Distinguished Marine Scientist Inspects Reefs of Kimbe Bay -Papua New Guinea
Noted coral reef researcher, Professor Charles Vernon, recently visited the Kimbe Bay area of New Britain Island in Papua New Guinea to observe the coral reefs and shared this observation: "The coral reefs of Kimbe Bay take me back forty years, to a time when corals grew in lush profusion, untroubled by all the problems that beset them today. A short boat ride from Walindi Resort and I am diving on reefs that have half of the coral species of the world, all awaiting those rare photo opportunities that come only with the clearest water. I am hard pressed to think of anywhere on earth that has this combination of vibrant health, diversity and beauty."
There are 799 species of coral that have been identified and cataloged to date in the world. Prof. Vernon had recorded 410 unique species observations in two days of diving in Kimbe Bay alone. Professor Vernon is the former chief scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, he has earned five university degrees in different fields, and is the world's most widely published reef scientist. He is the author of the three-volume series "Corals of the World." Professor Vernon was invited to deliver the keynote address on corals at the recent Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia.
For the past thirty years, New Britain Island has been explored by the Dancer Fleet's local partners Max Benjamin and Capt. Alan Raabe. Literally every dive site visited in this area was discovered by one of them. Today their extensive explorations of this area within the Bismarck Sea allow divers to explore these incredibly diverse waters in numerous ways. The M/V Star Dancer and her sister operations the Walindi Plantation Resort and the M/V Febrina all allow guests to dive in Kimbe Bay.
On board the M/V Star Dancer the Kimbe Bay area is visited on the North Coast Itinerary which also features the Witu Islands and Fathers Reef and the Walindi/Rabaul itineraries which feature Fathers Reef and the historic Rabaul area where WWII artifacts can be seen both above and below the surface.
The M/V Star Dancer is part of the Peter Hughes Diving's Dancer Fleet which offers world class liveaboard adventures. For more details on how you can dive the incredible reefs of Kimbee Bay, visit our website at www.peterhughes.com and click on "Star Dancer."
