1999 Chapbook

Papua New Guinea

Chertan, September 1997, Mark Strickland and Suzanne Forman, Patong Beach, Thailand. Well equipped, beautifully finished 60 ft. motor vessel. Based at Alatou (a short flight from Port Moresby); easy access to the best Milne Bay and North Coast dive areas. Owner/operator Rob Van Der Loos and his partner, Peo runs every trip; Rob has been running dive trips here since the late seventies, and has accumulated an intimate knowledge of the many feature creatures and their habitats. At the beginning of the trip, we presented Rob with a wish list of every rare & unusual critter we could think of. Before it was over, Rob had shown us virtually every creature on our list, plus many more. Vast majority of unusual critters were found at one remarkable dive site, a mucky-bottom slope called Aluati (Al-oo-ahtee), or Dinah's Beach, between 10 and 20 feet depth! 10+ nudibranch species (several mating), dwarf lionfish, two species of ghost pipefish, panda and spinecheek anemonefish, sea moths, Coleman's shrimp and fire urchins, three species of mantis shrimp including one bright orange specimen, flying gunards, sea horse, epaulette shark, ribbon eels, dumpling squid, twin-spot gobies. Three evenings we watched a dozen mandarin fish-several mated before our eyes! Other sites: Spanish dancers (8 on one dive!), orange leaf fish, Rhinopias scorpionfish (two different colors), chambered nautilus (trapped and later released unharmed), and a pair of gorgeous nudibranchs, each accompanied by an imperial shrimp. Other sites offered pristine wide-angle scenery; hard corals are prolific and undamaged, and huge gorgonians and sponges are common. Dense schools of reef fish are standard, and bigger fish like Napoleon wrasse and groupers are also frequent. At one site saw dozens of hammerheads cruising off the wall. . . . Topside diversions include black-sand beaches, village visits, hikes to scenic waterfalls, and a visit to an ancient skull cave. One of the best dive trips ever done and we're divemasters in Thailand. (Ph: 675-6411167, Fax: 675-6411291) Chertan, May 1998, Lee Taylor, Vallejo, CA. Calm seas near shore but swift currents in China Straits; great diversity and great abundance of fish life. Vis: 100-150 ft, water: 82-87°. Rob, owner of Chertan, knows where the unique and rare creatures are. Febrina, November 1997, Thomas C. Patrick. Best live-aboard I have been on. Exceptionally comfortable, well maintained, no mechanical malfunctions, unusual for any live-aboard. Stateroom, common area and dive deck spacious. PNG decor a nice touch. Remote controlled, individual ac, comfortable in my stateroom all the time! Food delicious, varied and satisfying. Accommodated a variety of tastes. Desserts five star. . . . Entire crew excellent, especially PNG crew. Helped divers in and out of their gear and the water or, as in my case, left me alone. Daily maid service and in place of the evening turndown, mint on the pillow crap, they did our laundry daily and returned it clean and pressed. . . . Diving outstanding. Crew offered everything from guiding novice divers to leaving the experienced ones to go it alone. Recommend to anyone despite experience. Dives were mostly done from moorings; shark feed was a major plus and during entire trip not one dog of a dive site. Captain Alan Raabe confident, knowledgeable and outgoing, sense of humor fabulous. Has good rapport with PNG natives and expats, allowing us to have an uncontrived visit to his friend's cocoa plantation. Made me feel as if I were a guest in their home as opposed to a passenger. . . . Only two negatives. The hanging closets need bars with more coat hangers and a light above the mirror in stateroom 3 would be nice. Peter Hughes Diving, 6851 Yumuri St., Suite 10, Coral Gables, Fl 33146 USA, Ph: 800-932-6237 (US/Can), 305-699-9391, Fax: 305-699-9475, e-mail: dancer@winnet.net) FeBrina, March 1998, Al Madden, LaFayette, IN. Fantastic macro opportunities. Colorful nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, etc. Captain and crew catered too much to the serious photographers. This caused some bad feelings. One of the casual divers found a huge moray (probably 6 feet long, with a big beltline). He pointed it out to the group, then was shooed away by the captain and the divemaster, so the "serious "guys could hog all the action! They should be aware that all of us paid $3000. Vis: 50-100 feet. (Peter Hughes Diving, Ph: 800-932-6237 (US/Can) or 305-699-9391, Fax: 305-699-9475, e-mail: dancer@winnet.net) Febrina, April 1998, Ralph Baker, Las Vegas, NV. Best dive trip I have ever done, but weather and vis not optimal. Water: 88-92 degrees. Vis: 10-80 feet. Plankton bloom, siltation from the rain near shore and the mixing of fresh and salt water so very poor visibility for the