Solomon Islands Diving
With neighbors like Fiji, Australia and Papua New Guinea, you might think the Solomon Islands would have some pretty good diving. And you'd be right.
There are now two prime areas of departure for the liveaboards of the Solomons, Honiara for the Russell and Florida Islands, and Gizo for tours to Choiseul and the Shortland Islands.
Dives You Can't Miss
Korumolun Island: There is a mini-wall here with ledges and plateaus that host a huge variety of marine life. Lionfish and clownfish are common, as are macro creatures like mantis shrimp and cuttlefish.
Mirror Pond at Mane Island: This site is famous for the saltwater crocodile that occasionally resides in the shallow tunnel connecting the reef face to an inner lagoon.
Tall spur-and-groove surge channels lead offshore to a fairly vertical wall face. Elegantly intact stands of staghorn coral provide refuge for a wealth of Pacific reef critters.
Leru Cut: This site provides one of the Solomons' iconic photo-ops as morning sunlight pierces a chasm in the island. Dramatic streams of light penetrate the jungle canopy, providing for striking available light shots of divers in silhouette.
Mary Island: Properly known as Mborokua, Mary Island is notable for an underwater point that commonly hosts massive schools of barracuda and jacks. Divers can easily drop below 100 feet here, and with high-voltage pelagic action possible, this is a site that can lure unwary divers into trouble. But with a little discipline, it's easy to leave the depths to explore the coral rubble beneath the boat, for here ghost pipefish, leaffish and shrimp gobies rule.
Wreck of the Ann: The Ann is an island freighter sunk along a sandy slope in 30 to 102 feet of water that is now massively encrusted and home to spectacular marine life. Coral grouper, skittish on most other reef sites, pose brazenly here. Blennies, sharpnose puffers, hawkfish, and grouper prowl amid the soft corals and gorgonia. Wide-angle shots along the bow, kingposts and wheelhouse provide vibrant color and dramatic texture. Even the sand slope is productive, with a great colony of garden eels, anemonefish, and shrimp gobies.
