Diving the Solomons wrecks and reefs

The volcanic landscape also provides stunning underwater landscapes, with slots, caverns, caves, and even underwater lava tunnels to explore.

Tulagi Twin Tunnels, Florida Islands

These twin tunnels are two ancient lava tubes that plunge vertically from the summit of a coral seamount, reaching a depth of approximately 34 meters from an initial 15-meter entrance.
At these depths, each tunnel gives way to a spacious cave with a wide opening that leads to a striking underwater wall. You can observe schools of pelagic fish engaged in feeding, while the plateau’s upper section hosts hundreds of anemone homes, featuring at least eight different varieties of anemonefish.

Leru Cut, Russell Islands

This site is an underwater photographer’s dream. The ‘Cut’ is a long passage cut deep into the land, not quite wide enough for a couple of divers to swim side by side.
Open to the air at the top, slanting shafts of sunlight light the cut, and once at the end of the slot, you can surface and look up at vine-clad vertical rock walls and listen to the gentle hum of the jungle above.

Cave of the Kastom Shark, Rendova Lagoon

This memorable dive starts in the centre of a small island. After trekking through mangroves, a sinkhole reveals itself, roughly 1.5 metres in diameter. Dropping into this hole, you descend a vertical chimney around 30 metres.
By torchlight, a tunnel is exposed, which ascends gradually to an opening in a magnificent coral wall; giant Gorgonian fans and bright red whip corals fringe a wide entrance.

Toa Maru, Gizo

The Toa Maru wreck is an incredible 130 metres long, lying on its starboard side at a depth of 37 metres. It is the biggest and most impressive wreck (at recreational diving depths) in the Solomons.
You literally need to swim as far away as 30 m to get a photograph that shows enough of it to get any context of location or size. Coral has colonised every exposed surface. This artificial reef rivals your average natural reef for coral cover and marine life.

Uepi Point, Uepi

Uepi Point is one of the best dives in the Solomons. The ocean-facing side of Uepi Island drops off in a steep wall, with water from the Marovo Lagoon flowing swiftly through the Charapoana Passage.
The currents are not strong but carry nutrients that attract an incredible range of marine life. Though a good dive at any time of day, in the early mornings and late afternoons, it can be jam-packed with large schools of trevally and barracuda, as well as rays and reef sharks.

When to dive…

Diving the Solomons can be experienced year-round, with wetter weather from January to March. Viz is at its best between July and December. Water temperature is around 28ºC to 30ºC all year.