Kimbe Bay

Kimbe Bay is located off the north coast of West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. It is dominated by rainforest-covered volcanic peaks rising steeply from the water, some to over 2’000 meters. Measuring 110km by 60km, Kimbe Bay, part of the Bismarck sea, is extraordinarily scenic above water.

But it is its wealth of marine habitats that make it unique. Kimbe Bay is an important biodiversity hotspot. Sixty percent of the coral species of the entire Indo-Pacific region are found here as well as over 850 species of fish.

From the shoreline, the ocean floor slopes down to around 200 meters before, further out, dropping to 1’000 meters and then to 2km. The Bay is dotted with underwater seamounts and coral pinnacles that rise up from the deep to come close to the surface. It is this underwater topography together with favorable currents that make it a haven for marine animals and coral.

The underwater seamounts and pinnacles act as beacons for sea life in the vast ocean desert. These isolated ecosystems provide shelter for smaller fish and act as nurseries. They in turn attract larger fish, pelagics and marine mammals. This is where you generally find the best diving and incredible visibility. Among many other things, the area is known for its large schools of barracuda, friendly turtles and many anemones. Silvertrip sharks are common but live in the deep.

On land and in the sea airplanes from WW2 can be found. A Mitsubishi Zero Japanese fighter plane lies pretty much intact in about 17meters of water. On land, a B24 Liberator bomber rests between the palms of a palm oil plantation.

Diving can be done from Walindi Plantation resort or from one of the two Liveaboards serving the area. Land-based diving will restrict your radius to the dive sites closer to shore. The dive sites at Father’s reef and the Witu islands are only accessible by Liveaboard.

I am pleased to note that in 2022 Papua New Guinea has signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Program to protect the megadiverse Kimbe Bay. It is planned to create a 1.33 millon hectare Marine protected area.