Page 459 - Melanesia
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SOLOMON ISLANDS SCUBA DIVING REGIONS
FLORIDA ISLANDS: The Florida Islands are close the area has made Tulagi one of the best wreck
to Honiara, and have many excellent dive sites. diving destinations in the world. Many of these
One of the most famous is Twin Tunnels. It’s a sea wrecks lie in the harbor only minutes from Tulagi
mount with two big lava tubes. You can descend Wharf. Nitrox and limited mixed gas facilities are
into either tube and come out in a cave on a reef available for the technical and more experienced
wall at about 36m. This dive is great not only divers. The Aaron Ward is the only accessible
for the lava tubes, but for the huge schools of destroyer in the Solomon Islands, which was
fish that swirl around the sea mount, and the discovered in 1995. Depth 53-73 meters. Honiara
fabulous reef on top. There are lots of fans with is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Gua-
pygmy seahorses, barrel sponges full of hairy dalcanal Province. Guadalcanal was witness to
squat lobsters, there are cuttlefish, octopus, eels, fierce naval battles during WWII and was a turn-
rays, and literally hundreds of species of fish and ing point in the Pacific campaign. “Iron Bottom
corals. This is just a gorgeous dive and everyone Sound” is host to hundreds of wrecks. Destroyers,
loves it. minesweeper, troop carriers, transport ships, sub-
marines and planes provide an incredible range
HONIARA REGION: GUADACANAL: “Iron Bottom of dive sites. Honiara, the nations’ capital and
Sound” is home to a variety of wrecks including international gateway, is the stopover point for
troop carriers, transport ships, submarines and travelers wishing to visit some of the land based
planes. All wrecks are National Heritage listed WWII sites. Honiara has a harbor from which fer-
and removal of any items is strictly prohibited. ries depart to the various provinces.
Florida Island (Tulagi). The number of wrecks in
