Intermediate Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Well-preserved reefs and one of the great ship graveyards of the Pacific War
Dozens of ships and aircraft sank in the central strait of this archipelago within a few months of 1942. Around that graveyard lie Coral Triangle reefs that almost no one dives.
In this profile you'll find what combination of history and reef the archipelago offers, where the accessible wrecks are and where they aren't, what the reefs and lagoons are like, when to go, and what level you need.
Few destinations combine this kind of historical density with reefs in such good condition, and practically none do it with so few divers in the water.
Geography and access
The Solomon Islands are a South Pacific archipelago made up of hundreds of volcanic islands and atolls, within the Coral Triangle.
The archipelago's central strait was the scene of an intense naval campaign in 1942, with dozens of ships and aircraft sunk within a few months. The bottom of that strait was given a name that refers to the iron covering it.
Many of those wrecks lie too deep for recreational diving, but some settled at accessible depths, including aircraft and transport ships close to shore.
The rest of the archipelago has enormous lagoons, barrier reefs, walls dropping to oceanic depths, and largely unexplored muck bottoms.
Access is by international flight with a connection from Australia or elsewhere in the Pacific, followed by domestic flights or boat crossings. A good part of the diving is done from liveaboards.
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