Scuba diving in
Papua New GuineaDiving Highlights
- Diverse tropical island destination in the Pacific Ring of Fire
- Explore PNG’s many cultures and hundreds of distinct languages
- Dozens of WWII wrecks, including boats, planes, and more
- Dive Milne Bay, considered the birthplace of muck diving
Papua New Guinea is a fabled adventure travel destination that receives far less recognition than it should. Located due north of Queensland, Australia, and sharing a border with Indonesia to the west, this sizable island nation offers everything you could possibly want from a remote tropical escape – and then some. The country’s consistent climate means visitors can relish its rural, outdoor lifestyle which revolves around spellbinding volcanic vistas, unspoilt rainforests, and warm, biodiverse seas.
Papua New Guinea dive resorts
Papua New Guinea liveaboards
Top Papua New Guinea experiences
Search for macro at the world’s original muck sites
Sites such as Dinah’s Beach, in Milne Bay’s northern reaches, are widely regarded as the birthplace of muck diving.
Seamounts surrounded by schooling fish and sharks
Featuring steep walls dropping hundreds – if not thousands – of metres, Kimbe Bay’s seamounts are beacons for schooling pelagic fish and sharks.
Scuba dive in deep, volcano-forged fjords
Cape Nelson’s fjord-frayed coastline is absolutely stunning and offers endless opportunities for adventure, including scuba diving in the deep waters.
Discover dozens of diveable WWII wrecks
Used as a naval base by the Japanese during WWII, Rabaul is now littered with the wreckage of military planes and vessels.
Reliable surf breaks in remote destinations
New Ireland and New Hanover are home to a consistent, yet uncrowded surf breaks that are well worth a ride.
See sharks during baited dives at the Fathers Reefs
Silvertips and whitetip reef sharks make frequent appearances during baited dives at sites such as Shaggy’s Reef and Killibob’s Knob.
Seasons
Papua New Guinea has a hot, humid tropical climate year round, making it a great place to visit regardless of the season. Of course, there are some slight variations in climate depending on where you visit, with some parts of the country just 2° south of the equator and others located over 1,000-kilometres further south.
As is typical in the tropics, the country experiences two distinctive seasons - wet and dry. The wet northwest monsoon typically runs from December through March, bringing daytime temperatures in the region of 28-32°C and higher chances of heavy downpours. That said, Papua New Guinea is one of the wettest countries in the world, averaging over 3,000 millimetres of precipitation per year, so visitors should expect to see some showers no matter when they visit. Typhoons can also hit the region during the wet season, occasionally causing damage and disruption in some areas.
The dry southeast monsoon season typically lasts from May through October. Temperatures are a little cooler during this period, but rarely drop by more than a couple of degrees.
Generally speaking, the start and end of the dry season offer some of the best conditions for scuba diving, though this does vary considerably depending on the destination, its geography, and the type of diving on offer. If you’re interested in surfing, the wet season delivers the best breaks.