first 15 feet, deeper the visibility was much better. The diversity of fish life, corals, and invertebrates was unbelievable! The best diving Dicky's Knob at Garove island in the Witu Islands. if you positioned yourself at the point where the current hits the reef you will have an exceptional dive. We saw hammerheads, black tip and Bronze whalers, cod, bonita and dog tooth tuna feeding on the schooling fish. Even a lot of small stuff-porcelain and decorator crabs, blue ribbon eels, pigmy sea horses and ghost pipe fish. Exceptional and pristine diving. . . . It took 29 hours to travel from Las Vegas to Walindi Resort and 31 hours to come home via Singapore, but it was worth it. Febrina and crew were excellent. Alan is very experienced and could find the best places to dive. We moved frequently and often dived a different site on every dive, possible because there weren't many photographers on board. Febrina takes only 14 guests: we had 12. Limited space so don't pack anything you don't absolutely need. They wash your clothes every day so you don't need more than 2 or 3 days supply. Febrina, Peter Hughes, May 1998, Mark Strickland, Ormond Beach, FL. Great crew, great program. Diving good to excellent; lots of critters, some world class wide angle scenery. Saw the rare pygmy sea horse! Boat very comfortable; salon got warm at meal time due to galley location. Overall excellent trip. Vis: 30-150 ft. Water: 84-86 degrees. Restrictions enforced for diving were to use own judgment. Febrina, May 1998, Jim Rosenthal, Longmeadow, MA. Thriving virgin reefs. Incredible assortment of creatures: pigmy seahorses, leaf fish (yellow, red, green, brown and black), stonefish, false stonefish, imimicus, pipefish, shrimp/goby combos, cuttlefishes played more color change games even than the octopi. The only other people we saw were natives paddling in dugout canoes. E-6 processing on board gave us a chance to improve from mistakes. Crew is helpful with equipment; divemaster goes down on each dive to find the hard to find stuff. Vis: 60-100 ft, water: 84-86 degrees. Cooking great, food excellent. Tips: bring lots of film and don't need more than a Darlexx, just a skin or even a T-shirt will do. Booked this trip through Aquatic Encounters who made all arrangements flawlessly. Febrina, May 1998, Michael Patrick O'Neill, Singer Island, FL. Outstanding. Special 10 day trip from Kavieng to Walindi organized by Aquatic Encounters' Marc Bernardi. Alan Raabe and his capable, friendly crew ran the perfect cruise. Vis: 50-100 ft, water: 86-87 degrees. PNG probably possesses the richest, most diverse and colorful underwater studio in the world. Febrina, May 1998, Olivia Mitchell, Bala Cynwyd, PA. Aquatic Encounters organized flawless trips. Marc Bernardi, the trip leader, is a joy to travel with. Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 84-86 degrees. No dive restrictions. Febrina is perfectly outfitted for serious photographers, and the crew and divemasters couldn't be better. Never saw a single mosquito the entire trip. To experience PNG diving, I doubt you can do better than this. Golden Dawn, April 1998, Jane & Steve Silk, Del Mar, CA. Captain and owner Craig de Wit and his crew were professional, knowledgeable, friendly, hospitable and helpful to all. Any questions or problems (both above and below the surface) were immediately tended to. The computer driven stabilizers and the flopper stoppers make for extremely stable sailing and comfortable moorings. Boat was spotless, the food was excellent, the air conditioning top notch, and 10 divers made for a nice group. Unique underwater species make diving spectacular. The technicolor fish and coral did not disappoint us. Lionfish in groups, white tips plentiful. With the atmosphere of the boat, the proximity to the dive spots (either right off the boat or 60 seconds away by tender) all one can think about is relaxing and looking forward to the next dive. With excellent weather, water in the 80's, some good novels and great diving, we didn't even think about land! Not for beginner divers as currents can be swift. . . . Philippine Airlines and Air Niuguini have a good combined fare, lower than any other combination of flights. (Ph: 675-3256500, Fax: 675-3250302) Paradise Sport, December 1997, Trevor Sheldon, Lincolnshire, IL. Considering it was the first outing for the boat, everything was flawless. The diving was excellent, and so was everything on the boat. Vis: 60-150 ft. Wtr: 80-91 degrees. Chris gave dive briefings that were so detailed you almost didn't need to dive. Kate and crew did a great job providing us with all the food we could eat and Wayne made sure that everyone was as happy as could be while on the boat. (Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, Ph: 011-61-77-723022, Fax: 