Baudisson Bay Dive Site

Site Overview

Baudisson Bay, within the Kavieng & New Ireland – Pelagic & Walls of Papua New Guinea, is one of the region's most rewarding dive sites and a highlight of any Coral Triangle diving itinerary. A calm lagoon dive among mangroves with seahorses, pipefish, and good training and night macro opportunities. Geographically the site features lagoon and slope and sand formations built from sand and rubble and mangrove substrate, dropping from a shallow top of around 2 metres to a maximum depth of about 16 metres, with an average working depth near 8 metres. Visibility is typically excellent, ranging from 8 to 18 metres, while water temperatures hold between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius year-round. The marine life is the headline attraction. Divers routinely encounter Seahorse (Hippocampus sp.), Pipefish (Syngnathidae), Nudibranch (Nudibranchia), Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus sp.), Clownfish (Amphiprion sp.), Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes sp.), alongside dense reef fish, invertebrates, and the soft and hard corals that blanket the reef. The mix of nutrient-rich currents and Papua New Guinea's remote, well-protected reefs makes Baudisson Bay one of the most reliable places in the country to see both abundant macro life and large pelagic visitors on a single dive. Baudisson Bay is best enjoyed as part of a boat programme out of Kavieng, and it rewards wide-angle photographers, naturalists, and experienced drift divers alike. Papua New Guinea's strong community-based conservation ethos and remoteness help keep the reef pristine, so divers are asked to maintain exemplary buoyancy and respect the fragile marine environment at all times.