The South Pacific
LOLOATA ISLAND, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Wrecks and critters
Season: Year-round diving
Visibility: 15-40 metres
Water Temperature: 28-30°C
Shrimp in bubble coral (Shannon Conway)
Papua New Guinea (the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and its offshore islands) is one of he world’s top diving destinations, owing to its extraordinarily rich marine life, and you do not even have to go far beyond the capital, Port Moresby, to find out why.
Bootless Bay is just 22 kilometres east of Port Moresby, situated on the south coast of Papua New Guinea, and holds three small islands: Lion Island (uninhabited, but an excellent picnic spot), Motupore (where the University of Papua New Guinea has a research station) and Loloata, home of Loloata Island Resort.
Within Bootless Bay there are a variety of marine habitats, ranging from mangroves, sand banks and seagrass meadows to rocky reefs, rubble banks and deep, oceanic water. Some of the finest dive sites are on the barrier reef beyond Bootless Bay. Here tidal currents dictate when diving can take place, but the bonus is certainly to be found in the supply of food which supports a very good fish population. Loloata Island Resort’s 30 or so dive sites offer plenty of variety.
Pumpkin Patch is a series of bommies on the reef edge. Some are joined with ridges, others separated by deep gullies. Before jumping in to sample the delights under the water, take a look around as Bryde’s Whales have sometimes been seen in this area. The bommies are rich with life. A very prolific seafan population is well worth investigating. Long-nosed Hawkfish can be found lurking there and Pygmy Seahorses, Merlett’s (Rhynopias) Scorpionfish, black coral shrimps and Ornate Ghost Pipefish are amongst the smaller treasures that can be located.
When the boat moors at Suzie’s Bommie it is on the edge of a steep reef that bottoms out at around 31 metres. The flat top of part of the reef is around 10 metres below the surface. Here the riches on offer include the diminutive, lumpy-looking Pygmy Seahorse and soft corals in pinks, yellows and magenta. The surface of the reef is awash with Oriental Sweetlips, Coral Cod, batfish, unicornfish and trevallys. Look carefully among the corals for the well-camouflaged Tasselled Wobbegong. These beautifully ugly small sharks rely heavily on their cryptic pattern, waiting quietly for the moment when a fish or cephalopod swims into their strike zone before they secure their lunch with an arch of the back and a snap of the jaws.
On the fringing reef south of Loloata Island, and just five minutes away by boat, lies the Boston Havoc A20 Aircraft. This wreck is in good condition with only the nose gunner’s section snapped off. Dik Knight, Loloata Island Resort’s Manager, discovered this section of the plane before the rest when he first dived this site. Although the water can be quite turbid, many divers feel it is worth diving here to see this fine example of a World War II aircraft. It is possible to lift the hatch of the cockpit cover and enter the cockpit. All the controls are in place, but there is little coral growth on the wreck and hence, little marine life.
Lion Island has several dive sites, all of which are usually sheltered. A couple of wrecks have been sunk here and the area is particularly rich in more unusual marine creatures, such as the beautiful and elegant Ghost Pipefish (which can be found in many colours), Flying Gurnard and Dwarf Lionfish. For invertebrate hunters, there is a veritable feast of delicate nudibranchs (especially Flabellina, Notodoris and Phyllidia species), molluscs, sea stars, urchins and ascidians.
LOLOATA ISLAND RESORT
Loloata Island Resort is located just half an hour away from the international airport at Port Moresby and offers a tranquil and pleasant alternative to staying in a Port Moresby hotel for those that have a few nights available while travelling to and from New Britain or New Ireland, but it is even better to spend longer here exploring the rich reefs of the area. In the traditional Motu language, ‘Loloa’ translates as ‘hill’ and ‘Ta’ as ‘one’. Loloata is indeed a one hill island. Originally a chicken farm, then a weekend resort for the expats who were stationed in Port Moresby, Loloata Island Resort became a dive resort in 1978. Since then the management has been in the capable hands of diving pioneer Dik Knight.
Just a short walk from the shore, the 22 colonial-style, elevated bungalows are simply furnished. All the bungalows have en-suite bathrooms, ceiling fans and wide verandas with uninterrupted ocean views. Air-conditioned rooms are available. You can be certain that each evening you will have the gentle lapping of the waves to lull you to sleep. Loloata Island Resort has a welcoming, club-like atmosphere and hors d’oeuvre are served on the patio beside the bar every evening promptly at six o’clock. Dining is a highlight of a stay at Loloata and dinner includes international or traditional cuisine, desert and plenty of freshly roasted Highland coffee from PNG’s interior. Vegetarians can be catered for with advance notice. The resort provides 24-hour power from their own generator and fresh water is supplied from rainwater tanks and two desalination plants.
Non-diving activities include snorkeling, kayaking, water skiing, wind surfing and line fishing. The early morning or late afternoon is the finest time to go bushwalking or stroll along the beach and foreshore. Walking the whole island takes just about an hour. There is the opportunity to explore further afield with sightseeing tours arranged locally.
Two 10-metre purpose-built aluminium dive boats each carrying up to 10 divers plus crew are equipped with electronic navigation, VHF radio, life jackets, life raft, flares, oxygen cylinders, first aid and an EPIRB. There is a hot and cold shower for after dive rinsing. Towels and snacks are provided. Rental equipment is available (except cameras and dive lights). There is a 240 volt charging outlet available with Australian-type sockets.
The boats depart from the jetty at 0800 each day for two morning dives, returning to the island for lunch around midday. At 1400 the boat departs for a one tank dive returning around 1630 (in time for a shower and the ‘traditional’ hors d’oeuvres at the bar!). Night dives are available on request.
Port Moresby is the nearest airport. Getting to the island is simple and involves a 15 minute car ride from the airport followed by a 10 minute boat ride on one of Loloata Island Resort’s private water taxis.
Price: from about £155 per night (from about £91 per night without diving). Includes: airport transfers between Port Moresby (Jackson Field) Airport and Loloata Island Resort; full board accommodation (breakfast, lunch and dinner) on a twin/share basis in a Fan-cooled Room at Loloata Island Resort; 2 boat dives daily, dive guide. Supplement for 3 boat dives: from about £24 per day. Deposit: £200.
Single Occupancy Supplement: from about £16 per night.
FLIGHTS: Prices from about £1162 to Port Moresby. There are daily flight connections to Port Moresby (but the quickest and least expensive routings are only twice a week). We will quote you the airfare applicable, based on routing, season, current fare levels and booking class availability. Our quote will include all taxes and fuel supplements applicable at the time of quotation, as well as our service charge. The usual airfare deposit is £300.
STOP-OVERS: These are available in Singapore, Brisbane or Sydney, depending on flight routing.
COMBINATIONS: A visit to Loloata Island is easily combined with a longer stay in Papua New Guinea, visiting the world-famous dive sites of New Britain, New Ireland or Milne Bay, and is a great way to break the journey in either direction. Alternatively, we could arrange for you to stay at a very comfortable but remote lodge in the interior of New Guinea where the tribal people still lead lives not that far removed from their Stone Age forbears. Talk to us about the possibilities.
Snapper specias (Shannon Conway)
