Southern Region
Explore Southern RegionThe Southern Region of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a region which has multiple
Explore Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of New Guinea, as well as over 600 smaller islands and atolls. Referred to by some as the “wild, wild west of diving”, this country is remote - off-the-beaten-track locations require small local planes and often lengthy travel times due to the lack of main roads.
The beauty of the lush rainforests above the water is echoed in the more than 52,000kmsq2 of unspoilt coral reefs below. Most dive centres are found around the coast of the main island, with some dive resorts on the east coast and New Britain. Though dive courses are offered by most, Papua New Guinea diving is better suited to divers with a few dives under their belt. One of the best ways to dive Papua New Guinea is on a liveaboard. You will get to explore further away from the islands, perhaps even on dive sites where no one has been before.
The peaceful remoteness of PNG is a key draw, seeing no other divers is a frequent occurrence. The original muck diving, WWII plane wrecks, coral atolls and marine life, including hammerheads and whale sharks, are just the icing on the cake.
Power Plug Type
I
Payment Method
VISA, MC, AMEX
Tipping
~10% / Service Staff / Tipping is appreciated but not mandatory.
Currency
PGK
Dial Code
+675
Electricity
240V / 50Hz
Time
UTC+10
Places to explore
Dive Centers
Dive Sites
Top Wildlife Sightings in Papua New Guinea
The diversity around Papua New Guinea is nearly unparalleled - it’s location in the centre of the coral triangle and the ring of fire means that it enjoys spectacular variety. Muck diving alone reveals a wealth of critters - the regular suspects like eels, cuttlefish, octopus and frogfish are just the beginning - pygmy seahorse, rare rhinopias, mating mandarinfish and nudibranch galore will delight lovers of the weird and wonderful.
Fish are drawn to the nutrient rich waters and you can see enormous schools of snapper, fusiliers and barracuda swirling like tornados in the blue while big game like tuna hunt. Black and white tip reefs, grey reefs and wobbegong sharks are frequent visitors. Hammerheads and whale sharks have been known around Milne Bay, which also has manta rays in September, while mobula and eagle rays are seen year round. Big marine life is common, with dolphins seen daily and visits from sperm, minke and pilot whales as well as occasional orca sightings.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
15 Sightings
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1
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2
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10
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2
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
11 Sightings
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2
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1
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5
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2
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1
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
8 Sightings
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8
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
8 Sightings
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0
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2
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0
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2
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4
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Alamy/National Geographic Image Collection
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
4 Sightings
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4
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Shutterstock-Ed Jenkins
Hawksbill Turtle
3 Sightings
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2
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1
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AdobeStock/G Russel Childress
Great Hammerhead Shark
2 Sightings
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2
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 28
Udo Kefrig
Clownfish
23 Sightings
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0
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5
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0
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0
A
9
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1
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0
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7
D
1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 3000
SSI-Peter-Schinck
Nudibranch
17 Sightings
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0
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5
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0
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9
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1
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2
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 100
iStock-burnsboxco
Parrotfish
17 Sightings
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4
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1
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7
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5
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0
