Pig Island (Tab Island) Dive Site

Site Overview

Pig Island (Tab Island), within the Madang (North Coast of Mainland) 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, sheltered reef ideal for training, with stingrays, cuttlefish, and excellent night dives. Geographically the site features reef and plateau and slope formations built from coral and sand substrate, dropping from a shallow top of around 2 metres to a maximum depth of about 18 metres, with an average working depth near 10 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 Stingray (Dasyatidae), Cuttlefish (Sepia sp.), Clownfish (Amphiprion sp.), Parrotfish (Scaridae), Butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae), 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 Pig Island (Tab Island) one of the most reliable places in the country to see both abundant macro life and large pelagic visitors on a single dive. Pig Island (Tab Island) is best enjoyed as part of a boat programme out of Madang, 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.