Legendary Milne Bay: Scuba Diving Papua New Guinea aboard M/V Chertan

Tanya G. Burnett

With well over 800 distinct languages, Papua New Guinea’s diversity isn’t limited to its waters.

While anchored at a dive site called Gona Bara Bara, iconic Milne Bay dive explorer Rob Van der Loos warned us of a difficult choice to come: We’d either have to use a macro lens to capture some of the region’s smallest indigenous subjects or one suitable for shooting reef mantas at a cleaning station — all on the same dive.

“Thanks, Rob — we’d better do this dive twice,” I mumbled in mock annoyance through my regulator as I rolled in with my macro rig to discover a muck-diving wonderland. It was indeed replete with a big bommie, which lures majestic mantas to a salon staffed by wrasse, who enthusiastically tend to their visiting clientele.

In response to my lens choice, the local divemasters Junior and Seba exhibited some uncanny critter-finding ability, and seemed on a mission to impress me. The mantas were soon forgotten once they showed me rare nudibranchs no bigger than my fingernail but every bit as resplendent as New Guinea’s spectacular forest-dwelling birds of paradise.

Also hidden in that verdant greenery, which runs from mountain to shoreline, are the numerous villages of Milne Bay, where the drum of life still beats to an ancient rhythm. The area has long been considered one of the world’s top 10 diving destinations, but to come all the way to PNG and explore only beneath the waves would be to forgo a cultural experience that’s rapidly vanishing elsewhere. This island nation has more unique cultures scattered around its rugged terrain than any other place on Earth — the 850-some distinct languages and tribes hint at a diversity unknown else- where in the world. The region near Milne Bay offers a wonderful introduction to this nation and a few of its many fascinating peoples.

A visit to the local markets and at least one village is a must. I’m on a special mission to obtain one of the region’s most prized possessions, a necklace called a bagi, made of a string of hand-cut, smoothed and drilled shell pieces of different red tones. The adornment can grow quite elaborate from a simple start, and since these bagi are used as dowries and to signify status in life, they are not taken lightly. Using respectful interaction and hand gestures, I found a woman who was willing to barter for just such a treasure. We both came away very proud of our bounty, and I was quite sure I wouldn’t see anyone else wearing my bagi back home.

Back aboard M/V Chertan, our afternoon was replete with warm tea and fish tales of the nudi that got away. This 60-foot purpose-built liveaboard is almost as famous as Milne Bay itself. With only five double cabins and several dive guides, it’s small enough to feel like I’ve hopped a private charter but big enough to be comfy. Countless divers have stared out at mist-shrouded islands from these decks and dreamed of the dives to come: Little China, Tania’s, Deacon’s Reef, Samurai Wharf and so many more. These are the hallowed names of a near-mythical place and, just by being here, these dives are part of my myth now.

Ready to Dive? Visit: chertan.com

Not sure what to pack on a liveaboard? Check out these Essential Items for Liveaboard Diving.