Your opinion... Best Places for Marine Life to Dive in S. Pacific?

[BlueDevil]

Fiji has some very good reef diving. It is known for its colourful soft corals. The island of Taveuni has an excellent reputation. Naigani island also has some excellent reefs with heaps of marine life.

I have just come back from Vanuatu a couple of weeks ago, and did some excellent diving around Bokissa Island (near Santo). Not only were there some very good reefs, but of course some great wreck diving as well.

I have heard very good reports of PNG, but it is not a place I would take my young family so I will have to keep it on my wish list for the future. I have heard few good reports of the diving in Bali - generally it is not a place visited by the serious diver (although it is no doubt a lovely country to visit).

If you can extend your area a bit what about Rowley Shoals? This is very high on my wishlist! It is 280km north-west of Broome in Western Australia. Because it is so remote it can only be done by liveaboard, and it is rarely visited. My guide book mentions things such as:
- wall dives, starting at the surface and dropping near vertical to depths up to 400m
- large soft coral trees and gorgonian fans
- cruising the walls are large tuna, marlin, sharks, barracuda and trevally
- massive schools of humphead parrotfish and Maori wrasse are common
- more than 680 species of fish are found on these reefs
- visibility up to 40-60m at times
- excellent snorkelling available at most dive sites

No doubt dive trips to Rowley Shoals would be quite expensive, but I hope to get there at least once in my life!

Remember with any of these tropical regions to avoid the cyclone season - usually between December and April. I got caught out in Fiji once in March, our trip to Taveuni was spoilt by a cyclone - rather a pity to be at a place with such great diving and not able to dive!

 

[DontLieToMe]

I visited the Rowleys last September. Definitely a place to go. I found the diving very good but I was not blown away. Visibility could be good if you were at the right place at the right time. Good action on Bumphead Parrotfish at several locations. Corals were excellent. Did not see alot of small stuff.

 

[Mel.B]

My only tropical diving experience is in the Solomon Islands and I thought it was amazing. There's a fantastic mix of WWII wrecks, including one of the only divable US destroyers - the Aaron Ward which is about 70m of water. I didn't do the Aaron Ward, but the rest of my group did and they said it was just a mind-blowing dive. There are other wrecks in shallower water, including the USS Kanawha and some planes too. The reef diving was amazing too with a real mix of hard and soft corals. We stayed on Tulagi which is an hour by boat from Guadacanal (Honaira - capital). There is also a liveaboard which from reports is amazing and the diving spectacular.

Mel

 

[iainwilliams]

Palau is wonderful for the big stuff, but can't beat the macro life of Indonesia or the southern Philippines.

Where abouts in the southern Philippines did you go?? I'm planning a trip at the moment to this area. Cheers....Iain

 

[wadeNC]

I have recently spoken with a guy who spends a good couple of months per year diving in various tropical locations. He claims that the Solomon's and some of the more remote areas of the southern Phillipines are some of the best. Something else to look in to I suppose!