Restorf Island (Witu Islands) Dive Site

Site Overview

Restorf Island (Witu Islands), within the Kimbe Bay (New Britain – Coral Hotspot) of Papua New Guinea, is one of the region's most rewarding dive sites and a highlight of any Coral Triangle diving itinerary. Coral-encrusted seamounts off Restorf Island with schools of jacks, barracuda, tuna, and white-tip sharks, while the crater of an extinct volcano nearby offers macro diving in the rubble. Geographically the site features seamount and wall and drop-off formations built from coral and rock substrate, dropping from a shallow top of around 8 metres to a maximum depth of about 35 metres, with an average working depth near 20 metres. Visibility is typically excellent, ranging from 15 to 30 metres, while water temperatures hold between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius year-round. The marine life is the headline attraction. Divers routinely encounter Bigeye Trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus), Dogtooth Tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor), Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus), Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), Frogfish (Antennarius sp.), Nudibranch (Nudibranchia), 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 Restorf Island (Witu Islands) one of the most reliable places in the country to see both abundant macro life and large pelagic visitors on a single dive. Restorf Island (Witu Islands) is best enjoyed as part of a boat programme out of Kimbe, 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.