Diving
If it weren't for the remnants of war tankers, battleships, troop carriers, bombers and fighters, which can be found scattered amongst the shallow reefs and deep harbours throughout this island nation, it would be hard to believe that the Solomons were once the site of fierce fighting in WW2.
While the reefs are as good as any in the world, most divers visit the Solomons to see the remnants of the Pacific campaign. Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal is the best place to start with some wrecks diveable from the shore.
The 'Hirokawa Maru' and 'Kinugawa Maru' are both shore dives with the start of the wrecks lying on the sandy beach and ending in over 50m of water. Blooms of soft corals cover the hard shapes of shattered steel and jutting guns. Live ammunition is common in the holds which are screened off by sheets of tiny silver fish.
Overhead, schools of Barracuda and Trevally blot the sun, while Garden Eels sway in the steeply sloping sand bottom. Further north a short swim from the shore reveals a B17 bomber resting on the sand. Fish fill the interior and it is possible to sit in the gunner's seat to try out the jutting guns.
The locations mentioned above also have walls, passages and pinnacles teeming with marine life from tiny exotic Nudibranchs with their bizarre colours and shapes to schools of timid Hammerhead Sharks or the uncommon Whale Shark feeding its massive bulk with tiny fish and plankton.
Uepi Island off the southern end of New Georgia Island is famous for its walls plummeting hundreds of feet into the warm, silky blue abyss. Timid Garden Eels can be found in very shallow water along with delicate expanses of cabbage coral while just over the lip of the drop off can be found families of hunting Lion Fish with their long graceful spines herding tiny fish to the dinner table.
At night with dive torches off, a wave of the hand creates swirling flames of pale green bioluminescence. Caves and overhangs reveal delicate polyps out feeding on the night's bounty.For those who wish to explore further afield there are charter boats available for extended expeditions. Able to access the remote regions closed to land based operations, they dive untouched pinnacles, oceanic reefs and uninhabited islands. An added bonus is the opportunity to visit villages rarely contacted by the outside world.
For more information on divesites in the Solomon Islands, go to: