Best travel time for a diving vacation to the Solomon Islands

The best time to dive the Solomon Islands is generally during the dry season, which runs from April to October. During these months, conditions are generally the most stable, with clearer water and less chance of rain. Water temperatures remain pleasantly warm year-round, usually between 26°C and 29°C (79°F – 84°F). During the dry season, the seas tend to be calmer, which is ideal for diving and underwater visibility.

Expected Itinerary

Day 1 | Today you arrive in the Solomon Islands. After a flight from Brisbane or Nadi (Fiji), you will arrive in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. We meet at the Coral Sea Resort, where we get acquainted. At 6 p.m. we will be picked up by the crew to board the liveaboard. Here we receive a briefing, install ourselves in our cabins and enjoy our first dinner on board. Late in the evening, the boat sets sail for the Russel Islands. NB: The route description below is a sample itinerary. Depending on, among other things, weather conditions, there maybe deviations from the daily program.

Day 2 | Russell Islands
Arriving in the Russell Islands, we start our first check-out dive at an impressive underwater WW2 base(White Beach). Here we discover an abundance of marine life such as archerfish, ornate ghost pipefish and sometimes hard to spot red-eyed gobies. Colorful nudibranchs, possibly squid and octopus, lurk among the WW2 tanks, pontoons and hundreds of munitions. We also make the second dive at White Beach, but in a different section. After White Beach, we sail on to Rainbow Reef – a colorful and vibrant marine mont with healthy reefs where schools of milkfish, barracuda and rainbow runners congregate. The last day of diving we dive at Karamulon Reef – a twilight dive on this reef offers one of the most enchanting scenes, especially when mating behavior occurs.

Day 3 | Russell Islands
We will stay with the Russell Islands for a while, starting this morning with two of the most stunning dive sites. Mirror Pond is known for its crystal clear waters and passageways sometimes inhabited by a saltwater crocodile. Next, we explore Leru Cut, an iconic dive site in the Solomon Islands. After these unforgettable experiences, we continue to Custom Cave for an in-depth exploration. In the evening, a special dive awaits us at NE Mane, where we may witness enchanting mating behavior in the underwater world of Karamulon Reef. This promises to be another day of breathtaking discoveries in this beautiful archipelago.

Day 4 | Mary Island
In favourable weather, we sail to remote Mary Island, known for its huge schools of jacks and barracudas, and sightings of Manta Rays and Hammerheads. The dive sites Mary’s Bommies have rich fish life, where we may see the shy Fire Emperor. Dive sites include Jack Point, Barracuda Point and Mary’s Bommies.

Day 5 | Morovo Lagoon
Today we explore Morovo Lagoon, the largest saltwater lagoon in the world. We begin by diving at a spot near an underwater volcano, where we can hear the rumbling of the volcano, despite it being 26 miles away. Other dive sites include Kitcha, Kavachi Sea Fans and Male Male. After diving, we visit Peava Village, where we visit a small school and a market with wooden sculptures. Don’t forget to bring cash and school supplies to support the school. We’d love to tell you more about our Pack for a purpose initiative.

Day 6 | Mbulo Island
Today we move the boat to the beautiful heart-shaped island, Mbulo Island (Mbulo means heart). This island offers three different dives with unique topography and one of the most amazing underwater cathedrals, where light penetrates from different angles, creating a magical cathedral feel. Here we also see beautiful giant clams, healthy coral gardens and the paddlefin cardinalfish (Carmen’s favorite). These dive sites continue to fascinate, time after time.

Day 7 | Russell Islands
We sail overnight to the Russell Islands and begin the day at Karamulon Point that sometimes has a lot of current, which means more fish, possible sharks and eagle rays. After the first dive, we will visit the islanders of Karamulon, who will perform a beautiful traditional dance for us, displaying their artistic dancing and singing skills. The night dive at White Beach offers something special: the rare Pocket Lampfish. This fish is visible only if you turn off your flashlight to see its bioluminescent organ glowing under its eye. Hopefully they are waiting for us.

Day 8 | Florida Islands
On our return trip, we stop at the Florida Islands. We start the day with a swim at Baby Cakes and spend the afternoon at Maravaghi Bay. In Maravaghi Bay we can choose a relaxing dive under the boat, with a chance of seeing the saddleback anemonefish and the true clownfish, or an exciting current dive on Devil’s Highway, depending on the moon phase and currents, with a chance of seeing manta rays. The last dive of the day is at Tanavula Point, where we can spot a wide variety of nudibranchs. Again, keep your eyes open for any mantas.

Day 9 | Wreck diving in the Florida Islands
Now that we are in the Florida Islands, the World War II wreck capital of the Solomon Islands, we cannot miss the opportunity to dive a few wrecks. We begin with a volcanic reef dive, where two identical lava tubes are formed. These offer beautiful underwater scenery and a wide variety of fish species, including almost all species of anemonefish (except the saddleback and true clownfish). We also keep an eye out for the rare black-striped emperor fish and larger fish such as marlins or sharks. Wrecks include the Catalina Plane Wreck, Mavis Plane Wreck and Ghavutu Wharf, a site rich in history and marine life.

Day 10 | Wrecks at Honiara
The last day of diving is always sad, but we ended our trip by visiting two amazing shipwrecks close to Honiara.: Boneghi 1 and Boneghi 2 After years underwater, these wrecks have become beautiful hotspots full of life. The number of marine animals here is unimaginable, from the most beautiful nudibranchs to colourful fish that call these wrecks home. Carmen always greatly enjoyed diving on these two magnificent wrecks and counting all the species of fish she could find here. We aim for a “century dive,” trying to record more than 100 species on one dive.

Day 11 | Tour ends
Unfortunately, this fantastic trip to the Solomon Islands comes to an end today. After breakfast, you will leave the ship and head home.