Tufi’s marine life is prolific and spectacular, and her reefs are magnificent. Whether you are a seasoned underwater photographer, or if you are still on your way to becoming a proficient diver, you are certain to enjoy the wonders this beautiful area of Papua New Guinea has to offer. While there are countless sites to explore, and while Tufi has something for everyone, including some incredible wrecks, it would take years to dive them all. Here are just a handful of fantastic reef dives to start you on your way.
Black Rocks
Located on the southernmost portion of Tufi, Black Rocks is a circular reef with spur and groove formations. Newer divers can stay toward the top edges of the reef, where a variety of small, brilliant fish vie for attention, and those with more experience can head to the outer, deep edges, where Spanish mackerel, barracuda, jack, tuna, and larger pelagics feed. Maximum depth here is between 30 and 35 meters, and visibility is usually in the 30 meter range, unless the plankton is blooming, in which case the area offers an exceptional vantage point for viewing Manta rays, including giants with four meter wingspans.
The top of this reef is exposed, creating many small pools where you can snorkel or even take a swim in a well-protected setting, if desired.
Cyclone Bommie
Just one of three dive sites on the amazing Cyclone reef, Cyclone Bommie is the perfect place to look for turtles, hammerhead sharks, and magnificent tropical fish. Lying off to one side of the reef, the area is peppered with shallow caves where smaller reef sharks hide, and where turtles nap. There are swim-throughs and deeper caves, too, making this dive site something like a multi-level fortress filled with creatures of all colors, shapes, and sizes.
While maximum depth here is around 30 meters, there is plenty to see in shallower water, as the bommie’s top is at just 5 meters. You’ll be able to relax and watch the brilliant tropical fish as you end your dive with a safety stop. Among the bommie’s inhabitants are the Rhiopias, which are part of the Scorpionfish family, and which shed their skin every 12 weeks or so. These fish can be hard to spot, so be sure to look carefully!
Minor’s Reef
A fantastic area for macro photography, Minor’s Reef features perpendicular walls, which are crawling with large, bright yellow Notodoris Minor Nudibranchs, tiny shrimp and crabs, and soft coral and sponges in brilliant profusion.
The area is alive with fish, including schooling parrotfish, brightly colored angelfish and butterfly fish, the occasional Maori wrasse, and even giant manta rays. While the walls drop away into the depths, you can explore this magnificent reef at length, as it comes to within just a few meters of the surface. Visibility is often 30 meters or better.
Mulloway
Mulloway is subject to a swift current, and is reserved for experienced divers. The bottom of the reef’s outer tip drops away to more than two hundred meters, and there are large pelagics everywhere you look. Watch for schooling hammerheads, and groups of reef sharks, plus rays, and thousands of tuna, jack, trevally, mackerel, and other bright silver fish.
At the safety stop, be sure to look for the giant clam – no doubt your DM will point it out to you!
Tufi Wharf House Reef
With maximum depth at just 10 meters, the Tufi Wharf House Reef is a splendid dive for all, and with its incredible heaps of refuse, including old machinery dumped during World War II, Coke bottles where critters hide, and more, it is an interesting contrast to the pristine, unspoiled reefs that you’ll find on every other dive. Look for gobies, nudibranchs, a few varieties of pipefish, sea horses, frogfish, and even the shy mandarinfish that make their homes here.
This is a fantastic site at night, too – so be sure to bring your camera, and be prepared to see some amazing things!
While there are great dive operators on Tufi, as well as some nice resorts, there are also some fantastic liveaboards that service the area. No matter which you choose; you are certain to enjoy your vacation and come away with memories that will bring you a lifetime of pleasure.