Peak Mar–May, Aug–Dec
Reef mantas
Mantas are most reliable from March to May and August to December (Dive The World), at Devil’s Highway in the Florida Islands and the cleaning stations of Marovo (Dive The World; ISRA Charapoana Passage).
1,019fish species in the Marovo–Tetepare area (UNESCO Tentative List)
53ships sunk in Iron Bottom Sound (Pacific Wrecks)
700 km²Marovo Lagoon, ringed by a double barrier reef (Wikipedia)
28–30 °Cwater all year (Dive The World)
Why the Solomons
The Solomon Islands are six major islands and hundreds of smaller ones east of New Guinea; sources give 992 or more than 1,000 small islands (Wikipedia). They sit in the Coral Triangle, and in the Marovo–Tetepare area alone a 2004 survey found 1,019 fish species (UNESCO Tentative List). Marovo Lagoon, 700 km² in the New Georgia Islands, is the world’s largest double-barrier enclosed lagoon (Wikipedia), and is on UNESCO’s Tentative List as part of the Marovo–Tetepare Complex (UNESCO Tentative List).
This guide covers three areas. Iron Bottom Sound and the Florida Islands (Nggela), just north of Guadalcanal, hold the wrecks of the 1942–43 Guadalcanal campaign (Wikipedia; Wikipedia). The Russell Islands, about 48 km northwest of Guadalcanal, were a US base from 1943 (Wikipedia) and are known for caverns like Leru Cut and the dumped equipment at White Beach (PADI). Marovo has the reef sharks and manta cleaning stations of its passes (ISRA Charapoana Passage; ISRA Gatokae).
The islands at a glance
Where the areas in this guide are, and what each is known for. The guide covers Iron Bottom Sound and the Florida Islands, the Russell Islands, Mary Island and Marovo Lagoon.
- 1
Guadalcanal and Honiara
The largest island, with the capital, Honiara (Wikipedia), where Allied forces landed on 7 August 1942 (Wikipedia). Along its north coast: the Bonegi transports you walk to from the beach, the B-17 “Bessie the Jap Basher” and the submarine I-1 off Kamimbo Bay (Pacific Wrecks; Emperor Divers; Pacific Wrecks).
In this guide: Wrecks
- 2
Iron Bottom Sound and Savo
The water between Guadalcanal, the Florida Islands and Savo, named by Allied sailors for the ships and planes that sank there (Wikipedia): 53 ships went down in the Guadalcanal campaign (Pacific Wrecks). Most lie far below diving depth. On Savo, Melanesian megapodes seem to lay eggs all year (Wikipedia).
- 3
Florida Islands (Nggela) and Tulagi
Just north of Guadalcanal. Tulagi, once the British administrative centre, is now the capital of Central Province (Wikipedia). The Mavis flying boats, the Catalina, HMNZS Moa and USS Kanawha lie around it (Pacific Wrecks; Indo Pacific Images; Pacific Wrecks; Pacific Wrecks); Twin Tunnels has lava tubes and grey reef sharks, and Devil’s Highway a manta colony (Dive The World).
In this guide: Wrecks · Sharks & Rays
- 4
Russell Islands
Pavuvu, Mbanika and smaller volcanic islets about 48 km northwest of Guadalcanal; the US Navy built a base here in 1943 (Wikipedia). Known for Leru Cut, a canyon that runs into the middle of an island; Mirror Pond, a cave into a jungle pool with archerfish; and White Beach, where wartime trucks and jeeps were pushed off the jetty (PADI; Indo Pacific Images). Saltwater crocodiles are reported in the ponds (DAN Alert Diver).
- 5
Mary Island (Mborokua)
A small island about 65 km southeast of Nggatokae (UNESCO Tentative List). Barracuda Point, Jack Point and Ben’s Point are known for schools of barracuda and bigeye jacks, bumphead parrotfish, sharks and turtles (Dive The World); flame angelfish and red-spotted blennies are reported in the shallows (DAN Alert Diver).
In this guide: Fish
- 6
Marovo Lagoon
A 700 km² lagoon between Vangunu and Nggatokae, protected by a double barrier reef: the largest double-barrier enclosed lagoon in the world (Wikipedia). Grey reef sharks gather at Uepi Point and the Uepi jetty (Divernet (Uepi)); in Charapoana Passage reef mantas visit a cleaning station and newborn blacktip sharks live in the shallows (ISRA Charapoana Passage).
In this guide: Sharks & Rays
- 7
Nggatokae: Kicha, Malemale and Mbulo
A steep volcanic island on the southeast edge of Marovo. Off Kicha, Malemale and Mbulo, grey reef and whitetip sharks are seen at 10–40 m, with the highest whitetip count recorded anywhere in the Solomons (ISRA Gatokae); walls covered in gorgonians, and lava-tube swim-throughs at Mbulo (Dive The World).
In this guide: Sharks & Rays
- 8
Munda and Roviana Lagoon
Outside this guide’s focus. Munda on New Georgia has plane wrecks, an hour’s flight from Honiara (PADI); Roviana Lagoon has reef sites such as Mbigo Mbigo and Tombatuni, with blacktip reef sharks (DAN Alert Diver).
