Central Province

Central Province is 1000 sq km and comprises the Melanesian islands of the Nggela (or Florida) group, Savo and the Russell Islands.

Nggela ( Florida) Islands

There is a large fishing base at the provincial capital of Tulagi, and huge coconut plantations owned by RIPEL in the Russells. Most of the province's 18,500 people are engaged in subsistence farming.

The Nggela Islands are about 20 miles (35 km) north of Honiara across the famous Iron Bottom Sound. Tulagi was the original capital of the Solomons but was severely damaged during WWII and was replaced by the new capital of Honiara after the war.

Tulaghi Harbour, Nggela

Tulagi is famous for its WWII wrecks. A list of possible dive sites in the area includes the following:

USS Aaron Ward
USS Kanawha
HMNZS Moa
Kawanishi H6K4 "Mavis" flying boat
Twin Tunnels

The American destroyer USS Aaron Ward sits upright on a sandy bottom at 70 m (230 feet) off Tinete Point near Tulagi. The big American fleet oiler USS Kanawha sits upright near the entrance to Tulaghi Harbour at 60 m (200 feet). The New Zealand corvette HMNZS Moa sits upright in Tulaghi Harbour at 40 m (130 feet).

The Kawanishi H6K4 "Mavis" flying boat sits upright in the old Japanese flying boat base near Tulaghi Harbour at 30m (100 feet).

Diver Andrew Whitehead examines the port inner engine of the Kawanishi H6K4 flying boat. Image by Jim Thiselton

There are numerous dive sites near the Maravagi Resort which is situated in a picturesque bay on Mangalonga (or Mana) Island in the north west of the Florida Islands. The area consists of many small islands, extensive reef systems and deep passages where there is abundant marine life. Local reef dives include the following dive sites: Baby Cake, Kovuhika Island (wall dive and Pyramid), Soghonara Island (wall dive and Crayfish Cave), Passage Rock (vertical drop-off with big fish action), Rueben’s Express, Sandfly Passage (wall drift dive), and the US B24 Liberator Bomber.

Diving is available through Solomon Islands Diving who have a well fitted out dive shop in Tulagi.

Russell Islands

The Russell Islands lie about 70 miles (100 km) west of Honiara. The town of Yandina on Mbanika Island is one of the Solomon’s main deep-water ports. These islands have a great variety of diving locations including sheer coral walls, a coastal trader, caves, old PT-boat bases and underwater mounds of WWII material.

Along the northern edge of the Russell Islands facing New Georgia Sound (The Slot), lie a chain of small islands with superb reef systems, spectacular wall dives and several caves. There is a deep crevice running several hundred feet into Leru Island which is called “The Cutting”.

The Cutting, Leru Island. Image by Andrew Whitehead

During WWII there were two airfields, a major American supply base, and PT-boat bases on Mbanika Island. Near White Beach and Lever Point, there are artificial reefs created by dumping trucks, jeeps, tractors, bulldozers and large amounts of ammunition.

The deep Sunlight Channel separates the largest island Pavuvu from Mbanika Island. Just offshore, near the village of Linggatu, lies the former coastal trader Ann which sits upright at the edge of the channel. The ship was deliberately sunk a few years ago making a superb dive site. You can expect to see schools of pelagic fish near the wreck, several lionfish, crocodilefish and huge schools of tropicals in the wreck.

Divers at 30 metres on the bow of the Ann. Image by Andrew Whitehead

Savo Island

Savo Island is a high, round volcanic island located to the north-east of the northern tip of Guadalcanal. It is mostly known as the location of five of the seven great naval battles fought in the Guadalcanal area during World War II, between the forces of the United States Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The volcano last erupted in 1835 with considerable loss of life. There are boiling mud pools, geysers and hot springs at various places around the island. Megapode birds dig a deep hole in the warm volcanic sand to lay their eggs. The chicks emerge after eight or nine weeks as a fully developed bird.

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