Rolling into the big blue, near Krangket  Island, we drift down the steep coral walls. There are fish everywhere: fusiliers, barracuda and big-eye trevally. A school of sweetlips line the sandy bottom, all facing the same direction. I hug the bottom to catch this magical shot. We glide along with the incoming current. Huge barrel sponges loom from the 30 metre depths, as do impressive sea fans and green coral trees. The marine life is just so rich!



A 2.5 metre grey whaler shark gives us a close look, and darts off in search of lunch. The sight of a decent sized shark, chasing fish, is a little unnerving, but makes for a wonderful adrenalin rush. Magic Passage was certainly turning on the action. Magic Passage comes alive on an incoming tide, when currents flow in from the open sea.

Each day brought new adventures such as swimming with immense schools of barracuda and trevally at Barracuda Point, exploring a B25 Mitchell Bomber, and shipwreck diving on the Henry Leith, USS Boston and Coral Queen.

Madang is often overlooked as divers step onto liveaboards in  Port Moresby and Alotau. If you are visiting Madang, it is well worth spending a few days diving in Madang. There are superb dives up the coast, some which can be dived from shore. Depending on time, you could book onto the DMV Kamai, and spend a few days diving off  Hansa  Bay, famous for WW2 wrecks.

One of our best dives was the USS Boston, which sunk during mine clearing operations just after WW2. The ship is 70 metres long by 25 metres wide. The propellers, which have been salvaged, became tangled in the clearing wires, when she was wrecked. The ship lies upright, but sloping downwards, with the deck at 30 to 40 metres. Its hold is filled with crates of typewriters, wine bottles, and crockery. Here’s our USS Boston dive....

“The sea was muddy on top, but we were told it would be clear below. Alas, it was an impressive 30 to 40 metres visibility below. The bow of the USS Boston appeared. Green coral trees grew from her steel hull, surrounded by dainty orange anthias. With the northward current, we took shelter on the lee side of the wreck and swam up to the bridge. My dive buddy Helen took the helm, while I took some wide angle shots, through the now glassless windows”

The USS Boston is one of many excellent dive sites, north of Madang. Day trips can be made up the North Coast Road, to  Cape  Croissilles, for shore dives. Other The best shore dives are the Waterhole, Blowhole and Quarry. Watch out for the sharp rocks on your exits, and strong currents running along the shore.

Staying at the Jais Aben Resort will cut 20 minutes off your road trip from Madang. The Malolo Plantation Lodge, 42 kilometres from Madang, belongs to Trans-Nugini Tours. The lodge no longer conducts scuba diving, but takes guests sea kayaking, snorkeling, nature and cultural tours. It also runs day trips to Karkar and Tadwai  Islands, for snorkeling.

Madang Resort Hotel, runs a dive operation, Niugini Diving Adventures, and belongs to Melanesian Tourist Services, The resort has a spacious dining room, and is close to town. You can visit the market and the drink fresh coconuts.

The shallower reefs in Madang lagoon, offer fascinating marine life, while the outer barrier reef has islands with spectacular reef passes. Most of the dive sites are on this outer reef. Some of the best dives are Mililiat Passage, Rasch Passage, Magic Passage, and Barracuda Point. Whale sharks have been seen at Planet Rock and Barracuda Point, in June and August.

Mililiat Passage, not as famous as Magic Passage, is an excellent dive to 18 metres. “It’s shallower than Magic Passage, but every diver we have taken there has been thrilled. There is lots of schooling fish life, white-tip reef sharks, and nudibranchs” says Leslie Scoon, of Aqua Ventures, based at the Jais Aben Resort.

Leslie and her partner Tim Rowland, have been running Aqua Ventures for eight years. AquaVentures is the only PADI Gold Palm Instructor Development Centre in PNG. They operate the 14 metre long liveaboard: DMV Kamai, which takes eight passengers.

“Even diving off the dock at Jais Aben Resort, is rewarding, as you can see mandarin fish, ghost pipefish, mantis shrimp, and a ‘little Cessna’ aircraft wreck” says Leslie.

Madang’s lagoon has fascinating dive sites like the Coral Queen, Henry Leith ~ especially good at night and the B25 Mitchell Bomber. The Coral Queen is not being dived at the moment, as dive operators are waiting for the flashlight fish to return en-masse. Here’s our B25 Mitchell dive

“Descending onto the B25 Mitchell, it spread it’s wings like a great albatross. Intact with the exception of the port engine, which broke off when the plane crashed into the sea, it lay on a clean sandy bottom. She did battle with the Japanese in 1943, but was shot down. Rounds of 50 calibre ammunition lay near her machine guns. My dive buddy Helen, gently slipped inside the pilot’s seat for an underwater joy ride.

The bombs are still wired in position. Wreck diving legend, David Pennefather discovered the aircraft in 1979. It’s a shallow dive at 12 metres, with excellent underwater photography.

Madang was a stronghold for the Japanese during WW2. Many allied aircraft were shot down, like the B25 Mitchell, which lost the port engine to gunfire. The crew swam to  Wongat  Island, where they were captured and executed by the Japanese. The pilot swam to the mainland, where he was hidden for several days by natives, before being captured and sent to a POW camp. Our Henry Leith dive ....

