Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
-10.31509, 150.45742
Milne Bay Province occupies the most eastern end of Papua New Guinea as well as 160 islands and 500 atolls surrounding it. The province covers an area of over 260’000 km2, most of it ocean.
It is a wild and exotic place with 48 languages spoken in the province by its 250’000 inhabitants.
Milne Bay itself is the easternmost inlet on the coast of Papua New Guinea. It measures 50km by 10 to13km.
The port town of Alotau, from where diving trips begin, is easily reached by a short flight from the capital Port Moresby.
The area is most famous for its muck diving and the coral reefs are some of the most bio-diverse in the world. Sadly the reefs are being affected by coral bleaching in many places. Lets hope they can recover from it.
Various World War 2 wrecks ranging from from airplanes to ships can be found in the area.
The diving
Diving is best done from a Liveaboard dive boat. The resort of Tawali appears closed as of spring 2023. The area is quite remote and one is unlikely to see another dive boat during a trip. The curiosity of the charming local population is lovely. A number of times I surfaced after a dive and was surrounded by small outrigger canoes. Diving from piers attracts a lot of curious giggling kids eager to see what you are doing.
