Liveaboard Adventures in Papua New Guinea’s Biodiversity Hotspot
- John Mayers
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
This article from Scuba Diver Magazine details a liveaboard diving expedition in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, aboard the MV Oceania. The region is highlighted as one of the most biodiverse marine environments in the world, offering a unique blend of reef, wall, muck, and wreck diving.
Key Highlights of the Expedition:
Diverse Ecosystems: Milne Bay covers 253,000 km² of "sea country." Its geography provides calm waters sheltered by mountain ranges, making it ideal for various diving styles.
The MV Oceania Experience: The authors (Dr. Terry and Cathie Cummins) praise the liveaboard for providing access to remote sites and high-quality service, circumnavigating the bay starting from Alotau.
Major Dive Sites & Marine Life:
Wall & Reef Diving: Sites like Deacons (Barracuda Point) and Waterman’s Ridge feature massive gorgonian fans, soft corals, and swim-throughs. Divers encountered hammerhead sharks, pygmy seahorses, and large schools of pelagics.
Muck Diving & Macro: Milne Bay is world-renowned for "muck" diving (searching for small creatures in silty or rubbly bottoms). At sites like The Baths and Deka Deka, they found flamboyant cuttlefish, mimic octopuses, ghost pipefish, and numerous nudibranch species.
Manta Cleaning Stations: At Gona Bara Bara Island, the team spent significant time at a cleaning station watching manta rays interact with cleaner wrasse.
Wreck Diving: The trip included a dive at the P38 Lightning, a WWII fighter aircraft resting on the seabed since 1942.
Summary of the Experience
The article concludes that Milne Bay remains a top-tier destination for underwater photographers and nature enthusiasts due to its "startling diversity." The authors emphasize that a liveaboard is the superior way to experience the region's full range of habitats, from vibrant coral walls to the "macro heaven" of muck sites.
Here is the link to the full article....
Comments