Oceania
Oceania is a very solid 28-meter catamaran with diesel engines and redundant generators and watermakers, all of which seemed completely up to the task. Dan Johnson is owner, master, and cruise director. After Capt. Johnson did an extensive, multi-year refit, the boat was launched as a liveaboard in 2017. Eight cabins accommodate 16 passengers. Our trip had 11 divers and two snorkelers (captain’s family).
Both Oceania and her sister ship, Febrina, have a few itineraries. Ours was the Bismarck Sea Signature, which ranges from Fathers Reefs to the north to the Witu Islands, southwesterly of Walindi.
The cabins are all the same, I think, and nicely done. There is some storage room under the bunks and built-in nightstands, each with a shelf and drawer below, and bags can be stowed. Notably, nobody needs to crawl over their partner to get in or out of bed. The heads, with separate showers and sinks, are more than adequate. Portholes are oblong and basically the space above the bed is all glass.
All passenger cabins are on the main deck level, a few seconds away from the dive deck and with an door which affords easy and quick access to the bow. I thought this was excellent from both convenience and safety perspectives. (We were on another boat last fall, a steel monohull with all passenger cabins on a lower deck. Ladder access to the bow is unobstructed but a vertical climb, and the route from our cabin, which was toward the stern, took two U-turns.) From our cabin door to the dive deck was about five steps, and to the bow, about 30'. We felt safe either way.
As to batteries--the captain permitted (only) cell phones, tablets and laptops to be charged in cabins, and only when attended; we were advised that if cabin crew found anything plugged in they would unplug it. Charging NiMH (Eneloop) batteries was permitted in the camera space adjacent to the dive deck, but all Li-Ion charging was restricted to the salon.
I think these approaches are laudable risk mitigators. But vessel owners have a real challenge, especially on a boat loaded with photographers, solving the problem of charging Li-Ion batteries, which continue to proliferate. Requiring all charging to occur in one area results in a mare's nest of wires and chargers, and outlets are in short supply, so power strips are common. A dedicated space in a watched area, with ample 110/220 service, might be an improvement.
The cook and staff did a fantastic job. As usual, “first breakfast,” from 5:30 am, was toast or cereal with coffee or tea and juice, with the first dive at 7:00. Second breakfast was at 8:30, cooked to orders placed the night before. Second dive at 10 or 10:30, depending on the plan for the day, lunch around 12:30, third dive at 2:00, and fourth dive (not all days) around 5:30, with dinner at 7:00 or 7:30. Mains include lobster, lamb, and steak, among others; special orders accommodated as needed.
By the way–laundry service is provided (on the boat and at the resort)! Shirts and whatever are picked up in the morning and returned in the afternoon, and warm towels are on the dive deck for every return.
Weather
Our trip ran from mid-May to early June, with the liveaboard in the middle. This time of year is late in the Austral autumn, and is sometimes called the doldrums. Oceania pulled in a couple of days after we got to the resort, and we did some day-boat diving with folks who had been on that trip; they reported that the sea had been smooth the whole time.
Not so much for us. We boarded Oceania on a dark day as Typhoon Mawar was gathering force about 1000 miles north of the Bismarck Sea, we had moderate wind and higher-than-expected seas (meaning, 2-3’ swells), and we understand that the Febrina, which was to our north in the Witu Islands, had quite a rocky day and night as the storm drew energy from the region. Walindi Resort had very high winds overnight. Once the typhoon started to move northwesterly, things returned to normal—mirrorlike seas in the morning, maybe 18" swells in the afternoon— although visibility was below normal at many sites for the duration.
The water temperatures told a story of the power of the typhoon. On our pre-Mawar dives, temperatures were 86-87f, and once the storm started moving, temperatures were 83-85f. An impressive demonstration of the extended impact of a massive storm even 1000 miles away; I can’t really imagine being in its path.
We didn’t lose any dives to the weather, as best I recall. The boat did have to return to Walindi twice–-a record, we were told–once to pick up a diver whose arrival was delayed for two days, and the second time to drop off a couple, one of whom was too ill to continue the trip. We lost a couple of fourth dives, but Dan and his crew did an outstanding job of accommodating these competing needs–and the distant typhoon–with inconvenience only for themselves. We were impressed.
The Liveaboard Experience
Because the Oceania has a shallow draft, nearly all diving is directly off of, and back to, the dive deck. There are excellent ladders both port and starboard, and the dive deck benefits from the beamy stern of the cat. We used the RIB once, when we were transported across a reef which we then drifted back across to Oceania, and I think on one dive we entered the water and emerged downcurrent to be met by the boat, which had repositioned while we were at depth.
We had several dives with meaningful current, and one with quite a surge–about a 12' swing, I think (but little current). We used muck sticks for support, but didn’t need hooks (although I recommend taking them). The guides were adept at keeping us out of the current, by and large, although we definitely did some hard finning a few times. (A brief shout out to Go Sport fins. We both used them, as did a couple of other divers on the boat, and they are excellent.) There are three guides, two of whom are in the water for every dive, with two groups which sometimes ended up together. Each of them was capable, knowledgeable, and good at finding the good stuff. Zero complaints.