“On the shipwrecks bow at 15 metres, tropical fish hovered over the ships winch gear. Blue-finned trevally greeted us. There were dozens of fairy basslets, batfish, long-finned bannerfish and three-spot dascyllus. Vibrant soft corals hung off the ship’s metal hull.

On the stern, we examined the propeller shaft, where there were more soft corals. A scribbled toadfish lurked among its fronds. Rising up over the stern, we saw six butterfly cods on the deck. We must have seen almost every tropical fish in Gerald. R. Allen’s ‘Reef Fishes of New Guinea’. There were moon wrasse, purple anthias, six-banded angelfish, and chaetadons galore”

The Henry Leith was an iron sailing ship, converted for WW2 use. Last used as a flag ship of the Pimpco Shipping Company for coastal freight services, she was sunk at Wongat  Island, to be used as a wreck dive. The B25 Mitchell aircraft, was discovered nearby later.

Madang’s most famous dive is Planet Rock, a sea mount rising from the depths to four metres. Located between Lighthouse Point and  Bilbil  Island, the seamount is a magnet for pelagics like dogtooth tuna, barracuda and hammerhead sharks. You can finish your dive in the shallows, where there are anemones, clownfish and commensal shrimp ~ great for macro photography. There is no finer dive, than waking at 30 metres on a dawn dive, surrounded by jumbo dogtooth tuna.

Hansa Bay, an 81/2 hour boat trip from Madang, has a volcano on Manum  Island, 15 kms off the coast. This is the first year that this volcano has behaved itself. Trips to Manum have been banned, due to volcanic instability.

At Hansa  Bay, Japanese freighters were caught and bombed by American forces during WW2. With 34 ship and aircraft wrecks, including an Air Cobra at 27 metres, this bay is a wreck diver’s paradise. Visibility can vary in Hansa  Bay, due to rainfall and seasonal currents. The best time to dive Hansa  Bay is from May to November.

The 60 metre long, Shishi Maru is commonly dived in  Hansa  Bay. It lies 500 metres off the beach. A large freighter, the Shishi Maru weighs over 5000 tons and has fire engines, trucks, thousands of saki bottles, in its hold. Anti-aircraft guns still point sky-ward, and brass shell casings lay on her deck. The marine life growing on it is outstanding, with the depth of six to 24 metres.

Laing  Island, in the middle of  Hansa  Bay, has excellent diving around the island’s fringing reefs, especially on the eastern side, where the reef drops into deep water. The island is home to the King Leopold 3rd Biological Research Station.

The Encounter Reefs, off Laing  Island, offer spectacular reef dives, on a series of sea mounts. The closest one, is four kms north-east of Hansa Point. On the north-east side, the reef goes from five metres, to beyond sport diving limits. It’s home to super-sized pelagics, and tigers sharks.

Other best dive sites are Kar Kar, Bagabag and  Crown  Islands. The reefs at  Crown  Island, eight hours from Madang, are untouched, with giant dogtooth tuna, sharks, sea whip and sea fans gardens. Hanikow Reef, a volcanic seamount, is big fish country, between Bagabag and  Crown  Islands.

“The diving at Kar Kar and  Bagabag  Islands is stunning, with endless walls of sea fans, undamaged corals, pelagic fish and spinner dolphins. On one trip, divers on the DMV Kamai saw sperm whales, which came close to the boat. The currents can be very strong in these islands” says Leslie.

I hope I have whet your appetite to spend a few days diving in Madang, or look at stepping onto the liveaboard: DMV Kamai. Dives like Mililiat Passage, Hansa  Bay, Crown, Kar Kar, and  Bagabag Islands, will knock your socks off!  

More Info on Madang

Who to dive with...
Aqua Ventures, at Jais Aben Resort
(Tim Rowland & Leslie Schoon) and the liveaboard; DMV Kamai   
www.aquaventures-png.com.pg  
www.madangtourism.com.pg

Niugini Diving Adventures,
at Madang Resort Hotel
www.mtspng.com 
Malolo Plantation Lodge:
(snorkelling & sea kayaking)
www.pngtours.com

How To Get There...
Fly to Port Moresby, then Madang, with Air Niugini. They have direct flights to Port Moresby from  Australia,  Japan,  Singapore and  Philippines.
 
What To Take...
Basic dive gear, cameras, sunscreen, light clothing and malaria medication.
 
Other Things To Do...
Shopping at Madang market; ‘Bird of Paradise’ viewing with Madang Resort Hotel; visit the Ohu Butterfly Conservation area, visit Bilbil Village for pottery making; visit the Balek Wildlife Sanctuary; Singsings at the Madang Cultural Festival, in September), Sea Kayaking and day trips to Karkar/Tadwai Islands, with Malolo Plantation Lodge.
 
Travel & Health...
Madang  Town is quite safe during the day. Most resorts have taxis or shuttle buses. Take malaria medication wherever you travel in PNG.