Page 486 - Melanesia
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HOT SPOT: This small pinnacle, one of our dis- Multitudes of hard and soft corals, large gorgon- over a ledge at 30 meters, passing by large fan
coveries in 1995, comes up to 5 meters from the ian sea fans and multitudes of reef fish. corals, and keeping an eye on the blue water for
oceans depths of 300-400 meters. On the swing passing manta and eagle rays. It finishes by slowly
of the tide, pelagic’s come into feed on the shoals PLUM PUDDING ISLAND: Or Kennedy Island as it is climbing up the wall to find some nudibranchs as
of bait fish that congregate in and around this off- known as, was named after the late US President you finish your dive in the smooth lagoon.
shore dive site. Turtles frequent this site as they who captained the PT109 during the Pacific War.
finish a long journey from the open sea looking This dive site offers shallow coral reefs for novice THE GAP: The ultimate drift dive. Drop down on
for some fish friends to provide a gentle cleaning. divers, and a drift dive on the opposite side. Open the outside of Naru Wall and drift through the
Water Diver training is conducted off the beach schools of fish that welcome you into the Gizo
JOE’S WALL: Named after its self proclaimed here, leading into a wonderful coral reef with lots lagoon. Commonly seen here are large schools of
builder, Joe Bruno, Joe claims to have built this to find both snorkeling and diving. barracuda, big eyed trevally, reef sharks, and large
reef prior to starting work with Dive Gizo in 1985. schools of fish all together to feed in the cur-
He truly out did himself here, with a spectacular SECRET SPOT: Named for a hidden ridge at about rents. The Gap is covered with large sea fans and
wall dive starting in the sandy shallows of a small 40 meters, divers head out over this and can catch gorgonians, and starts off at 30 meters, but divers
bay, the wall starts in just 1 meter of water, but a glimpse of large sharks, rays, and other fish still average one hour bottom times, as they glide
continues as a steep wall running around the swimming up from the ocean’s depths. Continue along the wall and slowly ascend, ending the dive
island with depths over 60 meters. This dive has a on a nice drift dive along a reef covered with sea with a safety stop in the reef shallows.
gentle current allowing novice and experienced whips, fans, and nudibranchs. Divers here always
divers to enjoy a gentle drift dive along the wall. have a good chance of seeing some spotted eagle THE MANTA DIVE: Two different sites that are
Joe’s Wall is known for having large numbers of rays who swim along the passage here. frequently visited by Mantas generally between
nudibranch. Enjoy all of the small things hidden November and April. Groups of up to twelve Man-
among the fan corals and nooks in the wall. THE BEACH DIVE: For the devoted drift divers this tas can be seen at once.
can clock up to 1.2 kilometers. Start at the beach
ONE TREE ISAND: This dive site would have to be and watch the reef glide by on an armchair ride to
one of the most beautiful reefs in the Gizo area. a coral reef delight. This dive starts by dropping
