Kimbe Bay, on the north coast of New Britain in Papua New Guinea's Bismarck Sea, sits at the heart of the Coral Triangle and is one of the most biodiverse marine areas on Earth, with around 860 reef fish species and roughly half of all known coral species, plus offshore seamounts that draw barracuda, jacks and pelagics from deep water.
Destination info
Conditions, highlights, and the resident marine life.
Conditions
Water and air temperature across the year.
WaterAirDryShoulderWet
Description
Kimbe Bay opens off the northern coast of New Britain into the Bismarck Sea, sheltered on its western side by the volcanic Willaumez Peninsula whose perfect cones rise behind the dive boats. It lies within the global centre of marine biodiversity, the Coral Triangle: a Nature Conservancy Rapid Ecological Assessment of 78 sites recorded roughly 860 reef fish species and more than 350 species of stony coral, and broader surveys have logged in excess of 400 hard-coral species — over half of all known reef-building corals in a single bay. Coastal fringing and patch reefs sit close to deep blue water, and isolated seamounts such as Bradford Shoals, Inglis Shoals and Joelle's Reef rise from 1,500–2,000 m of water to within 11–20 m of the surface, acting as magnets for schooling barracuda, big-eye trevally, dogtooth tuna and reef sharks, with occasional hammerheads. Hard and soft corals are exceptionally healthy, the bay's signature red sea-whips and giant gorgonians draping the reef walls. The Bismarck Sea is also an Important Marine Mammal Area; resident orca, short-finned pilot whales, sperm whales and spinner dolphins move through the deep water beyond the reefs. Diving is from the single shore resort (Walindi Plantation) or its two liveaboards, and the water stays warm (25–30°C) and often gin-clear.
Highlights
What makes this dive worth the trip.
A Nature Conservancy Rapid Ecological Assessment surveyed 78 sites in Kimbe Bay and documented approximately 860 species of reef fish and more than 350 species of stony coral, establishing the bay as one of the most biodiverse marine areas on the planet and a benchmark for reef health in the Coral Triangle.
Hard-coral surveys have recorded in excess of 400 species of reef-building (scleractinian) coral in Kimbe Bay — more than half of all the world's known hard-coral species — making it, in the words of coral taxonomist Professor Charles Veron, a place where 'corals grew in lush profusion' as reefs did decades ago.
The Bismarck Sea around Kimbe Bay is designated an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA): killer whales (orca) have been recorded for 10 months of the year, nine of 13 calf sightings came from the Kimbe Bay area, and short-finned pilot whales, sperm whales and large aggregations of spinner dolphins also occur in the deep water beyond the reefs.
Marine life
45 species you’re likely to encounter on a dive here.
Dive sites
8 signature sites at this destination.
Bradford Shoals
Kimbe Bay's premier seamount, an isolated reef rising to within about 20 m of the surface from a seabed roughly 2,000 m deep near the open Bismarck Sea. The summit is paved with flat plates of hard coral and leather corals, but divers come for the big fish: large schools of barracuda, big-eye trevally, dogtooth tuna, unicornfish and fusiliers patrol the blue, with whitetip and grey reef sharks cruising the edges and occasional great hammerhead. Because it sits in open water it is more exposed to current than the inshore reefs and can only be dived in calm conditions, so trips are weather-dependent. Visibility here is often exceptional, sometimes exceeding 40 m.
20–40 madvancedDay boatModerateVisibility 25–40 m
South Ema
An overall favourite reef in Kimbe Bay where a coral bommie tops out in about 12–15 m of water and a deep swim-through cave cuts the structure. The reef is famous for its huge colourful barrel sponges, intense red sea-whip gorgonians and vibrant soft corals. Schools of barracuda, batfish and trevally hang over the reef alongside grey reef sharks, while the coral itself shelters dense macro life — longnose hawkfish, twin-spot gobies, dartfish, clown anemonefish and many butterflyfish species. The protected position near the Willaumez Peninsula keeps conditions generally calm.
12–35 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 15–30 m
Susan's Reef
One of Kimbe Bay's signature soft-coral reefs, made up of two sea-mounts that rise close to the surface, the shallower summit at roughly 5 m. Dense stands of red sea-whips give the reef its unmistakable look, with large gorgonian fans and elephant-ear sponges concentrated at the richer southern end. The site is a macro favourite: both Bargibant's pygmy seahorse and Denise's pygmy seahorse have been documented on its sea fans, alongside nudibranchs and commensal shrimp. Sheltered and shallow, it suits photographers and divers of all levels.
5–30 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 15–30 m
Restorf Island
The reef around tiny Restorf Island ranges from the surface down to about 32 m and holds an exceptional diversity of marine life, making it equally good for snorkelling and deeper diving. The reef slopes away in a patchwork of loosely connected bommies, many anchoring gorgonian fans, black-coral trees, sea-whips and barrel and elephant-ear sponges. Among the structures live garden eels in the sand, schooling fish, and a steady supply of macro subjects — small nudibranchs, shrimp, feather-duster worms and the occasional octopus. A relaxed, photogenic site that showcases the bay's coral health.
5–32 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 15–30 m
Kimbe Island Bommie
A current-swept pinnacle off Kimbe Island near the mouth of the bay where the top of the bommie sits deeper, around 28 m, drawing in the action. Numerous species of shark congregate in the current here — blacktip and grey reef sharks patrol the periphery alongside other predators — making it one of the bay's more adrenaline-charged dives. Clumps of red whip corals and long, straggling white wire corals cover the reef top, while the shallow gardens of nearby Kimbe Island hold schooling barracuda. Best dived on a slack or gentle current and reserved for experienced divers given the depth.
28–40 madvancedDay boatStrongVisibility 20–35 m
Vanessa's Reef
A submerged shoulder extending westward off a larger reef, where the ridge runs at about 18–22 m and a deep sandy patch falls away to around 32 m. The highlight is a plateau covered in huge tufts of the bay's signature red whip corals — a favourite hiding place for lemon damsels — together with large dark-red gorgonian sea fans, giant elephant-ear and bright-red barrel sponges and vivid orange sponge mounds. Crinoids decorate the fans and longnose hawkfish and commensal shrimp tuck into the structure. A classic Kimbe Bay soft-coral and wide-angle reef.
15–32 mintermediateDay boatLightVisibility 15–30 m
Inglis Shoals
A second open-sea seamount, easier and more sheltered than Bradford, rising from deep water to a summit about 14 m below the surface before the lip drops to around 25 m and then shears vertically into the depths. The appeal is the fish action in the water column above the reef: a resident school of barracuda is almost always present, joined by dogtooth tuna, big-eye trevally and batfish, with scalloped hammerheads and grey reef sharks sometimes appearing in the blue. Cleaning stations on the summit attract larger fish. Like the other seamounts it is dived only when conditions allow.
11–35 mintermediateDay boatModerateVisibility 20–40 m
The Zero Wreck
An intact World War II Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter resting upright on a sandy seabed at about 16–17 m, near the northern end of the Willaumez Peninsula close to the South Ema dive site. Military records date the aircraft to the Battle of Cape Gloucester; the absence of bullet holes and the throttle and pitch settings point to a controlled ditching after the pilot ran out of fuel rather than a shoot-down. Discovered decades later by a local free-diver, the plane is now decorated with hard corals and anemones and shelters clown anemonefish and small reef life. A shallow, easy, historically evocative dive.
14–18 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 10–25 m
Where to dive & stay
Local dive centers, resorts, and hotels.
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Verified dive centers, resorts, and hotels around Kimbe Bay will list here — pricing, photos, and direct contact.
