Route Description - Best of Solomons
Experience the very best of the Solomon Islands on this 10 night scuba diving liveaboard itinerary. Renowned for its thriving marine life and biodiversity, this secluded destination is a scuba diver's dream. There are numerous unspoiled hard and soft coral reefs, plus a wide variety of dive sites ranging from WWII wrecks to caverns, walls, pinnacles and stunning, sunlit swim-throughs. You will have a chance to see a variety of macro species as well as scores of reef and predatory fish, numerous sharks, rays and, if you're lucky, maybe even pilot whales!
The 10-night Best of the Solomons liveaboard itinerary allows divers to experience a bit of everything that the Central Province and a small part of the Western Province has to offer. Stunning walls and drop-offs, caverns and chasms, unspoilt reefs, abundant marine life and a smattering of WWII relics, are just some of the underwater delights included on this itinerary. Then there's the opportunity to discover the Solomon Islands' cultural diversity and traditions that continue to play a key part in the day-to-day lives of the islanders.
Day 1: Embarkation from Coral Sea Resort at 18:00, followed by introductions, boat and safety briefings and dinner. There is no diving on embarkation day.
Days 2-9: Your Cruise Director will schedule up to 4 dives per day; 3 day dives followed by either an afternoon land visit, a sunset dive or a night dive (if cruising schedules permit).
Here’s a sample of dive sites that may be visited during your liveaboard:
Russell Islands:
Mbanika Island - White Beach: WWII relics, including trucks, jeeps, and ammunition, create an artificial reef at depths of 5-30m. Expect to see juvenile reef fish, pygmy seahorses, and ornate ghost pipefish.
Folau Island - Rainbow Reef: A saddle-shaped seamount home to sharks, mobula rays, and schooling barracuda, with excellent visibility and depths starting at 17m.
Karumolun Point: A sheer wall and deep peninsula attract white-tip and black-tip sharks, trevallies, and barracuda. Eagle rays sometimes make an appearance.
Leru Island - Leru Cut: A stunning 100m chasm with excellent photographic opportunities and abundant fish life on the surrounding wall.
Mane Island - Mirror Pond: Known for its swim-throughs and Bat Cave, divers can also explore a wall teeming with pygmy seahorses.
Mborokua (Mary) Island:
Barracuda Point: Weather-dependent, this submerged point offers encounters with large schools of jacks, barracuda, and occasional sharks.
Marovo Lagoon:
Mbulo Island: Surrounded by dive sites featuring gentle sloping walls, lava tubes, and vibrant marine life. Look for unique swim-throughs and coral gardens.
Kicha Island: Renowned for its coral gardens, reef sharks, and giant bumphead parrotfish, with excellent visibility.
Florida (Nggela) Islands:
Mangalonga Island - Maravagi: A muck dive offering macro life like nudibranchs, cuttlefish, and rare pipefish.
Tulagi Island - Catalina Airplane: The wreck of a US seaplane offers divers a chance to explore its well-preserved remains at 34m.
Ghavutu Island:
Ghavutu Harbour: A WWII wreck site filled with blue ribbon eels, pipefish, and aircraft remains. It's a dream for muck divers.