Hartley's Oceans & Islands

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Landbased Itinerary	Liveaboard Itinerary
Papua New Guinea is renowned for its extraordinary pristine reefs, exotic marine life and amazing topography underwater and above. "PNG" as it is called by the locals, is a land of variety and contradiction. It offers a superb mix of wall dives; wrecks; nautilus dives; shark and exotic creature dives. Here you can dive unique seamount's alive with marine life ranging from 10mm pygmy seahorses to 3m silver tip sharks, explore beautiful palm fringed islands and picturesque channels and explore WWII wrecks; a mini sub, freighter, plane and a scuttled fishing vessel. PNG is a dream of divers. Crystal clear waters, "paradise islands", and mountain ridges covered with thick rainforests or spectacular volcanoes provide an exclusive setting for the best dive vacations imaginable. A very special characteristic for PNG's diving is the deep water which comes very close to the shore. Only a couple of feet away from the beaches are vertical dropping reef walls which reach down to 1000 feet or more. In the more sheltered bays delicate coral formation are spreading to enormous size, which cannot be found on barrier reefs. Another distinguishing feature is the closeness of dive sites to the Islands. Short boat transfers and the additional benefit of the unique South Pacific atmosphere sets the diving in PNG ahead of other popular destinations. Papua New Guinea is known as the ‘Land of the Unexpected’, and its sea has a few surprises too, and all exciting for divers. It is always wise to keep one eye out in the blue since every now and then monster fish come up from the deep including hammerhead and tiger sharks, manta rays and whale sharks, pilot whales and orcas, marlin and eagle rays. Basically, anything can happen.

Paradise is waiting for you in Milne Bay! Where else in the world can you find a beach which has a cliff with overhanging trees and a 1000 foot drop-off visited by cruising hammerheads? How about coral towers studded with green tree corals, sea whips and giant sea fans in 10 feet of water? Then a short swim away, a shallow coral and algae reef with a resident family of octopus, dozens of lionfish of five different species, green and red mantis shrimp, seven species of clownfish, ghost pipefish and a myriad other creatures? Between the Coral Sea and the Solomon Sea lies a beautiful and intricate chain of pristine volcanic peaks, coral islands and reefs. The two seas surge back and forth causing a frantic profusion of marine growth. Humans are few and live in harmony with bountiful nature. Incredible creatures have evolved and recent scientific studies show the marine biodiversity to be the highest ever measured. This diver’s paradise is called Milne Bay Province, at the south- east corner Papua New Guinea. Enriching the experience are cultural exchanges with isolated villages in tropical settings and calm nights in picturesque bays. Conservation International summarised the Milne Bay Province as having “Exceptionally high marine biodiversity thriving under relatively pristine environmental conditions and characterized by being in all likelihood the largest expanse of relatively pristine reefs remaining in the Coral Triangle” The Coral Triangle is a term used to describe the most biologically diverse region on Earth for coastal marine biodiversity and encompasses northern Australia, the Solomons and across to Indonesia and Malaysia. Hundreds of islands radiate from the deep natural harbour of Milne Bay including the volcanically active and massive D’Entrecasteau Islands, the Louisiade Archipelago and the idyllic “Trobriand Islands of Love”. The island systems are a maze of reefs that would take you several lifetimes to explore. Milne Bay is special for the extraordinary richness not only of its classic tropical reefs packed with the usual creatures that divers would expect to find, large and small, but of marine animals so unusual that many are new to science. An important reason for this, apart from the unpolluted and minimally exploited surroundings, is the great variety of habitats - and therefore dive sites. The dive sites are extraordinary... There are classic coral walls, some sheltered almost all year round from heavy seas; reef passes which capture the surging tides - and huge numbers of feeding fishes; long barrier reefs and miniature atolls; sandy beaches with delicate coral gardens, and quiet bays where sea grasses hide sea horses, Panda Clownfish, frogfish, rare species of garden eel, and the occasional dugong. By studying a map of “PNG” it is easy to understand that Milne Bay Province has more opportunities for diving than any other Province. There are even some great wreck dives. The best are a beautiful P38 Lightning in 90 feet and the incredible B17 “Blackjack” which is in 145 feet of water. Both these aircraft were ditched and the wrecks are upright and in excellent condition with the original guns still in place. Nautilus dives are also a highlight. The nautilus is a living time capsule. This animal dates to the ancient Ordovician and Devonian times. The phrase living fossil is a fair call! They are molluscs but have not followed the cuttle or squid pathway. Evolution has allowed them to hang onto their niche: deep water and buoyancy specialists! So how do these ancient seafarers cope with the modern environment? They are the absolute masters of buoyancy and deep diving. They are capable of descending to great depths and rise at night to feed, avoid predators and head down deep again!

