Dive Review of CHERTAN in
Papua New Guinea/Milne Bay

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CHERTAN, Aug, 2004, by Allan & Barbara Jones, ca, usa . Report 1307.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was our 59th foreign dive trip, 7th trip to PNG and our 6th on the CHERTAN. We like this boat, the crew and Captian Rob van der Loos. The ship carries up to 12; there were 6 on our trip. CHERTAN is about 70' long and is extra wide for it's length giving it more stability and less rolling. Food was up to usual excellant standards with fresh baked cookies/banana bread in mid-morning and hors deuvers in the afternoon. On special request, we had chili mud crab and many nights of fried bananas with ice cream and golden sauce! We were fore warned by telephone that the water was abnormally cold for this time of year, so 3 mil wet suits were required. Our trip was 14 days long and started with the area to the east of Milne Bay. The diving in this area, (Wahoo, Michelles, Jasons, Bunama, etc.) was not up to usual standards, so we moved to the west side of Milne Bay near the old port of Samuri. Here the diving was excellant with lots of subjects. Best sighting were a rare green and also a red 2 winged pipe fish. Diving on this ship is when ever you want to, just let the crew know your going in. Normally, the Captian and also cook (Bionic Eyes Molly)dove with you and some times other members of the crew also went in to spot. On this trip we only did 40 dives, some what down due to cool waters. For those who have dove this area before, there has been a change in the native control of a site known as Luardi. Normally a 2 Kina charge/diver is given to the local native chief for diving in his back yard. This has recently been raised to 50/dingy/day by the new land loard, and with the exception of the ship Telita, most other dive boats have quit this site due to the exorbitant charge and the significant fall off of the dive quality of the site over the past 3-4 years. In addition, the site adjacent to it, Decons reef with the huge sea fan, has suffered unknown damage when the full sea cliff collapsed recently down into the sea. Captian van der Loos has published a book that is now going into it's second printing: "Living Reefs of the Indio-Pacific, A Photographers Guide". This book is a good identification for macro critters, classifying them by family, location and with specific photographing recommenddations. Published by Reed New Holland. Several of our trip members stayed at the new land based lodge TAWALI. Set into the jungle, over looking a smooth bay, it will be formally opened in Sept., 04. This lodge has 10 rooms, full dining, diving and land based tours. It has two day boats and will also set up trips in conjunction with CHERTAN. Contact the CHERTAN or OCEANIC web sites for more details.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	California, Carribean, Mexico, Hawaii, South Pacific, Indian Ocean
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy	Seas	calm, choppy, currents, noCurrents
Water Temp	74-77°F / 23-25°C	Wetsuit Thickness	0
Water Visibility	40-70 Ft/ 12-21 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	On your own.
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	1 or 2	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Crew is experienced camera handlers; never had any problems. You can service your camera in the dining area or up stairs on a large camera table. If asked, the crew will move your camera up stairs for you. Two fresh water rinse tanks are available for cameras.

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Dive Review of CHERTAN in Papua New Guinea/Milne Bay

CHERTAN, Aug, 2004,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of CHERTAN in
Papua New Guinea/Milne Bay