You could spend a lifetime diving the Solomon Islands and not see it all. This collection of more than 900 islands stretches 500 miles across the South Pacific Ocean and includes more than 2,600 square miles of coral reefs. These reefs lie within the eastern boundary of the celebrated “coral triangle,” home to the world's most bio-diverse marine habitats. And though not as well-known as regional hotspots in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, the Solomons offers an equally impressive array of marine life and underwater adventures, combined with an unrivaled degree of diving exclusivity.
There's no such thing as a crowded dive site in the Solomon Islands. With only a pair of liveaboards and a handful of shore-based operators spread across this vast underwater playground, there are very few sites that see divers on a regular, while many more are rarely visited or yet to be explored. So where to begin?
Whether you plan to stay ashore or set sail, a dive trip to the Solomon Islands will begin with a flight to the nation's capital of Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal. The town's waterfront is the home port for liveaboards operating in the Solomons, and the jumping-off point for domestic flights to a handful of resorts scattered across more remote areas of the archipelago.
Liveaboard trips offer an ideal way to take in the full scope of Solomon Islands diving, which can include everything from historic war wrecks and pelagic encounters to walls, caves, pinnacles and muck dives. Trips usually include a stop in the Florida islands, which are an easy 30-mile cruise away from the Honiara waterfront. These islands were the site of heavy fighting during World War II, and the waters nicknamed “Iron Bottom Sound” are littered with the remains of more than 1,000 ships and downed aircraft. While some lie beyond recreational diving depths, there are numerous options that don't require technical gear. A diver favorite is the site known as Garbage Bin, which includes the damaged bow section of the USS Minneapolis.
Wrecks aren't the only attraction in the Florida islands. Maravagi Bay offers a wealth of macro subjects including pygmy seahorses, anemone fish, pipefish, and hundreds of varieties of colorful nudibranchs. Ed's and Napoleon's Walls combine dramatic vertical seascapes with huge schools of fish, and the site known as Devil's Highway is an adrenaline-filled drift often shared with manta rays. One site considered a “must do” in this area is Twin Tunnels. Which is a prominent sea mount punctuated by a pair of large lava tubes. A descent into these tunnels leads to a dramatic cave mouth on the edge of a precipitous wall. Like many sites in the Solomons, a dive at this site can end in shallows filled with an abundance of macro life, which creates opportunities for long multi-level profiles.
Another given on a liveaboard trip is a visit to the Russell Islands, which offer an equally enticing mix of diving adventures. At White Beach, divers can explore a large cache of war materiel pushed overboard by departing US forces during World War II. This site has now become a favorite macro dive.
The shorelines of the Russell Islands are riddled with a collection of caverns and caves that make for dramatic dive profiles. The most famous is Leru Cut, which is a deep, narrow cleft in a sea fan-covered wall that leads far inland. Divers can swim single file into this channel as beams of light spill from above. Custom Caves is a shadow-filled passage that opens to an air-filled chamber fed by a jungle stream, while Bat Cave is a haven for juvenile reef sharks. A favorite with photographers is the marine preserve at Karumolun Point, where soft coral gardens combine wide-angle opportunities with sharks, rays and schooling jacks with captivating macro subjects like ghost pipefish, crocodile fish and electric clams.
A highlight of many Solomon's liveaboard is a stop at Mborokua, which is also known as Mary's island. This uninhabited volcanic island is washed by currents that promote prolific coral. Slopes and walls are riddled with caverns and caves, while sites exposed to blue water attract large populations of reef sharks, bumphead parrotfish, turtles and large schools of jacks and barracuda.
The farthest-flung destination for most liveaboard trips is Marovo Lagoon, which is one of the largest saltwater lagoons on earth. With a barrier reef that stretches for nearly 100 miles, Marovo provides a wealth of seldom-dove sites and possibilities for exploratory diving. The lagoon is home to stunning soft coral gardens and macro-rich shallows. Tidal channels and current-washed outer reefs provide exciting drift dives and encounters with sharks and rays. The lagoon has accessible war wrecks and a unique opportunity to dive near an active underwater volcano. An often-requested dive is Mbulo Caves, which is a series of swim-through passages and caverns lit by sunlight streaming in from voids in the ceiling.
In addition to unforgettable diving, a trip to the Solomon Islands provides unique cultural interactions and historic insights. Many divers opt to add a few day's stay in Honiara to explore the island's numerous World War II sites and the area's pristine rain forests. Liveaboard trips to Marovo Lagoon typically include stops at out-island villages that are beyond the scope of normal tourism activity. These traditional communities are steeped in a warm and welcoming culture that remains unchanged from times past. Villages around the lagoon are famous for intricate wood and stone carvings, which are offered for sale as prized souvenirs of a unique adventure.
How to Discover The Solomons
The Bilikiki is the long-time favorite for Solomons Diving.This 125-foot vessel was built specifically for South Pacific diving, with a wide beam for stability, a large sheltered dive deck and individual work and charging stations for photographs. Bilikik accommodates up to 20 guests in ten air-conditioned cabins with private baths. For more than 30 years this vessel has remained the top choice for Solomons diving and is available for full-boat charters.
Divers who want to dedicate more time to exploring Marovo Lagoon can opt for a land-based option. Uepi Island Resort is located in the mid-section of the lagoon, with coral-studded shallows stretching beyond a white-sand beach to the west and deep oceanic waters to the east. The resort caters to just 20 guests and hosts divers in small groups so that schedules and profiles can be tailored to personal interests and abilities. Uepi is reached by a commuter flight from Honiara followed by a boat transfer to the island.