The Bismarck Archipelago

Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Sea, Highlands of New Guinea, Coral Sea and Expectation Strait; names that conjure images of green-crowned islands jumbled in topaz seas, reefs full of improbably colourful fish just metres from the white sand that leads from your door, of huge iridescent butterflies, dazzling kingfishers, and colourful flocks of noisy parrots. It is no illusion of paradise though, for the reality is even better! This tour features one of the world’s pre-eminent dive lodges and two superb small island resorts. A combination of some of the world’s best snorkelling and an exotic and beautiful land-based fauna and flora is our aim.

Marvelling at orchids and Nicobar Pigeons on Restorff Island in the morning, snorkelling with Jewel Damsels and scintillating shoals of Purple Anthias in the afternoon. On another day, photographing spinning Spinner Dolphins in the bay then snorkelling amongst sea fans watching Sunset Wrasse drift amongst many coloured Christmas Tree Worms. Later the same day we can marvel at Melanesian Megapode nests in the steaming soils of luxuriant Garu. New Britain is one of the most volcanically active areas in the world. It would hardly be a surprise should a dinosaur materialise through the steam that rises from forest rivers whose waters are almost too hot to stand in!

New Ireland’s gorgeous Lissenung Island lies amid a series of lagoons and islands that seem to go on for ever, their reefs of incredible beauty and diversity. The majority of the world’s coral species are found in these seas, and marine scientists are still only just getting to grips with the fish diversity. For us the first thing that will become apparent is the beauty of the corals, the starfish, the clams, the nudibranchs, the shrimps, and of course, the fish. We’ll see the amazing Mandarinfish, elegant Crocodilian Longtoms, shoals of Bluestreak Fusilier, huge Humphead Wrasse, Anchor Tuskfish, Map Puffer, Giant Sea Cucumber, Smashing Mantis Shrimp, and a dozen species of Butterflyfish. We’ll encounter Melon-headed Whales, some of the largest Birdwing butterflies in the world, and a very long list of endemic and beautiful birds such as Black-headed Paradise Kingfisher, colourful Eastern Black-capped Lory, and the fabulous Blue-eyed Cockatoo.

An extension takes us into the Highlands of New Guinea where we’ll meet the incomparable Birds of Paradise as well as immersing ourselves in the extraordinary cultural diversity of the Highland tribes. Highlights will be Princess Stephanie’s Astrapia, metre-long Black Sicklebills, and both King of Saxony and Raggiana’s Birds of Paradise displaying.