Dive Review of
Bilikiki in
Solomon Islands/Florida and Russel Islands

Pacific & Caribbean

Dive Conditions

none except no alcohol prior to diving  

 No e-6 processing, no compressed air to blow water off cameras  

Overall Rating

A one word description would be PRISTINE.  This is a fabulous dive
destination.  Corals are in excellent shape; the soft corals add to the
color.  A great place if you like the smaller things.  Pygmy seahorses,
ghost pipe fish, soft coral crabs, barrel sponge crabs (I always thought
that was just "accumlated junk", now I know it is a crab!), pygmy
manta rays, cuttle fish, crocodile fish, leaf scorpion fish, sand divers,
brotulas, nudibranchs, snake eels and more.  There is more to see than you
can take in on one dive. A magnifying glass or bifocals will really help
those of us over 40.
   The sharks were small.  The black tip sharks are generally in the 3 foot
range.  I did see one black tip reef shark and one nurse shark that were
probably 4 feet long.  The turtles are sized like the sharks.
   Many wall dives, a few muck dives and some cave/cavern dives.  One dive
takes you inside the island and you surface with jungle over your head. The
WWII wrecks are too deep for recreational divers, although we did dive a
Japanese tug and some military hardware dumped by GIs.  
   On our first few dives we could hear/feel a volcano erupting under
water.  Not only were there the booms but you could hear the lava crackling
like pop corn as it rapidly cooled in the water.  That was a first!
   You are very much left to your own resources while diving.  There was a
dive master with every dive, but you may not see much of them.  They felt
it was their job to find something for everybody and would not take you on
a tour.  They would point out something that was truly fabulous, and when
you were done they had disappeared.  They had departed to find something
for another diver. One diver did ask them to give her a tour.  She was told
she could go with them, but it was her job to stay with them not the other
way around. Consequently you need to tell them what you want to see.  They
will find it for you.  After that they are gone.
    The boat takes on provisions as you travel.  This provides a wonderful
opportunity to see the locals as they come to the boat in their carved
canoes.  A couple of divers brought tee shirts and shorts.  These were
greatly appreciated by those who came to the boat to sell their goods.  The
advantage for the diver was not only giving something of real value but it
left space in her luggage for souvenirs! 
  The boat is up to the standards of all high end dive boats.  You eat
outside on the deck.  The eating area is covered so when it rains you are
protected. They do 5 dives per day from "tinnies."  The last
afternoon dive is at 5:00p.m.  Normally they would move to a new site for
each day time dive.  The night dive is at 8:00p.m. just after dinner.
  There is an Air Pacific flight from LAX to Nadi, Fiji, there you transfer
to another plane that takes you to Honiara. No overnight layovers.  The
disadvantage is it requires 29 hours of continuous travel time from the
East Coast. You will stop in Vanuatu.  Each stop requires you to deplane
and wait in the transit lounge.  Keep your passport and boarding pass
handy.  It is worth the effort! 

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