Tufi, on Cape Nelson in Papua New Guinea's Oro Province, pairs sheltered muck and macro diving inside drowned volcanic valleys — tropical 'fjords' that are really rias — with more than 25 rarely dived offshore reefs and seamounts rising from deep Solomon Sea water, plus WWII PT-boat wreckage right off the resort wharf.
Conditions, highlights, and the resident marine life.
Water and air temperature across the year.
Cape Nelson's coastline was shaped by the volcanoes Victory and Trafalgar, whose flows built a peninsula now cut by deep, cliff-walled inlets — locally called fjords, though geologists class these drowned valleys as rias. Tufi Dive Resort, the area's single hub, sits above Tufi fjord and runs two very different kinds of diving: calm, silty fjord and wharf dives full of mandarinfish, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs and the lacy scorpionfish (Rhinopias aphanes), and day-boat runs to offshore reefs 5–15 nautical miles out, where bommies rise from several hundred metres to within 5–7 m of the surface and draw barracuda, Spanish mackerel, trevally, reef sharks and the occasional hammerhead. Tufi was a US Navy PT-boat base in 1942–43, and the burnt wreckage of PT-67 and PT-119 lies at 35–45 m just off the wharf; deeper WWII wrecks — the Dutch freighter S'Jacob (45–60 m) and the B-17F 'Black Jack' off Cape Vogel (~45 m) — are run as advanced/technical day trips. Diving is possible year-round: the July–September southeast trade winds push operations into the sheltered fjords, while the October–November doldrums bring the calmest seas and the best offshore conditions. Access is by a roughly one-hour light-aircraft flight from Port Moresby to the Tufi airstrip, on a limited weekly schedule.
What makes this dive worth the trip.
28 species you’re likely to encounter on a dive here.
6 signature sites at this destination.
Muck dive under and around the resort jetty at the head of Tufi fjord, in less than 10 m of water. A century of dumped machinery, WWII relics and bottles forms artificial habitat for mandarinfish, ghost pipefish, banded pipefish, frogfish, gobies and many nudibranch species; popular as a dusk/night dive for mandarinfish courtship.
Wreckage of US Navy PT-67 and PT-119, which burned and sank while refuelling at the wharf on 17 March 1943, spread on the sandy fjord floor a short surface swim from the dive wharf. A torpedo tube (still loaded), an intact bow with mounted machine gun, engines, .50-calibre guns, fuel drums and even a dumped Land Rover lie at roughly 35–45 m; the resort treats it as a decompression dive with mandatory stops.
The closest offshore reef to the resort, about a 20-minute boat ride out (position approximate — Tufi's reefs lie 5–10 nautical miles offshore). Healthy soft and hard corals with schools of Spanish mackerel, barracuda and trevally; also used for night dives.
An easy offshore reef near the resort (position approximate), best known for a habituated resident manta ray with a pale 'collar' marking and ~3 m wingspan, which also cruises neighbouring Marion's Reef. The rare, highly camouflaged lacy scorpionfish (Rhinopias) is regularly found on the reef top.
Often rated Tufi's best dive site (position approximate): a reef wall dropping beyond 200 m where strong currents concentrate hammerheads, grey reef sharks, rays and hunting schools of pelagics. Best in the October–November doldrums when offshore access is most reliable.
Tufi's most southerly site (position approximate): circular reefs with deep spurs offering dives for all levels. Schools of barracuda, jacks and Spanish mackerel, large silver trevally and several reef shark species patrol the structure; currents are generally lighter than at Mulloway.
Local dive centers, resorts, and hotels.
Verified dive centers, resorts, and hotels around Tufi will list here — pricing, photos, and direct contact.