Bay, Witu Islands and Lolobau (Father's Reef). Absolutely phenomenal trip. Coral health and fish populations very much on par with Raja Ampat, but you get the added bonus of guaranteed shark dives, mostly Grey Reef and Silver Tips. These are shark feed dives, which you may or may not agree with, but there were many other dives where you can see sharks swimming out in the blue. You can see hammerheads as well, but you will have to dive deep, and none of the dives were planned as such. The sharks get very close to you, even bumping into you on occasion.

Also huge schools of Jacks, Snapper, Barracuda on a good majority of the dives, something Raja Ampat also lacked. Lots of tuna as well on the more fishy, current dives. I've never seen so many dogtooth tuna, almost commonplace and no one bothering to mention them after the dive. Lots of friendly turtles as well.

We also had some dedicated macro/muck dives that were nice with usual critters of world class SE Asia destinations, Cuttlefish, Seahorses, Nudibranchs etc. and as a photographer I appreciated the change of pace. Crew was fantastic and so was the food. Really one of the best diving experiences I have had yet.

Then I dived Kimbe Bay from Walindi resort for a week and it was a nice to return to the sights that I liked the first time around and try some new sights that the Febrina had skipped.

Without a doubt though, the Febrina trip was THE highlight of the trip. While Kimbe Bay is mind blowing for coral with some large schools of Barracuda and Jacks found on some sights, it was not as fishy as the islands outside of the Bay, especially Fathers Reefs.

I have not been to Kavieng but know that it is good for sharks as well. When I asked the crew if there were more sightings of sharks/ pelagics in Kavieng than in father's reef, they said no, and concluded the only difference was the stronger current. In Kavieng you will do drift dives. We did no drift diving from the Febrina.

Hope this helps.

 

[Allison Finch]

I second going with the FeBrina!! Alan Raabe has forgotten more about how to dive PNG than most boat captains will ever know. He has done more for preserving the reefs than anyone, by putting in most of the permanent moorings. Good boat, great crews and better food. You can't lose.