Scuba Diving in Port Moresby & Loloata Island (Central Province)

About Port Moresby & Loloata Island (Central Province)

Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, and the nearby Loloata Island offer surprisingly rewarding diving just minutes from the city, built around colourful reefs, WWII wrecks, and accessible macro sites. The centrepiece is the MV Pacific Gas, a 65-metre LPG tanker scuttled as an artificial reef and fully penetrable from 12 to 30 metres, now home to dense batfish, barracuda, and giant trevally. The S.S. Pruth is a coral-encrusted 1930s steamer, Loloata's House Reef and End Bommie offer easy coral and turtle diving with macro, and Black Rock and Bass Reef add schools of jacks, eagle rays, and nudibranchs. With a hyperbaric chamber on the doorstep and short boat rides, this region is perfect for a quick dive fix, training, and underwater photography without leaving the capital.

Highlights

• ✓MV Pacific Gas: a 65 m LPG tanker scuttled as an artificial reef, fully penetrable, with batfish, barracuda, and giant trevally.
• ✓S.S. Pruth Wreck: a 1930s steamer at 15-25 m, coral-encrusted with lionfish and morays.
• ✓Loloata Island Reefs: a House Reef and End Bommie with gorgonians, macro, and turtles.
• ✓Black Rock: a pinnacle with schools of jacks, tuna, and eagle rays.
• ✓Bass Reef: sloping coral rich in nudibranchs, frogfish, and seahorses.

Getting There

Port Moresby is the international gateway to PNG, with direct flights from Australia and Asia, and Loloata Island is a short road and boat transfer from the city and airport. Daily boats from Loloata reach the MV Pacific Gas, the Pruth wreck, Black Rock, and Bass Reef in minutes to half an hour. The proximity of the hyperbaric chamber and the short transfers make this the easiest region to dive in the country.