- 9
Gizo
Outside this guide’s focus. Gizo has the Toa Maru, a 130 m Japanese transport at 7–37 m with trucks and bottles in the holds (Divernet).
Choose your dive
Five field pages, with where and when to look for each and links to go deeper.
When to go for what
Pick a month to see what is at its peak. The Solomons are dived all year, with water at 28–30 °C and visibility of 20–40 m in every season (Dive The World). Sources differ on the rains: one gives a wet season from November to April and a dry season from May to October (DAN Alert Diver), another a rainy season from December to April, wettest in March (Dive The World). Outer reefs can exceed 30 m of visibility, while silty lagoons drop to about 10 m (DAN Alert Diver). Check conditions with your operator before booking.
Peak Jun–Sep
Reef sharks
Reef sharks are seen all year, often more from June to September (Dive The World).
Peak Dec
Bait balls off Nggatokae
Grey reef sharks have been filmed feeding on bait balls around December off the east side of Nggatokae (ISRA Gatokae).
Photo Megan Applegate (Solomon Islands)
Six to know by sight
Six animals divers meet in the Solomons, with the mark that gives each away. The species pages have the full notes and sources.
Plate I
Oceania fantail ray
Taeniura lessoni
- Look for
- Blue spots like the familiar ribbontail ray, but no blue stripes along the tail.
- In the Solomons
- Described in 2016; Melanesia only.
Plate II
Grey reef shark
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos
- Look for
- A broad black band along the whole trailing edge of the tail.
- In the Solomons
- Charapoana Passage, Uepi and Kicha in Marovo; Twin Tunnels.
Plate III
Orange clownfish
Amphiprion percula
- Look for
- Orange with three white bars, every fin edged thickly in black.
- In the Solomons
- In magnificent and giant carpet anemones.
Plate IV
Pinnate batfish (juvenile)
Platax pinnatus
- Look for
- Black outlined in orange, with very long fins.
- In the Solomons
- Caves and ledges on sheltered reefs.
Plate V
Burt’s damselfish
Chrysiptera burtjonesi
- Look for
- Juveniles neon blue with orange on the lower rear body.
- In the Solomons
- Described from the Solomons in 2017; nearshore, green water.
Plate VI
Flame angelfish
Centropyge loriculus
- Look for
- Small, bright red-orange with black bars.
- In the Solomons
- Reported at about 12 m at Mary Island.
What divers report, site by site
From Pacific Wrecks, the ISRA factsheets, Dive The World, PADI, DAN and Divernet. Individual dives vary.
Mavis flying boats, Tanambogo
Japanese flying boats sunk at their moorings on 7 August 1942; Mavis 5 sits upright at 27–34 m with its cockpit intact.
Source: Pacific WrecksTwin Tunnels, Florida Islands
A pinnacle from 60 m to 12 m with two lava tubes running down to about 35 m; grey reef sharks, tuna and anemonefish.
Source: Dive The WorldDevil’s Highway, Florida Islands
A manta colony: 10 or more reef mantas of 3–5 m feeding on a good day.
Source: Dive The World; PADIBonegi I and II, Guadalcanal
Japanese transports beached in November 1942, walked into from the beach within half an hour of Honiara.
Source: Pacific Wrecks; PADILeru Cut, Russell Islands
A canyon that runs into the middle of an island, with a sandy floor at 12 m and a cavern; the photo at the top of this page was taken there.
Source: PADI; Dive The WorldMirror Pond and White Beach, Russell Islands
A cave into a jungle pool with archerfish; and a WWII dump of trucks and jeeps at 5–30 m with mandarinfish.
Source: PADI; Indo Pacific Images; Dive The WorldMary Island (Mborokua)
Barracuda Point, Jack Point and Ben’s Point: schools of barracuda and bigeye jacks, bumphead parrotfish, sharks and turtles.
Source: Dive The WorldUepi and Charapoana Passage, Marovo
Grey reef sharks on the point and at the jetty, blacktip newborns in the shallows, and a reef manta cleaning station in the passage.
Source: Divernet (Uepi); ISRA Charapoana PassageKicha and Mbulo, Nggatokae
Walls covered in gorgonians with grey reef and whitetip sharks; lava-tube swim-throughs at Mbulo.
Source: Dive The World; ISRA GatokaePhotos
Photos marked “Megan Applegate” were taken in the Solomon Islands in September 2025, except a few species she photographed in Palau, Socorro or Cocos Island, which are labelled. The frigatebird is a reference photo credited on the Birds page.
Photo Megan Applegate (Solomon Islands)
More information
Every link opens in a new tab. Each species page cites its own sources as well.
- UNESCO Tentative List — Marovo–Tetepare Complex (2008)
- Wikipedia — Solomon Islands
- Wikipedia — Marovo Lagoon
- Wikipedia — Ironbottom Sound
- Pacific Wrecks — Iron Bottom Sound
- Dive The World — Solomon Islands dive sites
- PADI — Solomon Islands diving
- DAN Alert Diver — Solomons Sojourn
- Divernet — WWII wrecks of the Solomon Islands
- Indo Pacific Images — Diving the Solomon Islands WWII wrecks
- Divernet — Top 5 dive sites of Uepi Island
- ISRA factsheet — Charapoana Passage
- ISRA factsheet — Gatokae
- Wikipedia — List of birds of the Solomon Islands