With mysterious wrecks, magnificent walls, patch and deep reefs, and incredible marine life, Milne Bay is truly a little piece of paradise. The bay is at its best between November and February, while rainfall is heaviest between May and September. Even so, you can dive here all year round, and there are so many things to see that it might be hard to decide where to dive first. Let’s take a quick journey to Papua New Guinea to check out five popular Milne Bay dive sites.
Deacon’s Reef
A series of towering coral formations which rise up from the bottom at 120 feet, to about 30 feet from the surface, support a ledge that can be accessed at about 20 feet. That ledge is an extension of the steep cliffs along the rugged shoreline. At the bottom of the reef, sheer walls plummet away into the abyss, which bottoms out at more than 1000 feet.
Between the column-like coral formations, colorful staghorn coral, spiraling lettuce corals, and plate corals shelter sweetlips and anthias, humbugs and bigeyes. Magnificent carpets of brilliant anemones are here and there, with colorful clownfish bustling to and fro, and fan corals, including the massive Dinah’s Fan, which is about 15 feet in diameter, host even more small creatures, including little crabs and shrimp, nudibranchs, and an endless array of tropical fish in every color of the rainbow.
Giants at Home
There are manta ray cleaning stations, and then there is Giants at Home. Located in the southern portion of Milne Bay, this shallow, well protected area is the place to encounter giant Manta Rays – sometimes more than ten at a time – enjoying the services of the cleaner wrasse that wait on a lovely bommie in just 25 feet of water. This is one of the best giant manta ray dives on the planet, so be sure to include this site in your itinerary if you love to swim with mantas!
Samarai Wharf
The huge wharf at Samarai, which once served as the capital of Milne Bay, bustled with activity, and hosted elegant ocean liners and massive freighters. Today, the massive wooden pylons and steel girders are a diver’s paradise. Home to busy families of pipefish, scorpionfish, swirling schools of glassfish and anthias, and a never ending array of various invertebrates, the old wharf structure is like an underwater cathedral decorated with colorful sponges and soft coral, with sunlight streaming through the structure and spotlighting the abundant life that is everywhere you look. Thanks to the shallow depth, which is no more than 40 feet, you can spend as much time as you want, exploring to your heart’s content. If you love macro life, then this is one dive you simply cannot miss. Watch for mimic octopus, blue ribbon eels, seahorses, and of course, nudibranchs, as well as a few different varieties of batfish and catfish.
Washing Machine
When you are ready for something just a little more exciting, head to China Strait, where the Washing Machine awaits. This is an exhilarating drift dive in a current that averages 8 knots, along brilliant walls covered in coral. Watch for some larger pelagic as you speed along with the current! This dive site is located near Samarai Wharf, so it is common for liveaboards to start with a trip through the washing machine, and finish the day out with a trip to the wharf.
Sullivan’s Patches
Sullivan’s Patches survived the coral bleaching epidemic that came with the last El Nino, and is formed of staghorn, plate coral, fan corals, and more. Soft coral and sponges, including some large barrel sponges, decorate the reef, growing one on top of another; sheltering shrimps, crabs, lovely feather stars, gobies, and other fish.
There are two main reefs to explore, and it takes at least two dives to do this area justice. Besides the brilliant fish you will find all along the reef here, there are also larger creatures in residence. Watch for turtles, manta rays, and the occasional hammerhead shark.
The best way to visit Milne Bay and get the most pleasure from your diving holiday is to choose from one of the many fantastic liveaboards that travel the area. Besides the main dive sites, these charters can bring you to other local favorites, allowing you to view the marine life you want to see most, and providing you with the opportunity to spend as much time diving as possible.