Papua New Guinea has long been known as one of the diving world's premiere destinations.  It first earned its reputation by delivering divers to pristine reefs teeming with fish life, and that continues to this day.  But, in recent years, PNG has also carved out a different type of reputation as being the "muck diving" capital of the world!

For the uninitiated, "muck diving" (often done at night, but it really doesn't matter) means choosing a different type of dive area to explore.  Could be dark volcanic sand, or a bright sandy area with sea grass, a jetty, estuary, or, well, just "muck"!

WHY?  Divers have discovered that these marine habitats are also loaded with small marine life not found on the coral reefs, and these small critters make for wonderful photos as well as thrilling discoveries.   So the hunt for ghost pipefish, wasp fish, and a host of other incredibly unusual critters goes on…  And what diver that has crossed the international dateline doesn't want a "mimic octopus" in their logbook or photo collection?

The Mimic Octopus is a tiny octo which lives in sandy/muddy areas (the kind words for "muck") and is an unbelievable story.  The world only discovered the mimic octopus in 1998, and while its discovery itself was great, the octo's behavior is even more bizarre.

You see, the mimic octopus gets its name from its ability to change its shape and "assume" the identity of other reef creatures in order to avoid becoming a meal itself.  So instead of hiding, it floats along, disguised as a lionfish or sea snake, both of which are given wide berth by predators because they are toxic! 

We've discovered (by Walindi Plantation Dive Master "Keiko") a mimic octopus which lives just off the end of the jetty at Walindi (virtually right under the stern of the M/V Star Dancer). We can usually find the mimic octopus within a couple of minutes, so you can begin/end your PNG stay at Walindi with a visit to our resident mimic octopus. 

Keiko has become somewhat of a master in interacting with the octopus, and with each encounter, the octopus (soon to be named) has become more and more comfortable with its new role as "dream model" at Walindi.   Thank you, Keiko!

You can find the mimic octopus at Walindi, and also in Rabaul at another fabulous "muck diving" spot, Johnnie's Jetty!

LAST MINUTE: SAVE 20 % ONLY ON THIS TRIP. Join Us:  Feb 11-21, 2006,  Rabaul/Rabaul:   Itinerary comprises Rabaul, Duke of York Islands and the Lindhaven/Gastmata area.  These areas offer a mixture of scenic wide angle diving at the Duke of York Islands, together with rave review macro diving at sites such as Johnnie's Jetty just near Rabaul itself.
 
Johnnie's Jetty, available only at this time of the year, features close encounters with a multitude of varieties of frog fish, inimicus (stinger fish), more pipe fish than you can shake a very big stick at, cockatoo wasp fish ... The unique macro list goes on and on!

Schools of fish and eagle rays are blue water highlights at the Duke of York Islands and a visit to Mioko Harbour is a wonderful cultural treat with all the canoes from the villages coming out to say hello.  Dive the sunken PNG trawler "Atun" in 90ft of water with its bow jutting out over a very scenic wall.  Two sunken tanks right off the shore in 5m of water are also a very interesting dive.  (note: this offer may not be combined with any other PHD offers or discounts). 

Or, join us on these regularly scheduled charters for mid 2006:

June 7-17, June 18-25, 2006  Walindi to Rabaul: (and vice versa):   These cruises visit the Duke of York Islands and Johnnie's Jetty as well as taking in the perennially popular Fathers Reef and Kimbe Bay.  With a mixture of deep walls and sea mounts, Fathers Reef is sure to appeal to Blue Water adrenaline junkies.  Eagle rays and a plethora of sharks are frequent visitors on these dives.

Please call or email us for more info on these trips and other available dates for PNG, 2006.

The M/V OCEAN DANCER, operating out of Male, Maldives, has just launched and she has just finished her first three charters.  

This completely new live-aboard "raises the bar" for luxury diving and style in the world of dive travel, and sets a completely new standard for combining luxury ship board living with first class diving! 

While the vessel is approximately the same size as most luxury liveaboards (110 feet in length, 30 ft beam), no diving is done from the vessel itself!  This means larger cabins, larger dining and leisure areas throughout the vessel, and no dive deck!  All finished with regional hardwoods for a look/feel of complete luxury.  No compressor noise, no wet suits flapping in the breeze.  Just pure luxury accommodations, meals, and lounge areas.  Your own private "mega yacht"…   

The diving? That's done on the 55 foot "tender", Diving Dhoni., as well as two smaller 18 ft tenders.  The 14-16 diving guests will dive the passes and oceanic sides of the atolls from the "big" diving tender, and explore the inner portions of the atolls via the small tenders.  All tanks, nitrox, gear and camera storage will be on the Diving Dhoni…

The story of the Ocean Dancer is also unique.  The vessel was built right in the Maldives (which has a long maritime tradition), on land (which is only 4 ft above sea level), and then literally "rolled" into the water much the way vessels have been built and launched in the Maldives for centuries.  Except, of course, that the vessel is larger and much more luxurious than any vessel ever built in the Maldives…

There are only a few trips left in early 2006, so…