South Coast
SOUTH COAST NEW BRITAIN
What makes the south coast special is a fairly unique combination of circumstances. The very deep waters of the Solomon’s Trench lie close to the coastline and the strong coastal currents mix with the up-swells of cool water from the trench to produce an optimum blending mechanism that helps feed the ecosystem and nourish the reefs.
The south coast is also very remote and is a sparsely populated location with only one unpaved logging road that penetrates the dense mountainous rain forest that separates the north coast from the south.
Basically, the only access to the area is by sea, which means that the reefs are virtually untouched and in some areas can only be described as pristine.
Another interesting facet of the south coast is that its wet and dry seasons are the reverse of the north coast—when it’s raining on the north, it’s dry on the south and visa versa. We dive the southern coastline in February and March when the sun is most likely to be shining and the seas are calm.
At this time of year you can experience incredible diving that combines most of the weird and wonderful critters normally only found in Milne Bay with superb reefs and pelagic action usually associated with the Witu Islands.
The photos below were all taken in February 2019 on a FeBrina South Coast Charter:
