Dive sites near Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Rabaul was the biggest Japanese naval base and during the second world war many submarines, ships and airplanes were bombed by allied forces which literally covered the area with wrecks. Rabaul lies in between of three active volcanos and it is only a matter of time for the next eruption to occur. The last one was in 1994 when the area surrounding Rabaul was completely covered in ash. Fortunately only 2 of the 112 wrecks in total were destroyed and one new wreck has been discovered. Finally after the third big eruption the government decided to move the regional capital to nearby Kokopo.

Rabaul has an old reputation for shell collectors, being a place where local divers made big money with selling some of the most extraordinary shells. Today, selling shells is illegal and tourism is recovering. It is still hard though to find dive shops and if you want to be absolutely sure that you dive every day, bring your own gear and arrange everything back home.

Rabaul is famous for its strange shells and volcanic black sand. These two combined make this place one of the best and photo genetic places in the world. Water temperatures range from 28 degrees in July up to 30 degrees in February. The rainy season is from December to March and wind doesn't have much effect on the diving conditions. Land temperatures are 28 degrees all year round.