The Witu (or Vitu) Islands, where we spent three nights, are remarkable, and gorgeous. They are about 150 km northwest of Walindi. The anchorage is inside a huge caldera, about five km across, and when the boat is at anchor, the sensation is of being in a big inland bowl. We did afternoon and evening dives inside the caldera; one of those dives was so silty as to be not suited for a crowd, but others were excellent muck dives. We did a night dive in the caldera and saw all the things, or at least most of them. The boat backs in and lines are sprung to shore, so that jumping in puts you in about 15-20' of water, about 75' offshore.
While in the Witus, we visited the village of Widu, where we toured a school and a church and experienced fantastic hospitality and curiosity of children and adults. The economic conditions in PNG was underscored by the fact that the village has a boat with an outboard, but the villagers could not afford petrol to run it. Our captain dropped off a Gerry can of gas, and a number of the passengers donated supplies to the school. When the boat was in the caldera, Papuans paddled dugout canoes out to swap produce for hard goods.
The liveaboard diving
Febrina and Oceania are the only two liveaboards plying the Bismarck Sea, and they sail in opposite directions. We saw no dive boats on the trip except when we were close to Walindi, and in fact saw only three other boats other than dubouts: Two ferries around the Witus, and a barge under tow a few miles away.
I'd say most of the diving is sea mounts/pinnacles. A couple were deeper than 100', and most were 50-90', I'd say. I think the diving is generally suitable for newish divers who are comfortable with their gear and ok with occasional current. Appropriate lines are available when current is encountered.
As expected, we did not see many large animals: Maybe a half-dozen reef sharks and a couple of turtles. Dolphins swam with the boat a few times. But the reefs are generally laugh-out-loud teeming. A statement from Don Silcock’s excellent website, Indopacificimages.com, says it all: “Probably the richest known area of marine biodiversity in the world – with more than 600 species of hard and soft corals and 3000 species of reef fish.” We saw many unfamiliar animals, and lots of what we saw was in profusion.
Oceania charges for Nitrox. A glass of wine is included with dinner, but if you want spirits, buy them at the Duty Free in Port Moresby. Tips are aggregated, and distributed to all the crew in equal shares at the end of the year.
I have a gallery of pictures up, which I hope you enjoy if you choose. Most were taken with an OM Systems OM-1, and some were taken with an iPhone 14 Pro Max. Papua New Guinea, May 2023 - Rick Morgan
Oceania is a very solid 28-meter catamaran with diesel engines and redundant generators and watermakers, all of which seemed completely up to the task. Dan Johnson is owner, master, and cruise director. After Capt. Johnson did an extensive, multi-year refit, the boat was launched as a liveaboard in 2017. Eight cabins accommodate 16 passengers. Our trip had 11 divers and two snorkelers (captain’s family).
Both Oceania and her sister ship, Febrina, have a few itineraries. Ours was the Bismarck Sea Signature, which ranges from Fathers Reefs to the north to the Witu Islands, southwesterly of Walindi.
The cabins are all the same, I think, and nicely done. There is some storage room under the bunks and built-in nightstands, each with a shelf and drawer below, and bags can be stowed. Notably, nobody needs to crawl over their partner to get in or out of bed. The heads, with separate showers and sinks, are more than adequate. Portholes are oblong and basically the space above the bed is all glass.
All passenger cabins are on the main deck level, a few seconds away from the dive deck and with an door which affords easy and quick access to the bow. I thought this was excellent from both convenience and safety perspectives. (We were on another boat last fall, a steel monohull with all passenger cabins on a lower deck. Ladder access to the bow is unobstructed but a vertical climb, and the route from our cabin, which was toward the stern, took two U-turns.) From our cabin door to the dive deck was about five steps, and to the bow, about 30'. We felt safe either way.
As to batteries--the captain permitted (only) cell phones, tablets and laptops to be charged in cabins, and only when attended; we were advised that if cabin crew found anything plugged in they would unplug it. Charging NiMH (Eneloop) batteries was permitted in the camera space adjacent to the dive deck, but all Li-Ion charging was restricted to the salon.
I think these approaches are laudable risk mitigators. But vessel owners have a real challenge, especially on a boat loaded with photographers, solving the problem of charging Li-Ion batteries, which continue to proliferate. Requiring all charging to occur in one area results in a mare's nest of wires and chargers, and outlets are in short supply, so power strips are common. A dedicated space in a watched area, with ample 110/220 service, might be an improvement.
The cook and staff did a fantastic job. As usual, “first breakfast,” from 5:30 am, was toast or cereal with coffee or tea and juice, with the first dive at 7:00. Second breakfast was at 8:30, cooked to orders placed the night before. Second dive at 10 or 10:30, depending on the plan for the day, lunch around 12:30, third dive at 2:00, and fourth dive (not all days) around 5:30, with dinner at 7:00 or 7:30. Mains include lobster, lamb, and steak, among others; special orders accommodated as needed.
