Day 1: Arrival in Honiara
Arrive at Honiara International Airport and transfer to your dive resort or liveaboard vessel. Afternoon gear check and orientation dive briefing. For those arriving early, take a short shore dive at the Bonegi wrecks, where the beached Japanese transports Hirokawa Maru and Kinugawa Maru lie in shallow water, accessible to snorkelers and divers. Evening welcome dinner and full itinerary briefing with your dive guides.
Day 2: Bonegi & Iron Bottom Sound Shore Dives
Full day of diving at the famed Bonegi wreck sites. The Bonegi 1 (Hirokawa Maru) lies in 5-30 metres of water, her stern in the shallows and bow sloping into deeper water. Schools of batfish, trevally, and barracuda circle the wreck, which is richly encrusted with hard and soft corals. The Bonegi 2 (Kinugawa Maru) is slightly deeper at 15-35 metres. Between dives, visit the nearby village for a traditional Solomon Islands lunch and cultural demonstration. Evening dive briefing for the upcoming liveaboard section.
Day 3: Florida Islands — Tulagi & Gavutu
Cruise to the Florida Islands, one of the most historically significant dive areas. Dive Japanese cargo ships sunk during the campaign, including the 120-metre Azumasan Maru sitting upright at 35-60 metres. Explore the wreck of a Japanese Kawanishi H6K Mavis flying boat in Tulagi harbor. Visit Gavutu and Tanambogo islands, where fierce fighting took place, and snorkel the nearby reefs. On land, explore Japanese tunnels, bunkers, and coastal defense positions still visible in the jungle.
Day 4: Russell Islands — Leru Cut & Mirror Pond
Arrive at the Russell Islands for two of the Solomon Islands’ most iconic dive sites. Dive the Leru Cut — a dramatic vertical crevice in a jungle-clad island that opens into a cathedral-like chamber where sunlight creates ethereal beams through the clear water. Visit Mirror Pond, a surreal dive site where perfectly still fresh water sits above salt water, creating a mirror effect that reflects the surrounding jungle. Afternoon wreck diving on a Japanese Zero fighter plane that lies in shallow water. Evening village visit on Pavuvu Island with a traditional panpipe performance.
Day 5: White Beach & Custom Diving
Dive White Beach in the Russell Islands, the former American supply landing area now littered with wartime debris including jeeps, trucks, ammunition, and landing craft. The area has transformed into a thriving marine ecosystem — macro photographers will find pipefish, nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, and frogfish among the relics. Multiple dives exploring different depths and debris fields. Afternoon expedition into the mangroves to spot saltwater crocodiles and rare bird species with local guides.
Day 6: Munda & New Georgia — Skull Island & Reef Dives
Cruise west to the New Georgia archipelago and the Munda area, another significant WWII battleground. Dive pristine outer reef walls and passes with schooling barracuda, grey reef sharks, eagle rays, and massive gorgonian sea fans. Visit Skull Island, a traditional shrine containing the skulls of vanquished chiefs and warriors — a powerful cultural experience. Snorkel or dive the vibrant coral gardens of the Roviana Lagoon. Evening kastom storytelling with village elders.
Day 7: Marovo Lagoon — The World’s Largest Saltwater Lagoon
Dive in Marovo Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage candidate and the world’s largest saltwater lagoon. Explore pristine coral reefs, dramatic drop-offs, and isolated pinnacles teeming with marine life. Dive sites feature massive sea fans, barrel sponges, and schools of bumphead parrotfish. Visit a village renowned for its master woodcarvers, whose intricate ebony and kerosene wood carvings are prized throughout the Pacific. Farewell dinner aboard the vessel or at the resort with a traditional Solomon Islands feast.
Day 8: Return to Honiara & Departure
Morning dive or snorkel at a shallow wreck near Honiara for final photographs. Transfer to Honiara International Airport for your departure flight. Optional opportunity to extend your stay with additional cultural tours of Guadalcanal or hiking excursions on request.
