Kategorie: News
Diving the Bismarck Sea
Engulfed by a swirling blanket of shimmering silver, I can no longer see the surface. The vortex of barracuda stretches all the way down to a pinnacle below that teems with fish that I rudely ignore as I soak up every moment of this special encounter. This is Bradford Shoal, a sea mount that rises from abyssal depths on the outer edges of Kimbe Bay and moments like this remind me why I dive!
Words and picture by Steve Jones www.millionfish.com (Insta: photostevejones)
The spell eventually breaks, and I drop toward the reef which bustles with action as rivers of fish feast on the rich plankton upwelling from the plunging drop-off. In turn they are herded by schools of trevally, patrolling with deadly intent and frequently causing the abundant anthias to dive for refuge in a blur of purple. Keeping their distance out in the blue void, tuna and grey reef sharks patiently observe the commotion waiting for their moment later in the day.
This reef is literally a mountain top that drops hundreds of meters to the seabed and it acts as a beacon for marine life in the vast blue desert of the Bismarck Sea. The smaller reef dwellers attract the bigger predators, which in turn bring in the pelagic hunters, in this endless circle of life. It’s hard for me to recall a fishier dive than this, but these seamounts in Kimbe Bay are renowned for the sort of high-tempo action that you would normally need a liveaboard vessel to experience.
Remarkably though, these sites are within range of the day boats that operate from the only dive base in the region at Walindi Plantation Resort. Its owners, the Benjamin family, were amongst the first divers to explore this area after purchasing this palm oil plantation back in 1969 and they soon realised that they were on the shores of somewhere very special. By the mid 1980’s the first guest bungalows were built, allowing other divers to experience one of the warmest and richest seas on Earth and since those early pioneering days, this remote outpost has grown into a familiar and friendly eco-style resort that may have some of the best day-boat diving in the world!
Into the Beyond
Kimbe Bay’s spectacular inshore reefs make Walindi Plantation worthy of a dedicated visit, yet beyond the range of the day boats further into the Bismarck Sea, the Fathers reefs and the Witu Islands are also not to be missed. Lying respectively to the north-east and north-west of the resort they are easily reachable with the two safari boats that operate from here: the veteran FeBrina and the more recent MV Oceania, operated by their seasoned and respected captains Alan Raabe and Dan Johnson, who both know this area like the back of their hands.
For this trip I’m on Oceania and the first day itinerary on this superbly outfitted catamaran involves a relaxed meander through select sites in Kimbe Bay, as we prepare for the overnight run to the outlying reefs. Being an avid wreck diver, the afternoon dive brings a real treat for me! Echoing PNG’s intense wartime history, I recognise the distinct outline emerging from the grey sand beneath me, a Japanese A6-M ‘Zero’, the famous World War Two fighter plane once feared by those that fought against it. Impossibly intact, it’s as if it only just landed here!
It was discovered by accident back in January 2000 by local fisherman WilIiam Nuli and its mysteries soon unfolded. Intact propellers, no battle damage, an open canopy and the proximity to the shore indicate a controlled landing, likely after the battle of Cape Gloucester on 26th December 1943, with the pilot Tomiharu Honda probably seeking salvation at a nearby Japanese outpost. His actual fate has been lost in time but due to the painstaking research by Walindi resort owners Cecilie Benjamin and her late husband Max we at least know part of the story that surrounds this incredible wreck.
An uneventful overnight crossing follows, and the following day we awake 70 miles away amid the pre-historic view of Mount Ulawun, a mighty volcano that erupts every five years or so. We are now in the Fathers, outlying reefs dominated by dramatic underwater formations and vast expanses of hard coral whose variety overwhelms the senses. Dropping into the crystal-clear water at Kilibob’s, a large school of batfish excitedly greet us like old friends and accompany us down to the reef, where the tempo of marine life action has notably increased from that previously seen. At Jayne’s Gully I raise my head after studying a pair of mating octopus and am surprised by the reptilian eyes staring at me: The critically endangered hawksbill turtle, calm, curious and unbothered by my presence. Larger predators are also active on these reefs, including the imposing great barracuda and dozens of grey and whitetip reef sharks. Papua New Guinea has not escaped the lure of the lucrative fin trade and sharks continue to be fished and exported to supply the obscene demand for shark fin soup, yet under the stewardship of the local tribes this region has so far escaped the horror of industrial-scale shark fishing.
Guardian of the Sea
Local initiatives such as the Mahonia Na Dari education programme, which was founded by Walindi, have greatly helped this low-population area to foster responsible marine stewardship and resist the destructive fishing practices that have damaged so many other parts of the coral triangle, that epicentre of marine biodiversity that extends from here up to the Philippines and across neighbouring Indonesia. Furthermore, Papua New Guinea’s government is currently in the process of turning 7,500 km2 of the Bismarck Sea into a Marine Protected Area, trebling the amount of ocean it protects. This is a remarkable turnaround.
