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 Honiara's picturesque seaport, Point Cruz, offers international-style restaurants, duty-free shops, colourful markets and a Chinatown to explore. Visitors can also explore the military relics and memorials dating back to the Guadalcanal Campaign of World War II.
The Diving
Where in the world can you drive for 20 minutes from the capital and find a quiet beach lined with palm trees, a shallow sandy bottom for practising diving skills, coral reef, prolific fish life, and a large WWII wreck lying on the slope from 5 metres down to 58 metres? You can find all this at Bonegi Beach west of Honiara in the Solomon Islands.
During World War II, Guadalcanal came to international attention as the stage for one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific campaign. Bitter fighting raged between American and Japanese forces for six months on Guadalcanal Island until the Japanese withdrew early in 1943. Now many war wrecks and relics can be seen on both land and underwater. These include ships, aircraft, guns, cannons and tanks.
The waters around Honiara, where the Battle of Guadalcanal took place in November 1942, are now littered with so many wrecks and war debris they have become known as “Iron Bottom Sound”.
 Contact us; let us know your interests, and we’ll put together your ideal dive package. Remember - We’ve dived there! |
The Dive Locations
 Bonegi One
Japanese transport ship (Hirokawa Maru). Attacked by American Dive Bombers and beached on November 14, 1942. This ship is laying Bow to the shore on its Port Side. This is an excellent dive site with a profusion of corals and fish life in the shallows to pelagic fish at depth. Access in and out of the wreck is easy and safe.
Features: Half track, Anti aircraft guns and ammunition
Depth Range: 3m – 57m.
Experience: Novice to advanced divers
 Bonegi Two
Japanese transport ship (Kinugawa Maru) that sunk with Bonegi one. The ship is laying Bow on to the shore and the stern is lying on its port side. Great wreck for a second dive with good coral and fish life in the shallows.
Depth Range: Surface – 27m
Experience: Novice to advanced divers
 Ruanui
Japanese transport ship (Kyushu Maru). She went down with Bonegi one and two. The ship is laying Bow on to the shore and lies on port side. Great wreck for coral and fish life in the shallows to pelagic fish at depth. Entry and exit is easy and safe.
Features: Ammunition and steering gear
Depth Range: 6m – 7m
Experience: Novice to advanced divers
B-17
 The B-17 is an American flying fortress that was ditched just short of its intended destination after returning from the Shortland Islands. The plane lies on a sandy bottom and makes a haven for many fish. In the surrounding sand garden eels can be seen. The plane is missing its tail but the rest of it is basically intact.
Features: Two twin 50 cal machine gun turrets can be found, one located just behind the cockpit which is now exposed allowing access.
Depth Range: 10m – 18m
Experience: Novice to advanced divers
Solsea
This dive sees the hull of an island trader scuttled on a patch of reef. She is sitting upright and inclined with her Bow reaching skyward. The wreck acts as a natural fish aggregating device attracting Spanish mackerel and Rainbow runner school overhead, while deeper down Coral trout and Red Emperor lurk the waters.
Depth Range: 18m – 40m
Experience: Advanced divers
 U.S.S John Penn
The John Penn was a 6500 ton U.S Troop ship that sunk on August 13, 1943. A Japanese air attack resulted in a torpedo hit to the stern of the ship at Lunga point. The ship is lying on its starboard side on a sandy bottom. Huge schools of pelagic fish such as barracuda and Spanish mackerel inhabit the wreck. Entry and exit into rooms are easy.
Features: Crew quarters, doctor’s surgery, mess and cargo holds.
Depth Range: 40m - 60m
Experience: Experienced deep divers
Serpens
Not far from the U.S.S John Penn is the bow section of a liberty ship lying in shallower water. Lying upside down in the sand, masses of reef fish have made this wreck their home. Large Cod rest lazily on the bottom while schools of Emperor, Sweet lip and Mangrove jacks swarm around the divers. Penetration into the wreck is possible at the stern.
Features: assortment of ammunition and other relics surround wreckage
Depth: 24m – 40m
Experience: Advanced divers
Tassafaronga Point
Here the local reef extends out from a headland catching the current resulting in prime schooling locations for eagle rays, pygmy mantas, turtles and reef sharks. A great drift dive.
Depth Range: 5m – 30m
Experience: Novice to advanced divers
 Dolphin Reef
Named after the resident school of Spinner dolphins that inhabit this stretch of coast, this picturesque little patch of reef is located just a short 2 minute ride out from the B-17. The large coral bommies at the western end of the reef mark the entry point for the dive that finishes up in a colourful garden of stag horn and plate corals surrounded by white sand.
Depth Range:5m – 30m
Experience: Novice – advanced divers
 Turtle Beach
In Season, Green sea turtles climb the sandy slope to lay their eggs. The dive is made around a coral point extending out from the beach and it is not uncommon to spot a number of turtles along with eagle rays and reef sharks as you drift along the reef’s edge.
Depth Range: 5m – 30m
Experience: Novice – advanced divers
Azumasan Maru
An excellent dive for advanced divers (Bow only). This Japanese cargo ship sunk with Bonegi 1 and 2. She was at anchor at the time and went straight to the bottom. The ship, in perfect condition, is sitting dramatically upright on a sandy bottom. She is huge and swimming along her deck is a thrilling experience.
Features: inside the holds are saki bottles, ammunition and a couple of motorbikes with sidecars.
Depth Range: 35m – 80m
Experience: Experienced deep divers
Sasako Maru
A third Japanese transport ship attacked by American dive bombers and sunk on October 15, 1942. The ship is lying on its Port side and is a dive for the very experienced diver as the hull starts at 60m.
Depth Range: 60m -80m
Experience: Experienced deep diver
Sites located further away
I-1 Submarine (1hr drive)
This Japanese Submarine was sunk by two New Zealand Corvettes, the “Kiwi” and the “Moa” on January 29, 1943. The "Moa" herself now sunk. and is a divable wreck in tulagi.
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