Kimbe Bay sports an incredibly diverse marine habitat. World famous dives with names like Emma, South Bay, Inglis Shoals, North Emma, Christine's, Susanne's and Restorf Island are only a few of the more than 200 reefs and dive sites sprinkled throughout Kimbe Bay. All are pristine and undamaged by a rigid policy of 'Look but don't touch.' 70% of all coral species in the Indo/Pacific region are found in these waters. No other dive area in the world can boast such diversity. The coral reefs here are extraordinarily rich. Over 400 species of reef building corals have been recorded in Kimbe Bay. This is more than half the total number of known coral species in the world. Over 900 species of fish have been recorded and this number will continue to grow as more research is done. The coral reef communities around Northern New Britain have remained largely undamaged by human activity. Diving is ideal for intermediate to advanced divers. As the reef tops are shallow, snorkellers will enjoy the reefs. Kavieng is the pelagic capital of Papua New Guinea with a worldwide reputation as one of the premiere places to observe pelagics in the wild. Kavieng offers a unique combination of spectacular marine life, wrecks, shark action, nautilus dives (nautilus safely returned to deep water), and fascinating cultural experiences. Experience breathtaking views of palm fringed islands with perfect white sand beaches. A typical liveaboard cruise covers New Ireland's North Cape, East Islands and a circumnavigation of New Hanover Island. This includes the archipelago region lying between New Hanover and New Ireland embracing Enang, Selapiu and Baudisson Islands. Cruises may also include Tingwon Island to the South West of New Hanover. Divers should expect some current on dives conducive to pelagic action. Huge schools of big eye trevally and barracuda ball up while Spanish mackerel, dogtooth tuna and Eagle rays cruise the reef edges. Grey reef, White, Silver and Black tip sharks glide through the blue backdrop of both the Bismarck Sea and the Pacific Ocean. There are many wall dives possible. The most famous being Chapman's Reef, a natural amphitheatre where huge schools of fish gather to feed in the strong current. An amazing pelagic spectacle. The narrow passes leading into the lagoon between New Hanover and New Ireland provide exciting dives on reefs smothered by soft corals and gorgonians. Countless species of fish amass near the reef edge from Sand gobies to Eagle rays. A variety of dives are made at these passes pending the current throughout the day. Nautilus Dives - Nautilus are captured from deep water. Divers can photograph them as they are released in shallow water before being returned, unharmed, to their deep-water home. World War II Wrecks on offer include Nakajima Kate, an aeroplane in superb condition, a large freighter and a 2-man mini-submarine are included. Abundant marine life adorns these wrecks allowing wonderful photographic opportunities for non-wreck fanatics. On Ecucha Patch lies the wreck of the scuttled Der Yang, a fishing vessel perfectly positioned for wide-angle photography surrounded by schools of big eye trevally and barracuda. Shark Dives - Watch these animals predating, mating, being cleaned or simply hanging motionless in the current. The best shark action occurs at Albatross Channel, Chamisso Channel, Eagle Ray Pass, Valerie's Reef and Chapman's Reef.

Rabaul was ‘the’ place for wreck diving in PNG and probably the world, before three of the volcanos which surround the caldera erupted simultaneously in September 1994. Within three days, the thriving town of Rabaul was covered in ash and completely destroyed. Reef and wreck diving offer countless options. The wrecks in the harbour were covered under tons of ash which is now clearing in places, and diving in the harbour on some wrecks has resumed. The surrounding reefs and islands have been untouched and offer excellent diving. Many of these dive sites are located in the Bismarck Sea close to the coastline which is less than 15 minutes drive North of Rabaul. Very few of these sites require more than a 20-minute boat trip. Another fantastic dive destination is the Eastern Fields which is to be found 170 km south west of Port Moresby. Located between Papua New Guinea and Australia, the Eastern Fields are a truly unspoilt part of the Coral Sea. Best Time to Travel : Milne Bay : May to Nov is the Southeast trade winds and rainy season. Jan to March is the Northwest season. The weather is hot and calm but sometimes squally with the northern parts being most affected. This is perhaps the best time to dive Milne Bay with calm, hot days. Kavieng: Diving here is year-round, with January to March subject to sudden rainsqualls and thunderstorms. Typically tropical, these storms are often replaced by blue skies that arrive back as quickly as they departed. Best months are usually May to December. The water is always warm here, averaging a balmy 28-30° Celsius Kimbe Bay: All year round is pleasant, however, the best season is mid- August to late December and again between February and May/June. In August it can be quite windy. Visibility ranges from 55-50 metres, water temperatures range between 27-30 degrees Celsius. Weather is tropical, with only little seasonal variation.