Page 519 - Melanesia

DEKU DEKURU: 25 minutes from Uepi. This and bullnose rays, along with small reef dripping webs of sponges. Again, keep one
dive includes a series of shallow cave and sharks, cod, trout, flutemouths, down to the eye seaward for those travelling pelagics,
cavern systems. For the ‘Hidden Cave” you smaller coral inhabitants like damsels and but be sure you don’t miss the resting turtle
need an experienced guide just to find the pullers, nudibranchs, flatworms and other commonly found here.
cave and then lead you thru a bewildering invertebrates. Explore the deeper lagoonal
twisting maze of a cave. The “Open Cave” is basin, a site for small manta rays. The in- GENERAL STORE: Fifteen minute boat trip
a spectacular canyon with beautiful coral ner reef has interesting topography with from Uepi. The dive commences on a stun-
reflections framing the overhead green many overhangs, tunnels and caverns to ning drop off festooned with invertebrates
jungle against the blue sky. The “Dark Cave” explore. The outer reef area has hard corals, including colorful sea fans. Nudibranchs
is a comfortable enclosed tunnel emerging snapper, surgeon and unicorn fish, huge are common. Eagle rays & the occasional
you from the darkness into the bluest of bumphead parrotfish and wrasses. Look for hammerhead glide past. After checking
blue water. Deku is different and provides the cleaning stations. The ocean side of the out the wall divers reach a large bombie
outstanding, unique but demanding photo outer reef drops off into endless depths and perched on the drop-off edge. Profusely
opportunities. The walls between the three the possibility of sighting large pelagics, covered in rich life from the depths to the
cave areas also offer some interesting dolphins and turtles exists as for all the wall crest at 5 meters divers traverse the various
overhangs and very pretty corals with a fair areas at Uepi. depths. Leaving the bombie by crossing a
chance of seeing rays and turtles. The point hard coral garden, divers enter an extensive
between the two cave areas also offers ELBOW CAVES: Deep gutters through the swim through area that takes them into
some interesting overhangs and corals. reef wall, almost totally enclosed in sec- shallow hard coral gardens. Noted for close
tions make this dive memorable. Columns encounters with families of bumphead
DIVERS BAY: Take a tour of the upper reef of sunlight radiate through cathedral like parrotfish and the endemic Solomon Island
wall and swim through the various gutters caverns. A large school of diamond-fish anemone fish. A swim along the wall takes
to a lagoonal garden of hard corals. A vari- disguises the entrance to one cavern, often you back to the crest of the bombie for your
ety of anemones and associated clown fish, with barracuda flying through for a meal. exit. Named General Store as it has a bit of
damsels and cleaning shrimps to delight Between the gutters, the upper wall over- everything.
the photographer. Giant tridacna clams hang forms ledges with abundant fans and