Snorkeling in the Solomon Islands

I fell in love with the Solomon Islands when a group of us traveled on the Bilikiki in 2013.  I can’t wait to go back.  Picture dense jungles, traditional villages, aquamarine lagoons with pristine coral reefs
AND no one else around!
There are few areas where you can get off the beaten path and the Solomon Islands are surprisingly undiscovered. We will have the remote and healthy reefs to ourselves to explore at our leisure.

The nutrient rich waters support an abundance of marine life.  Besides a dazzling array of reef fish, we will have a good opportunity to see a variety of sharks, mantas, dolphins, turtles, barracuda, cuttlefish, octopus, and amazing numbers and varieties of  anemonefish.
More varieties of coral are here than almost anywhere, all this in deliciously warm 82 -85ºF waters.

A highlight of our expedition will be village visits. The villagers were rather shy but extremely welcoming. We will be invited to meet the islanders, visit their schools and churches and admire (and buy) gorgeous handcrafted art directly from the artist.

I’ve charted the  Bilikiki live-aboard for our October 7-17, 2017 adventure.  The experienced and friendly crew have been sailings these waters since 1989. The ambiance is casual and the food is excellent.

During our 10 days we will experience the best  snorkeling the islands have to offer. There are 3 main island groups that we’ll be exploring: The Florida, Russell islands and Marovo Lagoon in New Georgia.  We will have time for 2-3 snorkels a day. Our day to day itinerary will be dependent on current sea and wind conditions. Flexibility is key to ensure we have the best possible experience.

Our itinerary:

October 7  – Arrive into Honiara. Meet at the Mendana Hotel at 4pm to board the Bilikiki. Once everyone is settled the Bilikiki will start heading west along the coast of Guadalcanal towards the Russell Islands while the on board managers give an orientation and safety briefing during sunset nibbles on the sun deck.

Day 2 – Awake in the Russell Islands. After breakfast we will have our first snorkel in a pretty and sheltered area.  Later this day we’ll stop at the Leru Cut. This is a cut that goes back deep inside the island, we’ll  snorkel between the large cliff walls, with amazing lighting inside the cut. At the end vines hang down and it looks like something out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the wall outside the cut is teaming with marine life. Afternoon snorkel at Mirror Pond a beautiful hard coral reef. Possible to night snorkel if anyone wishes.

Day 3 –  We’ll spend the day at Mary Island.  The uninhabited island is great for schooling fish.  Maori wrasse, jacks, barracuda, bump head parrotfish, sharks, giant clams can all be seen here. The tinnys (our skiff) can drop snorkelers off at different sites during the day and the Bilikiki will be stern tied to the island and we can come and go as we like from the back of the boat. The bird watching from the Bilikiki is also very good here with lots of parrots and hornbills.

Day 4 – Marovo Lagoon, Morning snorkel followed by first visit ashore to see traditional carvings at a local village. We will have time to walk around and see and or buy carvings.  It maybe possible to go an see an old WW2 plane wreck that crashed near the village. Afternoon snorkel at Karanjou Island.  An afternoon adventure offers a shark snorkel in this location where it is possible to see a lot of small black tip reef sharks. It’s not as scary as it sounds and a great photo op!

Day 5 – Marovo Lagoon – Morning snorkeling at Kicha Island. This is a magnificent snorkel outside the lagoon (weather dependant) with stunning hard corals and abundant tropical fish. This area was declared a marine reserve by the local village and no fishing is allowed here. Afternoon snorkel around Mbulo Island.  Late afternoon visit to the village of Peava to see carvings and check out the local food market.  We’ll have time to to snorkel the village lagoon or play with the village kids who swim out to see us.

Day 6 – Russell Islands. Snorkel Karumolun Island with stunning drop offs, and a hard coral garden where we often see Bumphead parrot fish.  Time ashore for a cultural visit to a village. For a treat the villagers will perform custom dancing and singing and answer any questions we might have about their way of life. Afternoon snorkel at White Beach which has many WW2 artefacts underwater, it also host a wide variety of macro life such as twin spot gobies, pipefish, jawfish and crocodile fish. It is also a great place to see archerfish.  Leisure time to swim  from the back of the boat.

Day 7 – Russell Islands – Spend the day snorkeling the islands in the eastern Russells, there are no villages in this area and the reefs surrounding the islands in this area support some of the most healthy and colourful coral on all of the islands plus huge amounts of reef fish. The corals in this area come right up to within a few feet of the surface making it ideal for snorkeling. Oceanic triggerfish, schools of snapper, reef sharks, turtles, anemone fish all inhabit this area.

Day 8 – Morning snorkel at the WW2 wrecks along Guadalcanal (weather dependant). Two Japanese freighters are wrecked right off the beach that we can snorkel to.  Sandy areas nearby are great for garden eels and flounder and there are lots of coral bommies filled with colourful fish as well. Lunch time crossing to the Florida Islands for an afternoon snorkel in the Tanavula Point area, which includes shallow coral gardens and sheer drop offs teaming with red tooth triggerfish.

Day 9 – Florida Islands – Snorkel at Maravagi Bay which is very diverse with hard coral areas packed with tropical fish, sandy areas which are great for crocodile fish, shrimp gobies and the occasional cuttlefish, an area of seagrass where juvenile batfish and trumpet fish hang out plus a small wreck in the shallows. In the afternoon, if the current is suitable, snorkel the Devils Highway which is famous for manta rays. Night snorkel possible tonight to look for squids, octopus and mantis shrimps in the sand.

Day 10 – Florida Islands – Morning snorkels in the Petrol Point area, which includes shallow coral gardens a shallow point where we often see barracudas, sharks and mobula rays. Afternoon spend at Anuha snorkeling seagrass patches looking for seahorses and coral bombes teeming with fish. Afternoon sunset cruise with champagne for the last night down the beautiful passage between the two main islands of the Floridas.

October 17 -Our adventure ends on October 17th.  We’ll disembark the Bilikiki in the morning and you can fly onward anytime of day. You may choose to extend your time in the Solomon Islands, Fiji or Australia.
I’m available to brainstorm with you.

The very comfortable  MV Bilikiki has 10 deluxe air-conditioned cabins, all with a double bed below and a single above. Cabins have a private shower, toilet and hand basin. The meals are plentiful, healthy and delicious! It was so good several of us asked for the a “Bilikiki cookbook” at the end of our journey.

What to expect:

• This is a snorkel-intensive program.  You should be a proficient swimmer/snorkeler able to snorkel unassisted.  A typical day features 3-5 hours of snorkel time.
• Be prepared for steep stairs on the live-aboard and ladders on and off the dinghy/zodiac.
• Snorkel sessions are guided by the helpful and experienced crew provided by the Bilikiki.
• Evenings are free to enjoy the sunset, a leisurely dinner and the company of your fellow passengers.
  There is a not a formal evening program.

Price per person is $5750.00 based on double occupancy.
Single cabin with limited availability is $8200.00.

One male/share still available.

Price Includes:

• Round trip transfers between Honiara hotel or airport and the Bilikiki.
• 10 nights accommodation aboard the the Bilikiki.
• All meals and snacks on board the Bilikiki.
• Snorkel excursions and village visits.
• $250.00 tax.

Price Excludes:

• Airfare
• Travel insurance
• Crew gratuities
• Items of a personal nature
• Bar drinks

Contact Wendy@SnorkelingEtc.com for more details.  I look forward to hearing from you and hope you can join this exceptional expedition.
In the spirit of adventure,

 

 

 

Wendy Simon
Founder & President/Snorkeling Etc. inc.
831 254-5001