The magnificent Kimbe Bay is home to more than 900 recorded species of fish, and incredibly, it is also home to more than 400 species of reef building corals. The reefs are splendidly untouched, as the area around Northern New Britain is located well away from the kinds of human activity that ruins coral reefs. With picturesque islands and shoals, as well as its reefs, Kimbe Bay has more than 25 unique dive sites. Here is a brief sampling of what you will find beneath its crystalline blue waters.
Christine’s Reef
Home to an incredibly diverse abundance of fish, this horseshoe-shaped reef formation is beautifully wreathed in soft corals, as well as large barrel sponges, lovely gorgonians, whip coral, staghorn, and plate corals. You’ll find butterfly and angelfish here, as well as a few varieties of snapper, surgeon fish, and wrasse.
Besides these common tropical fish, you will find some other, more bizarre creatures, if you look carefully enough! You will need a modicum of patience to see the horny sea cucumbers, the crocodile flathead fish, and spiny devilfish, as well as the more common harlequin ghost pipefish and several types of puffer fish.
With excellent visibility that usually reaches or exceeds thirty meters, and maximum depth at only 18 meters, Christine’s reef features exceptional conditions for underwater photography, and is perfect for novice divers as well as seasoned experts to explore!
Inglis Shoal
Rising from the deep abyss that provides a steady upwelling of nourishment for the marine life here, Inglis Shoal is a fantastic seamount that comes up to within 12 meters of the surface. A paradise for pelagics, the shoal is home to dogtooth tuna and bigeye trevally, as well as elegant scalloped hammerheads and lots of toothily grinning barracuda.
The sides of the shoal are sheer walls, which are more like reef faces than some of the sandier shoals you may have dived in the past. You’ll find an amazing array of hundreds of species of fish here, in all colors, shapes and sizes. Everything from clown triggerfish and azure triggerfish, to the ruby red white spot Pinjalo snappers that school in huge masses live in the area.
The shoal is subject to a current and is located in open water. Though it is relatively shallow, it is not considered to be a good site for novices, although intermediate divers will enjoy it during calm weather.
Hanging Gardens
With ledges and overhangs coated in rope sponge that give the site its name, hanging gardens also has several very large caverns to explore. The wall and all its magnificent grottoes are a haven for fish of all kinds, including the Cirrhilabrus Walindii, a type of wrasse which was first discovered in the area.
A sandy slope which descends from the bottom of the wall is home to lots of different kinds of gobies, and the entire area is teeming with nudibranchs and other invertebrates. The area also features a shallower lagoon area with sand and patch coral, where patient divers are rewarded with the opportunity to see and photograph brilliantly colored pairs of mandarinfish, and perhaps even see them mating, particularly in the late afternoon.
With features ranging between less than a meter and down to about 27 meters, and with visibility that is normally 30 meters or so, Hanging Gardens is a spectacular site for all divers to visit.
Schumann Island
A favorite site for snorkeling and just playing in the water, Schumann Island does not look like much of a dive site at first. However, if you swim out to the middle of the shallow lagoon, you will find a series of coral outcroppings that cover just a few meters square, and which have been the subject of an interesting study.
Scientists discovered more than 65 fish species and more than 40 coral species in this small area, which is rarely dived, and which is more often thought of as a good place to stop for lunch. Look for Panda Anemonefish, but keep your distance! These fish are territorial and have been known to bite divers who come too close. You’ll also see damsels, butterfly fish and angelfish, banded pipefish, and blennies, among others. As the site is so shallow, it is perfect for all divers to explore at length, and it offers extremely good conditions for photography – particularly if you enjoy macro life!
The Cathedral
The Cathedral is a large cave, which is located at one end of the horseshoe shaped reef that sits directly in front of the Walindi Resort. The site is particularly popular at night, when bioluminescent creatures float like tiny stars in the black universe created by the water inside the cave. Sometimes the water is so thick with luminescence that you can see the inner features of the cave clearly, even though there is no light of any kind penetrating its entrance.
The outer edges of the cathedral are wreathed in lush gorgonians, and covered in thick staghorn coral, and further along the wall, on the outside of the reef that surrounds it, whip coral descends toward the abyss, in loops and swirls.
While the outer edges of the reef descend all the way to more than 200 meters, most features are between three and thirty meters, making this site a spectacular place for all divers to enjoy.
South Emma Reef
With a wonderful swimthrough and cave at 33 meters, and the top of the bommie at just 12 meters, this fantastic reef has something for everyone. Covered in hard coral, sponges, and lush soft coral that extends to feed when the current is just right, this fantastic structure is home to fish of all kinds. Sleek gray whaler sharks look for fish that have lost their way, while tight clusters of batfish and trevally play cat and mouse with grinning barracuda.
Around the top of the reef, you’ll find several types of butterflyfish, as well as firefish and dartfish, gobies and blennies and leatherjackets, plus clown anemonefish, all vying for a spot in your photos.
Restorf Island
The reef that surrounds Restorf Island is filled with all kinds of fish, including clown anemonefish, lots of gobies and hawkfish, anthias, and titan triggerfish, which nest in the sand along the bottom of the reef.
There are loads of critters here too, including feather duster worms, shrimp, octopus, and lots of different kinds of nudibranchs. With depths ranging from just a few inches, to 32 meters, the area is perfect for all divers. Watch for sharks and barracuda in the deeper sandy areas, and keep an eye out for the occasional turtle or manta ray.
Whether you decide to stay at one of the fantastic resorts on Kimbe, or travel with a liveaboard, you are certain to wish that you could spend more time here than you’ve actually got. So, brush up on your underwater photography skills, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.