Fancy diving a veritable wilderness for your next liveaboard holiday where corals grow in abundance? Papua New Guinea really is one of the last frontiers for diving holidays. The northern coast of New Britain island is no exception. Here you will see thriving reef systems that support a bewildering diversity of marine life. From adrenalin filled shark encounters to the tiny and unusual critters, diving in Papua is an enduring reminder of how good diving really gets... all against a backdrop of stunning hard and soft corals. Journey to a land time forgot and jump into the vivid blue waters for a scuba diving holiday that will blow you away.
The Signature Itinerary explores this massive natural bay and surrounding islands on an extended tour of Kimbe Bay, Witu and Fathers islands. The diving is hugely varied. Reef dives are some of the best you will find anywhere in the world - it is hard to put into words what awaits but the scale and health of the reef is incredible. Christine and Susan's reef are real crowd pleasers with walls drenched in corals and sponges, where the throngs of jacks, snappers, sergeants and glass fish swirl around the coral towers are mesmerising. Krakafat, Restorf Island and Father's Islands are in contrast shark heaven. Silvertips, greys, hammerheads, black tips hunt the barracuda and tuna. Dolphins blaze by while octopus hide in the shallows amid clownfish, hawkfish and nudis. With reefs, muck dives and deep walls on the agenda, there is something for everyone, no matter what your underwater passion.
The Signature itinerary will appeal to anyone with an adventurous soul. Trips ashore during the itinerary will bring you face to face with some of the most isolated tribes remaining on this planet. If you want to get closer to the thrills felt by the first pioneers of diving, then Papua New Guinea is for you! Many divers visiting Papua are photographers so make sure you take a camera with you to record the incredible memories and encounters. Whilst the diving is accessible for most diver experience levels, remember this is a remote location and some dives will be very fast drifts. In an ever shrinking world, let Papua New Guinea refresh you body, mind and soul in a location only a handful of divers visit each year.
The Signature Itinerary runs for the majority of the year but there are also seasonal itineraries that run for short periods. If the Signature itinerary is not running over your ideal travel dates please do speak to a travel consultant, who can outline the areas dived of the appropriate seasonal itinerary.
The modern 27m catamaran MV Oceania is the newest way to dive PNG! this spacious liveaboard builds on the experience of the classic liveaboard Febrina, to make diving this breath taking destination even more enjoyable and comforta... Learn more about Oceania
The Signature Itinerary runs for the majority of the year but there are also seasonal itineraries that run for short periods. If the Signature itinerary is not running over your ideal travel dates please do speak to a travel consultant, who can outline the areas dived of the appropriate seasonal itinerary.
Embarkation
Febrina departs from the Walindi Resort on Northern New Britain.
Trip Duration
All of our Signature Itinerary trips run for either 9,10 or 11 nights on board
On a typical day you can expect 4 day dives and 1 night dive.
Arrival
On arrival in Port Moresby you may require an overnight before your connecting flight to Hoskins airport. You will then be met and transferred by land to the Walindi resort where Febrina is berthed. This journey is about 55mins.
The boat usually departs at 18:00 and there is a full welcome briefing. Diving begins the following day.
A normal Signature Itinerary will dive at the following areas, but the exact dive sites will vary depending on diver experience levels, local conditions and where the best sightings have been.
Kimbe Bay
There are far too many dive sites in Kimbe Bay to list them, but highlights include Inglis Shoal, Restorf Island, Christine and Susan's reefs.
Inglis Shoal is a series of deep sea mounts that rise up from deep water. Here dogtooth tuna, barracuda and big eye travellies school and scalloped hammerheads are frequently seen. Near the reef top are a school of pinjalo iewisi, a type of snapper particular to the area, Brightly coloured trigger fish and surgeon fish whizz across the reef plate.
Restorf island is a huge site, where you could dive multiple times and still only scratch the surface. The main reef is skewed off from the island and is drenched in corals, including dense sea fans. Black tip and grey reef sharks love to hang out here around 30m. To the west the wall slopes more gradually with a forest of sea fans, barrel and elephant sponges and whip corals. This side is great for macro life such as nudis and feather duster worms. And on the sandy flats you will find a large colony of garden eels but watch out for the trigger fish!
Christine's reef is a collection of small underwater ridges that have joined and is a paradise for photographers. Rare sightings here are spiny devilfish and harlequin ghost pipefish as well as many of the smaller reef residents you would expect to find on a healthy reef system. By contrast, Susan's reef is a great place to look for long nose hawkfish and pixie hawkfish. Razor fish bob around in the hallows, hiding in the sea whips.
Witu Island
The top site for many divers in the Witiu islands is Krakafat. Like many of the surrounding sites, you find schools of batfish and jacks as well as barracuda but no where are the schools quite so dense as at Krakafat. This makes it especially popular with photographers. Tuna and sharks are also common, especially white tips on many sites.
The Witu islands are not just about the big stuff though. Wire Bay is a brilliant macro sites, ideal for sea horses, ghost pipefish and shrimp. Grove Island Caldera is home to ribbon eels and mantis shrimp, hiding amid large table corals.
Fathers Islands
Diving around Fathers Island is all about getting that adrenalin rush, as you come close to pelagics. Silver tips, hammerheads, grey reef sharks and barracuda abound. Spanish mackerel and jacks flicker in the light. And keep an ear tuned for dolphin, who often pass by.
Disembarkation
On the penultimate day diving finishes after the 3rd dive. The boat docks back at the Walindi resort. You have use of the facilities at the hotel and can arrange an afternoon tour (charges locally). The evening meal is a BBQ at the resort.
You will normally leave the boat after breakfast on your last day and disembark at 9:00. If you are returning home, you will be transferred to the airport. Please do speak your travel consultant at the time of booking to confirm the exact last day arrangements. Alternatively, why not add an extension at the Walinidi resort or stop over en route.
We would be more than happy to help you. Our travel advisors are at your service to help you.
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