Top 10 Dive Sites in Vanuatu
Vanuatu, a chain of 83 volcanic islands in the South Pacific, inhabited for centuries by friendly Ni Vanuatu Melanesians, is a delight for eco-tourists and scuba divers, with perfect conditions year round and some of the most rewarding dive sites in the world. Book a holiday to Vanuatu to experience clear, calm, temperate waters and abundant sea life off Santo, Epi Island, Efat, Tanna and Bokissa Island. Here are our top ten dive sites in Vanuatu.
- SS President Coolidge
The majestic SS President Coolidge, one of the world’s best wreck dives, was a 1930s luxury passenger liner turned troop carrier, now lying mostly intact in Esperito Santo, Vanuatu.
- Star of Russia
There are several wreck dives in Port Vila’s bay, including the 1874 Star of Russia, which rests in 36 metres of water.
- Tui Tawate
Tui Tawate, a well known New Zealand vessel involved in the oil savage efforts on the SS President Coolidge, has made a sand flat and beyond, a coral garden, her eternal resting place, surrounded forever by teeming fish life.
- Million Dollar Point
One of the most unique dive sites in the world, Million Dollar Point is a mass of vehicles and equipment used and then dumped during WWII.
- Aore Plane
At Aore Plane a two-seater spy plane rests in the reef, and all around it lies ammunition, glass Coca Cola bottles and all the signs of America’s military presence in the region during World War II.
- Tutuba Point
Tutuba Point boasts exceptional visibility, making it a most enjoyable experience to discover its chasms, caves and swim-throughs, soft and hard coral, and an abundance of colourful reef creatures and tropical fish.
- Fantastic
The great gogonian fan corals take centre stage at Fantastic – it’s truly a sight to behold – and schools of fish bring colour and movement to the scene. Spanish dancers and dog tooth tuna complete the Fantastic show.
- Sub Nets
Sub Nets is a unique dive site, featuring gorgeous displays of hard coral and gogonian fans in a reef that has been growing since the end of the Second World War, when the chain nets that ran along the length of the channel between Santo Island and Aore Island collapsed.
- The Cathedral
At Pango Point outside of Port Vila, drop to the bottom of a 20-metre rock wall to enter Cathedral Cave, check out its round room, and exit to drift before ascending, along the spectacular reef wall, awash with colourful sea life, including “electric” phosphorous clams.
- Hideaway Island Marine Park
A protected underwater sanctuary, Mele Reef Marine Sanctuary in Hideaway Island Marine Park boasts the world’s only underwater post office. Just 50 metres from the shore, at a depth of 3 metres, send a waterproof postcard anywhere in the world.
If you love diving and haven’t explored the South Pacific yet, this could be the perfect place to enjoy your next trip. Take a look at Escape Travel for more information.
Author:
Xanthe Coward is a writer and theatre reviewer who lives by the sea and fills her life with colour.
