Kimbe Bay

Kimbe Bay — West New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Kimbe Bay is a sheltered volcanic bay on the north coast of West New Britain, in the Bismarck Sea, and the dive statistics are difficult to argue with: over 860 species of reef fish have been documented here, along with more than 400 coral species. It is not the most famous diving destination on Earth. It is possibly the most biodiverse.

What the Numbers Mean

860 fish species sounds like an inventory. What it means on a dive is this: every surface you look at holds something you haven't seen before. The seamounts that rise from the bay floor — dozens of them, most undived except by the handful of operators based at Kimbe town — are covered in hard and soft corals. Schools of chevron barracuda orbit the pinnacle tops. Scalloped hammerheads aggregate at the offshore seamounts at depth. Whale sharks are sighted year-round, most often at the bay's northern entrance.

Silvertip sharks patrol the seamount edges. Grey reef sharks work the currents between pinnacles. The flats around the seamounts hold mimic octopus, ornate ghost pipefish, and nudibranchs in numbers that would constitute a significant macro site anywhere else in the world — here they're a side note.

The Liveaboard Logic

Kimbe Bay is vast. The best seamounts are scattered across an area too large to cover on day trips. Liveaboard operations are the efficient approach, moving between seamounts daily and providing access to sites that day-trippers never reach. A handful of high-quality lodges at Kimbe also run day trips to the closer sites.

Getting There

Fly into Hoskins Airport (HKN) from Port Moresby. The connection from Australia (Brisbane or Cairns) to Port Moresby is daily. Logistics from here require planning.

Practical Info

• Depth: 5–40m | Difficulty: Intermediate — some seamounts have significant current
• Best season: May–October (drier, better visibility)
• Water temperature: 27–29°C year-round
• Marine life: 860+ fish species, scalloped hammerheads, whale sharks, silvertips, mimic octopus, abundant nudibranchs