Arnavon Community Marine Park

The Arnavon islands lie in the passage between Choiseul and Santa Isabel and hold the largest hawksbill turtle rookery in the South Pacific, protected since the 1990s by an agreement between three communities that had historically disputed the ground. Rangers from the villages monitor nesting and patrol the reefs. It was one of the first community-managed marine protected areas in the country. The three communities are Kia, Wagina and Katupika, and the agreement between them took years to negotiate.

What you actually see

• The hawksbill rookery - the largest nesting concentration in the South Pacific.
• The community agreement - three villages managing ground they once disputed.
• The ranger programme - local monitoring and patrolling of the nesting beaches.
• The reefs - protected coral around the island group.

When to go

May to October is the drier season and calmest. Hawksbill nesting peaks from around June to September. Access is arranged rather than scheduled.

Honest expectations

Access is by boat from Kia or Choiseul and must be arranged in advance with the management committee. Facilities are a basic ranger station. Turtle watching is under ranger supervision with strict rules.

Nearby

Kia is southeast on Isabel, and Choiseul is northwest.