Bonegi Beach
A Guadalcanal beach with two large wrecks lying in shallow water off the sand.
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Two Japanese transport ships lie off Bonegi beach west of Honiara, run aground and sunk in 1942 and now lying in shallow water close to shore, which makes them among the most accessible large wrecks anywhere: the nearer one can be snorkelled from the sand and both are shore dives. Coral and fish have taken them over completely. A landowner collects a small fee at the beach. The two ships are usually called Bonegi I and Bonegi II by divers rather than by their original names.
What you actually see
- Bonegi I - the deeper wreck, a shore dive from the beach.
- Bonegi II - the shallower hull, reachable by snorkellers.
- The coral growth - seventy years of reef on the steel.
- The shore entry - large wrecks reachable without a boat.
When to go
May to October is the drier season with the best visibility. Rain runoff clouds the water. Weekends bring local families to the beach.
Honest expectations
Visibility drops sharply after rain because of river runoff nearby. Penetration of the wrecks needs training and is not for casual divers. Facilities amount to a fee collector.
Nearby
Honiara is east, and Savo Island is offshore.
What to pack for Bonegi Beach
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.