DIVE SITES

Liveaboard Diving At It's Finest   The Bismarck Sea

The coral reefs around Walindi are extraordinarily rich...

Over 350 species of reef building corals have been recorded in Kimbe Bay. This is more than half the total number of known coral species in the world. Over 900 species of fish have been recorded and this number will continue to grow as more research is done.

These dive site descriptions are intended to give you some idea of what you are likely to find on the reefs around Walindi. A number of the more interesting fishes that have been observed at each site are listed, but of course they may not be seen on every dive. We can guarantee, however, that you will see vastly more than can ever be described in the brief overviews given here. Take your time and dive carefully. In this way you will be better able to appreciate what is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.

The coral reef communities around Northern New Britain have remained largely undamaged by human activity. We intend to keep it that way. We use moorings where possible to reduce damage from anchoring.

As a diver, your help in protecting the reef is imperative. You may only damage a small piece of coral, but when multiplied by many divers, this will amount to considerable damage. Dive carefully and use good buoyancy control, don't touch the reef. Never lean on the reef to take photographs. We will treat your cameras with the same respect with which you treat our reefs.

Restorf Island

The waters around Restorf Island hold an incredible diversity of marine life. It would be possible to spend a week diving here and still find new things in the various habitat types around the island. Depth is from the surface, down to 32m, and this site is excellent for snorkeling.

On the main reef there is a profusion of coral growth, especially gorgonian fax and black corals, with anemones occupied by Clown Anemonefish near the boat mooring. There is a great variety of reef fishes along the full length of the main reef. At the end of the reef, Grey Reef Sharks are often seen.

To the west side of Restorf, the reef slopes downward in a patchwork of loosely connected coral bommies, many serving as anchors for gorgonian fans, sea whips, barrel sponges, and elephant ear sponges. Among these live many species of smaller reef fish such as hawkfish, gobies and colourful anthias and numerous invertebrates including nudibranchs, shrimp, feather duster worms and an occasional octopus.

On the sandy flats between the island and the reef are large colonies of graden eels, at least four species of shrimp gobies, burrowing gobies, sand anemones, occasional flatheads and flounders. Watch out for the Titan Triggerfish over the sandy areas. Usually easy to spot, these fish excavate large depressions in the sand and rubble in which to lay their eggs. Observe from a distance, but don't get too close as the females have been known to bite divers when they are guarding eggs in the nest.

Susan's Reef

Dense stands of Red Sea Whips Ellisella sp. give Susan's Reef a unique aesthetic quality that sets it apart from other Walindi reefs. Susan's is a submerged ridge, connected to a much larger reef by a saddle, which creates a channel

between the reefs. A stunning collection of corals is particularly rich at the southern end of the reef where it connects to the saddle. This area is crammed with hard and soft corals and a wide range of other phyla. The more obvious invertebrates include sponges, ascidians, bryozoans and a variety of annelid worms such as fan worms and Christmas tree worms. Particularly spectacular large gorgonian fans, red sea whips and elephant ear sponges, everything adorned with colourful crinoids, delight all who dive here.

Seemingly oblivious to the surrounding splendour, a multitude of fish life go about their business. In the channel between the reef, a photogenic pair of Longfin Bannerfish will often be seen posing beside one of the many gorgonians on the reef wall or on the sandy floor. A school of Razorfish Aeoliscus strigatus live in the red sea whips at 18m near the southern corner of the reef. These fish swim head down in a bobbing manner, making them difficult to see amongst the sea whips. When danger approaches they turn their narrow body sideways making them even harder to see.

The larger of the two dark red sea fans at the southern end of the saddle is a particularly good place to observe Long Nose Hawfish Oxycirrhites typus. There are a variety of Butterflyfish Chaetodontidae and Angelfish Pomacanthidae commonly seen around the reef and the Pixie Hawkfish Cirrhitichthys falco is particularly abundant here.

5m down to 28m is the best diving on Susan's Reef.

Christine's Reef

Christine's Reef is actually a collection of reefs joined by underwater ridges to form a large horseshoe shape complex. A photographer's paradise, Christine's features a beautiful collection of extremely large barrel sponges, many different gorgonian fan corals and red whip gorgonians, along with staghorn and plate corals in the shallower areas. As will all Walindi reefs, reef associated fishes are abundant and diverse.

Commonly seen are Butterflyfishes, Angelfishes, Snapper and Surgeonfishes. A number of more cryptic fishes have also been seen at Christine's. They include Spiny Devilfish Inimicus didactylus, Harlequin Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus paradoxus, and Crocodile Flatehead Cymbacephalus beauforti. To find these types of fish you

need to look carefully and to have a bit of luck as well. On the sand you will probably also find a bizarre sea cucumber Thelenota rubolineata. This "horny" sea cucumber has a maze of red lines that make it rather attractive than most of its relatives.

In the undercuts around the reefs large puffer fish such as the Map Puffer and the Starry Puffer are regularly seen. The smaller Blackspotted Puffer, which is one of the most common pufferfish in this area can be seen in a variety of colours from grayish to brown and yellow. The best diving on Christine's is from surface to 18m.

Inglis Shoal

There are a number of isolated seamount type reefs rising from very deep water around Walindi. It is believed that these reefs have formed where corals have established on submerged volcanic peaks. As sea levels have risen the corals have grown vertically and sheer sided pinnacles are the result.

Inglis Shoal rises from very deep water to within 12 metres of the surface and is very rich in fish life. Pelagic fish species are common and include Dogtooth Tuna, Barracuda and Bigeye Trevally. Scalloped Hammerheads are regularly seen at Inglis Shoal.

