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67
years. Here you will find
Dicky’s Reef
,
Dicky’s Knob
,
Dicky’s Cut
and,
finally,
Dicky’s Place
right in front of
his house. A word of advice: Be careful
with the anemones here and elsewhere
in PNG. At Dicky’s Place, there is a
particularly nasty species that unfurls
at night and can inflict truly unpleasant
stings. Even in paradise, danger
sometimes lurks.
EastErn and southErn
nEw Britain
Many excellent dive sites can be
found around New Britain.
Father’s
Reef
is located to the east of Kimbe
Bay near
Lolobau Island
. From here
I’ve watched Ulawun, a sometimes-
belching volcano, spew smoke during
a spectacular sunrise where the clouds
were lit up as if the volcano had set
them on fire. In the water, spinner
dolphins come to play, and the reefs
exude a boundless energy that is
physically tangible.
When it comes to belching
volcanoes, the town of Rabaul offers
constant activity. Rabaul is also a
great launching place for diving New
Britain’s south coast. I joined Raabe
aboard FeBrina many years ago in
some early explorations of this less-
visited side of the island. In 2002, I
was part of an Explorers Club flag
expedition to dive the source of the
Isis River. The trip up the river from
Waterfall Bay and deep into the heart
of New Britain’s rainforest was an
adventure to remember.
nEw irEland and
nEw hanovEr
Diving in and around Kimbe is, for me,
akin to visiting an old friend. Exploring
the Kavieng region to the north, on the
other hand, is more like encountering
a crazy uncle. Dive sites such as
Planet
Channel
and
Albatross Pass
can
provide wild current rides that make
Palau’s Blue Corner seem like a Bonaire
night dive. Hold on to your regulator
as three knots blast you along the reef,
past gray reef sharks, manta rays and
schools of jack and barracuda.
It is equally satisfying to dive these
high-energy sites during slack tide.
More contemplative time can be
spent investigating the voluminous
gorgonians and forests of bright-red
whip coral, which benefit from the
nutrients supplied by the current.
The reef shallows harbor a variety
of camouflaged goodies. My favorite
place to find stonefish is a reef called
Nusandaula
, where grumpy fish faces
can be seen gazing up from the coral.
The stonefish look at divers with
undisguised contempt. I think it’s a
measure of humanity we are able to
regard such ugly, poisonous critters
with something approaching fondness
— or maybe itís due to PNG’s magic.
Gulf of PaPua and
Port MorEsBy
Eastern Fields
is a very lonely set of
reefs located in the middle of the Gulf
of Papua. Because of the remoteness,
lengthy crossing and exposure to the
elements, Eastern Fields is dived only
at times of the year when it’s flat and
calm. There are no islands to hide
behind when the weather deteriorates.
The reward for such isolation is reefs
that explode with color and action.
The largest soft corals I’ve ever
encountered are here; some are as tall
as me. They stand like lone baobab
trees in the African savanna.
If long steams to dive sites aren’t
your cup of tea, there are plenty
of great opportunities for diving
right around Port Moresby, PNG’s
capital. Most divers just want to get
out of this bustling big city as fast as
possible, and Loloata Island Resort is
not far. Located in
Bootless Bay
, the
resort is sufficiently distant from the
noise and crime. From this oasis it is
possible to dive such signature sites as
Suzie’s Bommie
and
End Bommie
that are sure to amaze. Here divers
can find wobbegong sharks, schooling
sweetlips, batfish and Rhinopias — a
genus of scorpionfish and one of the
Left: Mimic octopus
(Thaumoctopus
mimicus), Walindi
Plantation Resort
Right: A lionfish hunts
among the piers and
throngs of silversides
under the deck of
Samarai Wharf.
Opposite: The Asaro
Mudmen of Goroka
use frightening masks,
disguises of mud
and a silent dance to
intimidate their foes.
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12/21/11