Diving in the Solomons

The Solomon Islands offer some of the most rewarding and historic diving in the Pacific, combining pristine natural beauty with the poignant legacy of the Second World War. Lying at the edge of the Coral Triangle, its warm waters teem with vibrant coral reefs, walls, and abundant marine life. But the Solomons are above all famed for their wreck diving: the fierce naval and air battles of 1942-43 left the seabed, especially Iron Bottom Sound off Guadalcanal and the waters around Munda and Gizo, scattered with sunken warships, freighters and aircraft, now coral-encrusted and teeming with fish, making for hauntingly beautiful and historic dives.

What you actually see

• The wartime wrecks - the sunken warships and aircraft.
• Iron Bottom Sound - the wreck-strewn waters off Guadalcanal.
• The coral reefs - the vibrant reefs and marine life.
• The walls and drop-offs - the dramatic underwater topography.

When to go

May to November tends to offer the best diving conditions and visibility, though the Solomons can be dived year-round in their warm waters; different areas, from Honiara to Munda and Gizo, peak at various times. Diving is done from dive resorts and boats, with some wrecks suited to experienced divers.

Honest expectations

Solomon Islands diving is remote and comes at a cost, reached by internal flights to dive resorts with basic facilities, and some wrecks are deep dives suited to experienced divers rather than beginners; the country overall is undeveloped with limited infrastructure. For divers, though, the combination of pristine, biodiverse reefs and one of the world's greatest concentrations of hauntingly beautiful, coral-encrusted wartime wrecks makes the Solomons a genuine and historic diving paradise.

Nearby

Guadalcanal, Marovo Lagoon and the Western Solomons are within reach.