By the way–laundry service is provided (on the boat and at the resort)! Shirts and whatever are picked up in the morning and returned in the afternoon, and warm towels are on the dive deck for every return.
Weather
Our trip ran from mid-May to early June, with the liveaboard in the middle. This time of year is late in the Austral autumn, and is sometimes called the doldrums. Oceania pulled in a couple of days after we got to the resort, and we did some day-boat diving with folks who had been on that trip; they reported that the sea had been smooth the whole time.
Not so much for us. We boarded Oceania on a dark day as Typhoon Mawar was gathering force about 1000 miles north of the Bismarck Sea, we had moderate wind and higher-than-expected seas (meaning, 2-3’ swells), and we understand that the Febrina, which was to our north in the Witu Islands, had quite a rocky day and night as the storm drew energy from the region. Walindi Resort had very high winds overnight. Once the typhoon started to move northwesterly, things returned to normal—mirrorlike seas in the morning, maybe 18" swells in the afternoon— although visibility was below normal at many sites for the duration.
The water temperatures told a story of the power of the typhoon. On our pre-Mawar dives, temperatures were 86-87f, and once the storm started moving, temperatures were 83-85f. An impressive demonstration of the extended impact of a massive storm even 1000 miles away; I can’t really imagine being in its path.
We didn’t lose any dives to the weather, as best I recall. The boat did have to return to Walindi twice–-a record, we were told–once to pick up a diver whose arrival was delayed for two days, and the second time to drop off a couple, one of whom was too ill to continue the trip. We lost a couple of fourth dives, but Dan and his crew did an outstanding job of accommodating these competing needs–and the distant typhoon–with inconvenience only for themselves. We were impressed.
The Liveaboard Experience
Because the Oceania has a shallow draft, nearly all diving is directly off of, and back to, the dive deck. There are excellent ladders both port and starboard, and the dive deck benefits from the beamy stern of the cat. We used the RIB once, when we were transported across a reef which we then drifted back across to Oceania, and I think on one dive we entered the water and emerged downcurrent to be met by the boat, which had repositioned while we were at depth.
We had several dives with meaningful current, and one with quite a surge–about a 12' swing, I think (but little current). We used muck sticks for support, but didn’t need hooks (although I recommend taking them). The guides were adept at keeping us out of the current, by and large, although we definitely did some hard finning a few times. (A brief shout out to Go Sport fins. We both used them, as did a couple of other divers on the boat, and they are excellent.) There are three guides, two of whom are in the water for every dive, with two groups which sometimes ended up together. Each of them was capable, knowledgeable, and good at finding the good stuff. Zero complaints.
The Witu (or Vitu) Islands, where we spent three nights, are remarkable, and gorgeous. They are about 150 km northwest of Walindi. The anchorage is inside a huge caldera, about five km across, and when the boat is at anchor, the sensation is of being in a big inland bowl. We did afternoon and evening dives inside the caldera; one of those dives was so silty as to be not suited for a crowd, but others were excellent muck dives. We did a night dive in the caldera and saw all the things, or at least most of them. The boat backs in and lines are sprung to shore, so that jumping in puts you in about 15-20' of water, about 75' offshore.
While in the Witus, we visited the village of Widu, where we toured a school and a church and experienced fantastic hospitality and curiosity of children and adults. The economic conditions in PNG was underscored by the fact that the village has a boat with an outboard, but the villagers could not afford petrol to run it. Our captain dropped off a Gerry can of gas, and a number of the passengers donated supplies to the school. When the boat was in the caldera, Papuans paddled dugout canoes out to swap produce for hard goods.
The liveaboard diving
Febrina and Oceania are the only two liveaboards plying the Bismarck Sea, and they sail in opposite directions. We saw no dive boats on the trip except when we were close to Walindi, and in fact saw only three other boats other than dubouts: Two ferries around the Witus, and a barge under tow a few miles away.
I'd say most of the diving is sea mounts/pinnacles. A couple were deeper than 100', and most were 50-90', I'd say. I think the diving is generally suitable for newish divers who are comfortable with their gear and ok with occasional current. Appropriate lines are available when current is encountered.
As expected, we did not see many large animals: Maybe a half-dozen reef sharks and a couple of turtles. Dolphins swam with the boat a few times. But the reefs are generally laugh-out-loud teeming. A statement from Don Silcock’s excellent website, Indopacificimages.com, says it all: “Probably the richest known area of marine biodiversity in the world – with more than 600 species of hard and soft corals and 3000 species of reef fish.” We saw many unfamiliar animals, and lots of what we saw was in profusion.
Oceania charges for Nitrox. A glass of wine is included with dinner, but if you want spirits, buy them at the Duty Free in Port Moresby. Tips are aggregated, and distributed to all the crew in equal shares at the end of the year.
I have a gallery of pictures up, which I hope you enjoy if you choose. Most were taken with an OM Systems OM-1, and some were taken with an iPhone 14 Pro Max. Papua New Guinea, May 2023 - Rick Morgan
