Milne Bay
MILNE BAY
Diving in Milne Bay covers a large area with a great variety of dive sites. The region is most famous for its muck diving, but divers can also delight in WII airplane wrecks, dramatic coral laden drop-offs, towering pinnacles covered in schooling fish and lush coral gardens.
Find descriptions of some of the most popular sites to dive in Milne Bay underneath the image gallery below!
Check out some images of Milne Bay diving below:
Dinah’s Beach
A famous muck dive which will excite critter lovers.
Divers can spot Blue Ribbon Eels, Cuttle fish, Lion fish, a huge variety of Nudibranchs, Manta Shrimps, Mandarin fish, Frog fish, Sea horses, Ghost pipe fish, Cockatoo wasp fish and more.
Deacon’s Reef
A coral-covered wall rising from depths of over 300m to pinnacles and reef structures ideal, set beside a forest-lined shore. The site boasts extensive intact hard coral coverage, massive barrel sponges, and a vibrant mix of soft corals including sea whips and fans. Alongside abundant macro life—nudibranchs, sea stars, and crinoids—keep an eye out to the blue for passing hammerhead sharks and rays. With exceptional visibility and generally low currents, it’s every underwater photographer’s dream and a site that may require multiple dives!!
Wahoo Point
A steep reef wall beginning between 5–18m and dropping away into the blue. This site is well known for its large, vibrant yellow and green elephant ear sponges and frequent pelagic activity. Schools of barracuda and grey reef sharks are common, while lucky divers may also encounter hammerheads, mantas, whale sharks, tiger sharks—and even humpback whales or orcas have been sighted here at times.
Samarai Island Jetty
This ageing jetty may be weathered above the surface, but below it offers ideal conditions for thriving macro life. Its vast cathedral-like pier structure creates a haven for critters, with porcelain crabs, nudibranchs, and banded pipefish found among the debris. Divers may also encounter flamboyant cuttlefish, ghost pipefish, seahorses, stonefish, scorpionfish, and even the rare coconut octopus—making this a standout site for macro enthusiasts.
Banana Bommie
A smaller site, which means less swimming and more time to find a good spot to observe the local marine life. A gradual slope reaches a sandy bottom at about 27m, where divers can find garden eels, red lined sea cucumbers, fusiliers, batfish and reef sharks. This site is known to have lots of fish and a range of colourful nudibranchs.
Home of the Giants
The premier manta ray cleaning station in Milne Bay is located near Gona Bara Bara Island in the southern region. This site features a shallow bommie where resident cleaner wrasse service Reef Manta Rays offering very reliable viewing. Click the link to see Don Silcock’s excellent description of the Mantas of Gona Bara Bara.
Cobb’s Cliff
This site offers an exceptional mix of marine life and underwater topography. Pelagics such as reef sharks, hammerheads, and manta rays are often sighted. Featuring both steep walls and scattered coral covered bommies, the reef supports an impressive array of macro life, including rhinopias, blue ribbon eels, elegant fire gobies, and squarespot anthias. And its teeming with reef fish.
The Black Jack
The B-17F Black Jack Flying Fortress is one of PNG’s most iconic WWII dive sites, resting largely intact on a sandy seabed. The aircraft is well preserved, with its wings, fuselage, and engines still clearly recognisable. Visibility is typically excellent, though currents can be present. At around 50m depth, it sits at the limits of recreational diving, but offers a unique opportunity to explore a significant piece of history. For more information about the Black Jack, clink the link.