The Wreck of the MV Pacific Gas Dive Site

Site Overview

The Wreck of the MV Pacific Gas, within the Port Moresby & Loloata Island (Central Province) of Papua New Guinea, is one of the region's most rewarding dive sites and a highlight of any Coral Triangle diving itinerary. A 65 m LPG tanker scuttled as an artificial reef, 12-30 m, fully penetrable, with dense schools of batfish, barracuda, and giant trevally. Geographically the site features wreck and hull and deck formations built from metal and coral and sand substrate, dropping from a shallow top of around 12 metres to a maximum depth of about 30 metres, with an average working depth near 18 metres. Visibility is typically excellent, ranging from 10 to 25 metres, while water temperatures hold between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius year-round. The marine life is the headline attraction. Divers routinely encounter Batfish (Platax sp.), Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis), Lionfish (Pterois volitans), Moray Eel (Gymnothorax sp.), Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus 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 The Wreck of the MV Pacific Gas one of the most reliable places in the country to see both abundant macro life and large pelagic visitors on a single dive. The Wreck of the MV Pacific Gas is best enjoyed as part of a boat programme out of Port Moresby, 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.