Diving in PNG

Best dive sites in Papua New Guinea allow you a feast for your eyes and your camera lens. You will need both macro lenses and wide-angled lenses on your dive tours in Papua New Guinea. With up to four dives per day you are likely to take great memories away of ghost pipefish, seahorses, frogfish and mandarin fish as well as a great range of nudibranch. At the same time, dive sites here offer sharks and all manner of barrel, soft and fan corals. The coral at Papua New Guinea's dive spots is said to be better than in the neighbouring waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Papua New Guinea diving has lots on offer for wreck enthusiasts but most of all for naturalists and underwater photographers. The underwater life seen when scuba diving Papua New Guinea is incredible and a chance not to be missed.

Kimbe Bay - This incredible dive site in Papua New Guinea is filled with incredibly healthy reefs and diverse life. Ranked among the world's most beautiful reefs by National Geographic Society. It is clear that your dive trip here will not fail to impress. Within Kimbe Bay you can see a Japanese Zero fighter plane, incredible large fan corals and barrel sponges. You will often see pelagic sharks and barracuda but it is also a dive trip option for mammals such as pilot whales, dolphin orcas and sperm whales.

Milne Bay - This bay sits on the East coast on the islands of Papua New Guinea. You can enjoy both macro and large species here. In less than 20 ft of water, you can enjoy frogfish, cuttlefish, mandarin fish and nudibranchs. Even the incredible species of scorpionfish: Rhinopia. Dive trips in Milne Bay include underwater isolated pinnacles, sloping coral reefs and impressive walls encrusted with corals amongst the soft corals. There's so much on offer here that all of these sights can be seen through one dive.

Fathers Reefs - A dive site with the backdrop of the 2,334- meter Ulawun Volcano, this underwater site is a series of coral pinnacles rising from the bottom of the Bismarck Sea. Scuba diving Father's Reefs will no doubt allow you the chance to see sharks with the healthiest population of sharks in Papua New Guinea here. In the past areas of this site have been used as shark-feeding zones bringing sharks regularly to the area.

Witu Islands - North west of Kimbe Bay the treasures to be seen in these islands are the big fish. With up to 30+ meters visibility keep your eyes peeled for white tip reef sharks, tuna and barracuda patrolling the edge of the reefs. On these outer reef slopes hard coral gardens allow for incredible colours and steep drop-offs filled with soft corals suggest idyllic beauty.

SEASONS & CONDITIONS: Scuba diving in Papua New Guinea is available year-round. Visibility of stretches to 150 ft. The best season to visit is the high season between May and November.

WATER TEMPERATURES: The coral sea will see temperatures of around 26 degrees celsius whilst the Bismarck Sea is usually around 31 degrees celsius. Usually, a 3mm shorty will suffice in these temperatures.

There is a great level of diving at Papua New Guinea for advanced or intermediate divers. The photography opportunities here are incredible so learn to dive in Papua New Guinea whilst taking photographs by qualifying in underwater photography skills through a course.

Papua New Guinea can be reached by many budget airlines from nearby countries including Air Niugini, Airlines Papua New Guinea, Pacific Blue connecting through Australia from Brisbane and Qantas Link departing from Cairns to Port Moresby. Once you arrive at Port Moresby you can either fly internally to Kimbe or get around most easily by boat. Due to its remote nature, a Papua New Guinea liveaboard is a great way to visit this amazing area.