Oceania

Oceania is a 27-metre aluminium catamaran working the Bismarck Sea out of Walindi Plantation Resort in Kimbe Bay. The hull dates from 2001, but the interior was rebuilt from scratch in 2018 and the boat sailed her first trip under the present name in April 2019. The owner is Kimbe Bay Diving, a local company from West New Britain Province.

She takes only sixteen guests in eight cabins, and every cabin is above deck, with portholes onto the sea and its own bathroom. The crew is nine people to those sixteen guests — a ratio you do not get on a big monohull. The wide hull gives what catamarans are built for: almost no roll at anchor, and enough deck to keep out of each other’s way.

Papua New Guinea sits at the centre of the Coral Triangle, where the diversity of coral and fish is higher than anywhere else on the planet. Charlie Veron, former chief scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, said of the Kimbe Bay reefs: “They take me back forty years to a time when corals grew in lush profusion, untroubled by the problems that beset them today.”

Where the boat goes. Kimbe Bay — sea mounts rising out of the depths, coral-covered walls and coral gardens: Susan’s Reef with its dense stands of red sea whips, Inglis Shoal, which comes up from very deep water to eleven metres and gathers dogtooth tuna, barracuda and bigeye trevally, Otto’s Reef, Christine’s Reef with its huge barrel sponges, and Restorf Island. The Witu Islands to the north-west mix sea mounts with black sand bays: Krackafat, where the reef top is packed solid with fish, the Goru arches, and the macro bay of Wire Bay. Fathers Reefs is a chain of remote volcanic reefs with dramatic topography, arches and swim-throughs that draw silvertips and grey reef sharks. Rabaul offers jetty and sand dives for macro photographers under the eye of the active Tavurvur volcano. Milne Bay is the home of muck diving: the wall at Deacon’s Reef rising from over three hundred metres, the manta cleaning station off Gona Bara Bara Island, and the B-17 “Black Jack” bomber at fifty metres. Kavieng adds channels and walls with barracuda and trevally, plus wartime aircraft.

Among the larger animals, hammerheads and silvertips are regular, particularly on the offshore reefs, a resident pod of dolphins follows the boat, and orcas, pilot whales and whale sharks pass through from time to time.

How the day runs. Up to four dives a day; a ten-night trip usually works out at eight and a half diving days, a nine-night trip at seven and a half, an eight-night trip at six and a half. The dive deck is aft, with a personal station for every guest, a camera table, a separate rinse tank for cameras and a warm shower. Entry is off a duck board level with the water, and a purpose-fitted tender runs to the further sites. Tanks are 12-litre only, with multi-fit valves for DIN and yoke; there are no 15-litre tanks on board, but a pony bottle can be hired through Walindi Dive. Nitrox is available for an extra charge — as a package for the whole trip or per fill. Currents on most sites are light and the diving is easy; Kavieng can run stronger, and then a safety line is streamed from the boat to the mooring.

Cabins and common areas. Three cabins have a queen bed and five have two singles; all were refitted in early 2019 with individually controlled split air conditioning, 240-volt international sockets and USB, reading lights at each bed, under-bed storage, a rain shower plus a handheld head, and locally made soap and shampoo. The saloon on the middle deck has a long couch, charging sockets along the footboard, two large tables seating sixteen and mini fridges with drinks. The upper deck is an open area with tables and chairs in both sun and shade, and the aft section of the mid deck has couches under a sunshade.

Food. Continental breakfast before the first dive, hot breakfast after it — eggs, pancakes, bacon. A mid-morning snack, buffet lunch, another snack in the afternoon before the last dive. Dinner is à la carte, home-style cooking from local produce and freshly caught fish, with dessert. Fresh fruit and a refillable water station are available all day, tea and coffee are free. Soft drinks, juices, beer and wine are sold on board.

Logistics. Most trips start and finish at Walindi; the nearest airport is Hoskins (HKN), listed as Kimbe by Air Niugini. Some departures run from Rabaul, Alotau and Kavieng, each with a different airport, so the port and date of your own trip need checking twice. Airport transfers both ways are included. Boarding is from 16:00, the last dive is before lunch on the day before disembarkation, the boat spends that final night in port, and disembarkation is by 09:00. The crew works in a remote area with no government rescue service, so insurance covering evacuation is effectively mandatory; the operator recommends DAN.