Along the reef face, schools of surgeonfish and fusiliers are common. Around the top of the reef there are hundreds of species of fish. Amongst the most noticeable are the Clown Triggerfish with its dramatic colours and the Azure Triggerfish which swims off the reef edge with alternating

undulations of its dorsal and anal fins. Near the reef top it is possible to find a school of Pinjalo lewisi. This fish belongs to the snapper family and are a deep red colour, usually forming a dense school at the edge of the reef.

As well as the larger fish are the smaller species. Feeding in the current you can find various Fairy Basslet and Wrasses and living in the many anemones on the reef top there are a variety of anemonefishes.

Kimbe Island Bommie

This small, but spectacular pinnacle, rises to approximately 27m from the surface, not far from Kimbe Island. The top of the pinnacle is a riot of sponges, sea whips, gorgonian fans, black corals and soft corals. Pelagic fishes are

abundant when there is a current running over the reef. Large schools of Barracuda circle the reef, Dogtooth Tuna, Rainbow Runners and various species of Trevally are usually present. A number of different reef sharks are also regularly seen.

Vanessa's Reef

Vanessa's is primarily dived to see the forest of large gorgonian fan corals that run continuously along a current swept ridge at 25-30m. Many of the fans are will over 2m across and are truly magnificent to swim past, and for photographer's make picturesque backdrops for diver shots.

Lamarck's Angelfish can be found near the gorgonians. This unusual Angelfish can be distinguished by elongated caudal fins lobes, black stripes on the body and males have a yellow dot behind the head. The fans are also a good place to look for hawkfish, commensal shrimp and other macro subjects.

The rest of the reef is also interesting, with patches of sea whips, a sponge garden and Tubastrea coral. When a current is running you may see schooling barracuda and Gray Reef Whalers patrolling the drop off.

Otto Reef

This large reef, being isolated from any other reef or land mass, is entirely different to any other Walindi dive site.

The main attraction is the fish. On days when the current is creating eddies on the point, schools of barracuda, trevally, sea perch, fusilier, unicorn fish and surgeon fish mix with a variety of shark species, including on occasion, scalloped hammerhead and tuna, resulting in plenty of exciting action.

Along the wall south of the point are numerous ledges, overhangs and small caves. The area has a rich growth of many kinds of sponges as well as black coral, reef clams and ascidians. Within this encrusting community you can find spider crabs, gobies and sponge-eating dorid nudibranchs.

The top of the reef supports a beautiful garden of hard corals that makes a wonderful after dive snorkel.

Bradford Shoal

This steep sided, deep water pinnacle rises to within 18 metres of the surface. Due to the topography and location of the shoal many interesting deep water fishes can be found here, some of which would not normally be seen by scuba divers. These include Burgess Butterflyfish, Blackspot Angelfish and Pinjalo. There are only two know species of Pinjalo and both can be found at Bradford Shoal, either individually, or in schools near the top of the shoal. There are also numerous species of the beautiful Anthias or Fairy Basslets. On the sheer walls you may be lucky enough to spot the lovely yellow and blue Harlequin Grouper.

Above the reef, schools of Bigeye Trevally, Barracuda and Rainbow Runner are common, and large Batfish regularly visit divers doing a stop on the mooring line.

The reef structure is predominantly flat plates of hard corals, an adaptation allowing maximum utilization of the reduced sunlight at that depth. There are also many colonies of Leather Coral.

North Emma Reef

The main feature of this dive is the deep bommie attached to the main reef by an even deeper saddle. The bommie at 36m is covered in a vast array of different soft corals. Gorgonian sea fans white feeding polyps contrast with their red skeletal structures. Beneath the sea fans is an understory of leather coral, and a few colonies of burning bush soft coral.

Due to the depth, only a short visit to the bommie is possible. Returning to the main reef, a shallow circumnavigation is a pleasant way to complete the dive and provide an extended safety stop.

If only all safety stops could be this interesting. Many species of anemonefish reside in their respective anemones at North Emma, occurring at almost regular intervals along the almost sheer east wall. These include the White-bonnet Anemonefish (which is restricted to the

NE region of Papua New Guinea and the Solomons), the Orange Anemonefish, the Pin Anemonefish and the Black Anemonefish in clumps of Porites coral.

North Emma has a rich growth of Acropora corals, and a wide variety of coral associated fishes can be seen, such as Butterflyfishes, Angelfishes, Damselfishes and a host of others. Unicornfishes, Trevalies and Fusiliers are abundant along the walls.

Turtles are often seen, and with care can be approached quite closely.

South Emma Reef

If any dive site in Kimbe Bay can be said to have it all, it would have to be South Emma. The top of the bommie is around 12 metres deep and has profuse cover of hard corals, soft corals and sponges. The reef top is alive with small fishes, including many species of butterflyfish. Just some of the other interesting species are Fire Dartfish, Elegant Firefish, Twotone Dartfish, Twinspot Goby, Scribbled Leatherjacket, Tiger Blenny, Longnose Hawkfish and Clown Anemonefish.

Schools of Barracuda are seen over the top of South Emma bommie on most dives, as are Batfish and various trevallies. Gray Whalers commonly patrol the southern side of the reef.

There is a swim through at about 33 metres and hanging from the cave walls are many soft corals, including gorgonian fans and colourful sponges. Small schools of bigeye trevally often mill around the cave entrance. Ascending back towards the top of the bommie, you will pass stands of soft corals, thickets of sea whips and a cluster of barrel sponges.

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