011-61-77-212152, e-mail: mike.ball@t140aone.net.au or 800-952-4319 (US) or 520-556-9590, Fax 520-566-9598) Paradise Sport, February 1998, Larry & Nancy Boucha, Chicago, IL. Superb diving, boat, service and food. Ghost pipefish, weedy scorpion fish, mantis shrimp, and many more weird critters. Mesmerized by constant schools of fish on every dive. Vis: 70-150 feet, water: 84-89 degrees. Paradise Suite luxurious and spacious-we've stayed in hotel rooms that were smaller. Great wrecks also. Dramatic walls, seamounts and beautiful bommies. A few days in the Highlands was excellent. Paradise Sport, March 1998, Steve Podell, San Francisco, CA. Best dive boat ever! Large rooms with private bath and large windows. Great dive staff, no hassles, great service, friendly. Lavadi Beach best dive for small critters, eight daytime octopus, cuttle fish, rays, moray, blue ribbon eels, mantis shrimp, sea horse, sharks on one dive in 20 feet of water. Vis: 60-180 feet, water: 84-87 degrees. . . . Villages great to visit, friendly, shy people, unspoiled and unused to tourists. Port Moresby is a slightly scary 3rd world capital. Stayed in the Travel Lodge; only go out on hotel's bus. PNG Arts store in Port Moresby is amazing for local crafts, great prices. Paradise Sport, June 1998, Mr. Lesley D. Hand, Lafayette, CA. Very nice boat. Turtles were not even afraid of divers. An optional land tour to Ambua Lodge and Karawari Lodge is a must. Vis: 50-80 ft. Star Dancer, November 1997, R.S. Preissig, San Antonio, TX. For divers with 50 + dives and couples. Superb accommodations and service. Will move to Rabaul as a base soon and will dive a different area, more like the Tiata. Very impressed with Alan Raabe, the captain of the Febrina. He led each dive on his ship and was a fabulous finder of critters, etc. Also, great fun! (We hooked up with them intermittently). The Star Dancer was great. Just aims at a slightly less intense clientele. (Peter Hughes Diving, Ph : 800-932-6237 (US/Can) or 305-699-9391, Fax: 305-699-9475, e-mail: dancer@winnet.net Star Dancer, Walindi Plantation, December 1997, Thomas Harvey, Hillsdale, NJ. Going to PNG is an adventure. Port Moresby is dirty and dangerous. Star Dancer is a typical Hughes boat and he delivers as usual. Nice tight boat. Crew friendly and they knew their stuff. Dove for ten days on the Fathers Reef and Witu ISS, all bommie diving. Lots of marine life and pristine coral. No big pelagics, but still great diving. Star Dancer, April 1998, Peter and Ellen Wood, Yarmouth, ME. Luxury way to dive. Accommodations comfortable, meals excellent, crew helpful and friendly. Excellent week of diving. Vis: 50-100 ft., water: 80-86 degrees. Saw a dugong swimming over a reef. Fascinating trip above and below. Star Dancer, May 1998, Michael Waring, Pulborough, West Sussex, UK. Excellent boat excellent. Sylvia who had cooked for us last year in Palau on the Sun Dancer had transferred-what a treat! Capt. very efficient, Warren, the divemaster a delight. A few exceptional dives, but a little disappointing and not comparable to Palau. (Kimbe Bay may be better particularly for critters.) Boat dives at Bangkok Pass, Harry' Bobs Nob, Midway Bowbie, Killibob's Nob. The Arch, Elaine Mount Robant-where we joined boat under semi-active volcano and while interesting for a few hours avoid staying there. General town depressing and the hotel position unattractive. Stay either at Peter Legget's resort near Robant or Bob Moresby Travel Lodge. Finally one memorable dive with about 50-60 dolphin and great video of two mating just in front of me-or was it just heavy petting! Star Dancer, May 1998, Joseph Chudacoff, Redondo Beach, CA. Excellent dive sites, marine life, healthy coral reefs, crew, passengers, food, boat. Water: 84-86 degrees, vis: 60-150 ft. Strong currents on a few sites: one upwelling (70 ft to surface) with computers indicating ascent was too fast. Tiata, October 1997, Bob and Audrey Ray, Tucson, AZ The good: five dives a day scheduled. Crew loved to dive and were enthusiastic. Pristine reefs, no day boats. Boat left from Kavieng. Vis: 70-100 ft, water: 80 degrees. The bad: booked through defunct Sea and See and got taken for $2,400 which boat forgave. Best diving ever from a beautiful boat. (Ph: 011-675 3257755, Fax: 011-675 3259746) Tiata, October 1997, Jackie Cochinos, Anchorage, AK. Good: Crew, sleeping quarters, meals all tops. Accommodated special diets. Tanks always available when anchored. Some of the ten divers did not have cameras; some had more than one. Boat has good working space, but not enough for all those rigs. Adequate cabin lighting; bunks long enough for my husband who is over six ft. All divers were experienced and treated as such. No dive restrictions; most dives less than 90 ft. While we saw critters we had not seen