After escaping with minimal damage from the mass coral bleaching events seen on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016/17, which were attributed to climate change and exacerbated by El Niño, an insidious threat then cast a shadow over the area from a deep-sea mining company that planned to extract precious metals from the hydrothermal vents on the sea floor, despite major concerns about the massive impact this could have on the marine ecosystem due to pollution and the effects of silt clouds that could engulf delicate benthic life. That threat has for now receded, following the collapse of the mining firm and a subsequent reversal of policy from exploitation to preservation, the importance of which cannot be overstated. For the Bismarck Sea is simply phenomenal even by Papua New Guinea’s standards and despite its relatively small size of around 40,000 square kilometres, it hosts biodiversity statistics that are off the scale. Home to many of the 132 species of shark and ray so far identified in this country, you may also spot one of their few predators here if you are extremely lucky, the Orca.
A recent French expedition tallied 1,300 species of fish, 4,500 species of mollusc and over 400 species of corals – huge numbers!
It is the reef-building hard corals that help create the spectacular underwater topography in the Fathers reefs, which includes soft-coral-filled archways whose exteriors are adorned with enormous barrel sponges, defying gravity as they cling to the sheer walls. Undersea ridges such as Shaggy’s Reef offer a change from the seamounts, for here we find a vibrant gulley decorated with gorgonians and patrolled by the silvertip shark, a sleek, inquisitive and handsome predator. Solitude and remoteness are both terms that describe the Fathers experience, but we are not totally alone. Whenever we near Lolobau Island, the locals paddle out to trade fresh produce and seem to enjoy every minute of our company, we as fascinated by their delicate hand-crafted outrigger canoes, as they are with our high-tech gadgets which feel so out of place amongst this natural wilderness.
A caldera of critters
Another overnight journey takes us to the Witu Islands, where we moor inside Garove’s jungle-covered volcanic crater. With a muddy seabed, this is prime territory for critters! Right beneath our boat, a lithesome ribbon eel cautiously reveals itself, its partial blue colouring fading away to pure yellow as it transforms from male to female, a phenomenon that occurs when it reaches around 85 centimetres in length. The beautiful-yet-deadly golden mantis shrimp waits in a burrow for a hapless fish to come within range of its lightning-fast strike, while egg-laden pipefish cautiously meander amongst the rubble near where tiny nudibranchs feast on the freshly laid eggs of an unfortunate reef dweller.
The fascinating macro world of this secluded crater is as lively as the outer reefs! The best critter life here is found shallower than 15 metres so I took the opportunity to spend much of the day underwater, returning between dives for Nitrox fills and refreshments, to be greeted by the beaming smiles of the children who had paddled out with resupplies of mangoes and coconuts. Aside from the weekly opportunity to trade with Oceania and FeBrina, most of the 4000 islanders are copra producers, the dried meat of the coconut used to make oil. As evening approached and the children returned to their village, the daytime inhabitants of the reef below also sought refuge as the bizarre nocturnal hunters emerged. Night diving is offered daily throughout the trip and is simply not to be missed, especially on a site like this that crawls with weird and wonderful life.
Apeks of action
The Witus are not just about muck diving and outside the crater we visit impressive swim-throughs at the Arches before heading to the bustling, colour-washed walls of Barney’s reef, a small vibrant bommie that’s home to schools of snapper and beautiful soft coral formations. The frenzy of marine activity finally peaks at the famous Lama Shoals, or Krack-a-fat as it’s more affectionately known. A dive at this site makes the senses roar! In the thick of the action a huge school of barracuda orbits overhead whilst on the reef, impressive clouds of scissortail fusiliers and fairy basslets perform a colourful dance of death attempting to evade both the solitary preying tunas and the packs of jacks, with the latter working as a team to bay their quarry.
Our return journey to New Britain takes us to the picturesque Restorf Island where the cacophony of bird song reminds us why this country is as important for ornithologists as it is for marine biologists. The sensational reef below has some of the largest fan and elephant ear corals in the area and crawls with obscure marine life ranging from marble shrimp to ornate ghost pipefish. There is no finer interpretation than here of why this nations motto “Unity in Diversity” applies not only to a culture that boasts 852 languages, but equally to the geology and ecology of this fascinating country. That diversity is similarly reflected in the range of diving and life encountered on bustling seamounts that resonate with a marine medley that only a few places on Earth can match.
Dive Info
Time to dive: Kimbe Bay can be dived year-round on day boats from Walindi Plantation Resort.
The signature Kimbe Bay-Fathers Reefs -Witu Islands safari boat itinerary described here is offered by Oceania and FeBrina during the months of April-June and September–November. At other times of the year they explore other regions including Rabaul and Milne Bay
Visibility: Normally 30m+ plus but drops to ~15m from Jan to March (wet season) and July to August (SE trade winds).
Water temp: 27 to 31 degrees C, 3 or 5mm wetsuit is ideal
11 litre tanks, Nitrox available on request
Anti-malaria medication advised
Boat info:
MV Oceania: (https://www.mvoceania.com/) Sea Speed aluminium catamaran : Length 27m (88ft), beam 9m (29ft), Captained by Dan Johnson
MV FeBrina: (https://www.mvfebrina.com/) : Length 22.25m (73 feet) traditional style vessel, Captained by Alan Raabe