Manus Island (Admiralty Islands) Dive Site

Site Overview

Manus Island (Admiralty Islands), 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. Extremely remote and untouched, with massive fish aggregations, manta rays, and WWII wrecks such as the Ambon Maru, accessible only by liveaboard. Geographically the site features reef and wall and drop-off formations built from coral and rock substrate, dropping from a shallow top of around 10 metres to a maximum depth of about 40 metres, with an average working depth near 22 metres. Visibility is typically excellent, ranging from 15 to 35 metres, while water temperatures hold between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius year-round. The marine life is the headline attraction. Divers routinely encounter Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi), Bigeye Trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus), Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), Dogtooth Tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), 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 Manus Island (Admiralty Islands) one of the most reliable places in the country to see both abundant macro life and large pelagic visitors on a single dive. Manus Island (Admiralty Islands) 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.