Kavieng Diving

Malagan Beach Resort

Malagan Beach Resort, nestled on the foreshore of the crystal clear waters of Nusa Habour, is located in what is often referred to as a typical "Somerset Maughan" South Sea island setting. Located in New Ireland Province, only 2.5 degrees south of the equator, an endless summer sets the pattern for a memorable holiday in an idyllic South Pacific setting.

Only a few minutes stroll from the sleepy township of Kavieng, Administrative Centre of New Ireland Province which is noted for its Malagan culture, the Malagan Beach Resort is an ideal base for an adventurous or relaxing holiday.

The sixteen fully self contained units each with a private bathroom, multi-channel television, IDD telephone, refrigerator, coffee and tea making facilities are complemented by an a-la-carte restaurant overlooking the beach and offering tantalising dishes including fresh seafood sourced from local waters. A bar offering a full range of South Pacific beers and spirits adjoins the restaurant. Room service is also available.

The much sought after Malagan artefacts are available from the Resort shop. Cultural displays are also frequently staged at the Resort and these can also be experienced on day trips which can be arranged

Malagan Beach Resort is operated by Melanesian Tourist Services Ltd, Papua New Guinea's leading tourist operation, on behalf of the people of New Ireland and offers a gateway for those wishing to experience a South Pacific holiday in a part of the world almost bypassed by time.

De-Luxe Accommodation
The Malagan Beach Resort has 16 de-luxe rooms with air-conditioning, radio, telephone, satellite TV, private bathroom. Some rooms have queen size beds, others have single beds. All rooms overlook the beach and Beautiful Nusa Harbour.

Niugini Diving Adventures offers full dive services through contractors based at the Malagan Beach resort. The dive shop operate daily excursions within the harbour and to nearby islands aboard our own dive boats, or if required can undertake diving throughout the New Ireland Province with advance notice.
A list of dive sites is published and as more sites are discovered they will be added to the list on this website.

Albatross Passage
Minutes from Kavieng on the West Coast is a narrow passage between two islands. A ridge runs across the mouth of the passage at 30 feet. Diving from the top of the ridge down to a sandy plateau at 80-130 feet where numerous pelagic congregate in the channel, with a large number of grey reef sharks cruising along the mouth. On top of this is a magnificent wall of soft coral. Average visibility 100 feet.

PBY A24-11 American Catalina
After refueling this aircraft exploded on take off and is now scattered over 600 square feet on a sandy bottom in 60 feet of water. There were no survivors. Still being found on it are handguns, ammunition and the main guns of the plane. Average visibility 100 feet

Echuca Patch
Five minutes from the Malagan Lodge, this is a large coral ridge rising to within 50 feet from the surface and sloping down to 130 feet with a sandy bottom covered with Gorgonia Fans. A large fishing vessel, the "Dey Yang" rests on her starboard side on top of the ridge. The wreck is home to a large number of fish, including Barracuda. Trevally, Dogtooth Tuna, Mackerel and resident gropers.
Around the wreck are a number of delicate soft corals. Our most famous visitor to this site was a 25 foot whale shark. Average visibility 100 feet.

Byron Strait
Two pinnacles form the passage which is home to some very large pelagic species. The deeper pinnacle is covered in soft corals such as sea whips, gorgonias and magnificent black coral trees. A large number of eagle rays are often seen playing on the reef walls of the passage. With the movement of the tides makes for some magnificent wildlife displays. Average visibility 80-150 feet.

Eagle Passage (Planet Channel)
Two pinnacles form the passage, which is home to some very large pelagic species. The shallower pinnacle is covered in soft corals with schools of reef fish in their thousands. A large number of eagle rays are often seen playing on the reef walls of the passage.

Nautilus Reef
This coral ridge combines magnificent reef diving with exciting pelagic action. Starting at 30 feet with a maximum 50 feet. Within seconds of entering the water massive schools of Trevally and Barracuda, Sugeonfish and Fusiliers will surround the diver. Schools of Rainbow Runners, a 350 kg Queensland Groper likes to edge along the drop-off surrounded by attendant Unicornfish, the Giant Groper are the largest of the Indo-Pacific reef fish and are considered rare on a global scale. A large number of Silvertip and Blacktip Sharks cruise the wall of this coral ridge.
Delicate soft corals in pristine condition litter the ridge. Also home to beautiful displays of pink stylasta coral. Average visibility I00 feet.

Silvertip Reef (Valerie’s Reef)
Named after the world famous Valarie Taylor this reef is world famous for its close encounters with the magnificent silvertip sharks. About an hour away from Malagan Lodge by boat on a coral mound starting at 30 feet this reef is probably the closest a diver will come to seeing so many silvertip sharks in one lifetime. Average visibility 100 feet.

Kaplaman
Approximately 20 minutes from Malagan Lodge is a series of reef pinnacles rising from deep water. These pinnacles are home to several Eagle Rays large schools of Mackerel Trevally, Barracuda, Rainbow Runners and Oceanic Trigger Fish. Several large Silvertip sharks are often seen here.
A small ridge runs out from the main reef with beautiful displays of sea whips and soft corals. Average visibility I00 feet.

Nemo’s Reef
A series of coral ridges linked by sandy gutters through which a gentle current runs. Each gutter is filled with soft corals and reef fish with beautiful displays of stylasta coral.

T’s Reef
Only 5 minutes from Echuca Patch is a reef that forms a perfect "T" shape. The shallowest part is 70 feet and drops away to 120 feet, have made this an ideal place for masses of large Gorgonia Fans. A resident school of Batfish always follows divers during their dive. Excellent visibility.

Japanese 'Jake' Sea Plane
Lying in 35 feet of water is a very well preserved aircraft that crashed during World War 2. It rests right side up in excellent condition against a coral reef an easy and shallow dive also ideal for snorkeling. Average visibility 40 feet.

Japanese Mitsubishi Bi-Plane
This excellent example of a bi-plane seaplane lies in 60 feet of water in perfect condition upside down. Home to various species of shrimps and other small marine creatures. Average visibility 80 feet.

Silvertip Reef (New Hanover)
The dive is made on a small bank lying off the Tsoi islands off New Hanover, also called East Islands, exactly a mile north-east of the smallest island of Tsoi Boto. The bank lies 12 metres below the surface and rises from a sandy bottom at 45 metres. The top is covered with hard coral but the special feature of this dive is a group of silver-tipped sharks; these patrol the area and come very close to divers. Although not far from the coast, Silver Tip is in the open sea and dives can only be made when the sea is calm.

The dive . . .
Diving from the MTS Discoverer you will be faced with an incredible scene. Clear water made even more luminous by the sandy bed and a group of silver-tipped sharks swimming undisturbed around the small mound at a depth of 12 metres. This species grows larger than the grey reef shark; the adults usually live in waters below 25 metres and feed on large quantities of small fish, squid and octopus.
The dive is now conducted in the most natural way possible and it is forbidden to offer food to the sharks to avoid altering their feeding habits. These splendid creatures can thus be observed in their own environment with a quite close, untroubled and totally controlled contact. The dive to Silver Tip is exciting: the sharks vary in length from 1 to 2.5 metres and swim around the divers, studying and observing them with curiosity. Some are preceded by a thick group of pilot fish, others have remoras attached to their fins. One important rule is to leave them ample space to move without ever making them feel trapped. When you find yourself in their midst the dive becomes a game of who dares most. The main thing is to remember that the sharks are in control of the game.

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