Popular Solomon Islands liveaboards

Liveaboard Diving in The Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands liveaboard diving is about pristine reefs, diving on spectacular World War II wrecks, big schools of fish, crocodiles and big pelagics including hammerhead sharks, grey reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks and manta rays. The best reviewed Solomon Island liveaboard is the MV Bilikiki.

The Solomon Islands are in the southwest Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea and northeast of Australia, and are surrounded by the Solomon Sea. The Solomon Islands liveaboard diving includes marine life dives on pristine corals as well as wreck diving on World War II wrecks.

The reason why so many World War II wrecks are found in The Solomon Islands is due the battles that raged there between the Allied Forces and Japan. The Japanese invaded Guadalcanal in 1942, and the Allied Forces launched Operation Guadalcanal (Operation Watchtower) to force them off the island until the Japanese finally withdrew in 1943.

One of the well-known battles of World War II is the Battle of Midway, which is known as the turning-point in the South Pacific war against the Japanese.

Many Solomon Island liveaboards require divers to have Advanced Open Water certification with a minimum of 30-50 logged dives.

Marine Life and Sharks at Solomon Islands

The sharks seen at the Solomon Islands include blacktip reef sharks, bull sharks, grey reef sharks, lemon sharks, leopard sharks, nurse sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, silver tip sharks, thresher sharks, tiger sharks, whale sharks and whitetip reef sharks.

You may see the following rays species including blue spotted stingrays, manta rays, mobula rays, spotted eagle rays, sting rays and marble rays.

Other fish life includes batfish, barracudas, clownfish (Anemonefish), dogtooth Tuna, garden Eels, giant trevallies, glassfish, groupers, humphead parrotfish, large jack schools, lionfish, maori wrasse, moray eels, napoleon wrasse, pigmy seahorses, pipefish, red snappers, sea horses, Spanish mackerel, surgeonfish and trigger Fish.

You may also see the following marine life including barrel sponges, crabs, saltwater crocodiles, cuttlefish, giant clam, hard and soft corals, jellyfish, lobsters, mantis shrimp, nudibranchs, octopus, sea snakes, squid, starfish and turtles. Plus you many encounter dolphins and humpback whales.

Table of Solomon Islands Liveaboards

This list of Solomon Islands liveaboards is in descending customer rating order, so the liveaboards with the highest customer rating will be at the top of the list. To filter this table for the features that are important for your Solomon Islands liveaboard trip, select from the list of filters below.

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Note: The above “Price Per Day” was correct at the time of producing this article, as was the exchange rate used to convert the GBP cost to US Dollars and Euros. For an up-to-date cost for your chosen liveaboard, please visit the “Book” link above.

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Best Time To Dive Solomon Islands

Although you can dive the Solomon Islands year-round, the best time to dive the Solomon Islands is outside of June to September when the seas is often more rough due to winds. This is particularly important if you may suffer from seasickness on a liveaboard.

When Can You Dive Solomon Islands?

You can dive the Solomon Islands year-round where sea temperatures range between 27-30°C (80.6-86°F). The Solomon Islands rainy season is typically between November and April, but the rain rarely affects the diving.

Does Solomon Island Have Crocodiles?

The Solomon Islands does have crocodiles and the Solomon Island inhabitants have coexisted with saltwater crocodiles for over 30,000 years. You may see saltwater crocodiles when diving, but be aware that large adult saltwater crocodiles consider humans as prey.

In this video you will see divers who encounter a saltwater crocodile when liveaboard diving in the Solomon Islands from Solomon Islands liveaboard Bilikiki.

Are There Sharks In The Solomon Islands?

There are sharks in the Solomon Islands which include blacktip reef sharks, bull sharks, grey reef sharks, lemon sharks, leopard sharks, nurse sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, silver tip sharks, thresher sharks, tiger sharks, whale sharks and whitetip reef sharks.

In the following underwater video in the Solomon Islands you will see the following sharks Blacktip reef sharks, lemon shark, whitetip reef shark and grey reef shark.

Where Are The Solomon Islands?

The Solomon Islands are in the southwest Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea and northeast of Australia, and are surrounded by the Solomon Sea.

How To Get To Solomon Islands Liveaboards

Liveaboards depart from Honiara in the Solomon Islands, and Honiara has an international airport (HIR) with flights from the UK, the US and Australia to name a few. You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to the boat and some liveaboards charge for airport transfers.

Where Is The Best Diving In The Solomon Islands?

One of the best dives in the Solomon Islands is Leru Cut, which is a long passage 12 metres (39 feet) deep cut into Russell island. At points of the Leru Cut dive it is just wide enough for a diver and is open to the air at the top where it is lit by slanting shafts of sunlight similar to cenotes.

The following video is a dive on Leru Cut from the Solomons PNG Master liveaboard.

Where Can You Dive In The Solomon Islands?

The best diving in the Solomon Islands visited by Solomon Islands liveaboards include dive sites Russell Islands’ Leru Cut, Florida Islands, Mary Island, Marovo Lagoon, Tulagi, Munda, Guadalcanal and wreck dives including the USS Aaron Ward, Hirokawa Maru, Kinugawa Maru and Kysyu Maru.

Solomon Islands Wreck Diving

The Hirokawa Maru Wreck Dive

The Hirokawa Maru dive starts at 3-5 metres (10-16 feet) and drops to 50-56 metres (164-184 feet). The Hirokawa Maru was a 6,872 ton armed transporter, located off Bonegi Beach west of Honiara, Solomon Islands and can be penetrated, but to see the whole wreck it is best dived by technical diver.

The wreck is covered in hard and soft corals and sea fans too, which can be see in the following video of the Hirokawa Maru wreck

The USS Aaron Ward Wreck Dive

The USS Aaron Ward is a deep dive at between 60-70 metres (197-230 feet) The USS Aaron Ward was a Gleaves-class destroyer and was sunk on 7 April 1943 by Japanese air attack in World War II.

I hope you enjoyed this page about Solomon Islands liveaboard diving

I’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your adventures of diving and snorkeling, in the comments below. Please also share your photos. Either from your underwater cameras or videos from your waterproof Gopro’s!

If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions either about snorkeling or scuba diving (or specifically about Solomon Islands liveaboard diving), please comment below with your questions.

There will also be many more articles about scuba diving (and snorkeling) for you to read and learn about these fabulous sports.

Have fun and be safe!

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