before (ghost pipefish) large schools and large fish were few and that disappointed some of us. Repeated a couple of sites that were not interesting. Departed from Kavieng. Next time (and there will be one) we might try the Milne Bay trip. Tiata, November 1997, R.S. Preissig, San Antonio, TX. No help finding critters during or before any dive! David, the divemaster/captain did his own commercial video whenever he chose to dive. Too bad to come this far and not get maximum value. The schools of Jacks and barracudas were not as large as Sipadan. The staged shark feed was pretty darn exciting. I'd rate PNG second to Sipadan and Palau. Vis:30-100 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Milne Bay (Southern PNG) was said by the crew to be better. Tiata, November 1997, Ralph M. Bishop, Ithaca, NY. I booked this trip after one of my best friends recommended it as the best trip of his life (later, when I told him about it, he was shocked at the difference.). When the Tiata goes out of Kavieng, it is touted as a "big animal" trip. True, the conditions in PNG were not optimum, due partly to wildfires in Indonesia, but this was never brought up by the captain, David Miller, who was standoffish, never showing anyone anything; he was more interested in shooting his own video than taking care of the paying guests. The trip quickly became a "macro" trip. Why, no one ever said: the captain's own interests? Bad conditions? Request of the passengers? When my buddy and I complained, he acted like we were stupid and inexperienced. . . . the most disappointing trip in 38 years of diving. One problem in not chartering the whole boat is that you never know who is calling the shots. Miller, when reconfirming the return flights, told me my flight did not exist. Needless to say, I missed my connection, had to pay extra $$$ for air fare, and missed a prepaid hotel stay in Sidney. . . . On the plus side, the boat was very nice and the food was excellent, however, I didn't travel all that way for food and a boat ride. I've been diving since 1959, and have never complained about a dive trip before. Tiata, March 1998, Noel Taylor & Mike Whitlow, New York, NY. Beautifully maintained and immaculately clean. Cabins have ample storage space, comfortable bunks, sinks with mirrors, good a/c. Two toilets with showers and sinks on the main deck; no ensuite showers and toilets but arrangement works without significant inconvenience. Nearly all diving is an easy jump off the duck board. Boat is crowded with a full complement of 10 guests. Captain Dave Miller is a thoroughly competent captain and enthusiastic diver with eagle eyes for finding critters. His videos, played after dives, are fabulous. Marty is a tireless and talented cook and diver and does E-6 processing. Crew are friendly helpful and safety conscious. . . . For biodiversity this has to be the best diving in the world. Milne Bay is the capital of muck diving. Searching reef, rubble, and sand for arcane, camouflaged, often strange looking fishes, we saw Pegasus fish (Eury pegasus dracouis, think of a small bird falling into the water, developing a duck-billed platypus snout and colorful pectoral fins and you'll get an idea of this fish), the pygmy or gorgonios seahorse, flamboyant cuttlefish, a solar-powered nudibranch, a stargazer, the Rhinopias scorpionfish, Iniaicus scorpion fish, mandarin fish, an epaulet shark, multiple variants of the brachypterus (dwarf) lionfish, numerous mantis shrimp, nine species of anemone fishes and more. Many dives are like scavenger hunts with photographers and nonphotographers alike getting more frenzied with each dive as divers return with new sightings. Pelagics are not bountiful but we saw gray reef sharks, turtles, a manta, and an impressive bull shark. In 1995 we saw hammerheads. It's easy to rack up 5 or 6 dives a day here! You'll find yourself glued to fish and nudibranch identification books between dives.     Previous Year's Chapbook Find in All of Undercurrent All Public Area (PA) Public: -- PA: Recent Issues -- PA: Recent Reader Reports -- PA: Issues -- PA: Reader Reports -- PA: Dive Destination Guides -- PA: Diving News All Members Area (MA) Members: -- MA: Recent Issues -- MA: Recent Reader Reports -- MA: Issues -- MA: Reader Reports -- MA: Dive Destination Guides   Advanced Search | Online Members Home | Public Home | My Account | Renew | | Travel Index | Reader Reports | Mini Chapbook | Latest Chapbook | Seasonal Planner | " target="_blank">Current Issue | Back Issues | Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | | Blogs | Books | News | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |  Copyright © 1999, 1998 by DSDL, Inc., publisher of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. 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