Tufi

Papua New Guinea

The offshore reefs in Tufi are great for scuba diving

The Tufi region of PNG is without doubt one of its most beautiful. Situated on the northern coast of the mainland, the area has numerous stunning fjords, stretching like huge fingers from the mainland to the sea.

The calm waters of the fjords are home to incredible macro life, and also some wrecks, while many outward facing sites have world class reefs and a wide array of large pelagics to admire.

Added into the bargain, the excellent visibility - averaging around 30m - means that Tufi really does have it all.


Highlights

» Stunning atolls and reefs
» Unusual house reef
» Stunning fjordland scenery

Tufi
Liveaboard diving asia
Liveaboard diving asia

Best diving spots

Right in front of the area's only resort, the wharf is a great muck-dive. As with many parts of Papua New Guinea, the area was a military base during the war. Under the wharf, war relics and junk are now home to an impressive array of unusual marine life. Nudibranch’s abound, as do Ghost Pipefish. Numerous other species of Pipefish are found here too, along with Frogfish & Mandarinfish and many more critters.

Go deeper and you will find two American PT Cruisers complete with live torpedoes and anti-aifcraft guns. The boats were stationed here during the war, but were sunk in a raid in 1942. There is also a curious wreck of a Land Rover, sitting as if carefully ‘parked’ at the bottom of the sea. These wrecks lie in over 40m of water and can only be explored as a decompression dive by experienced divers.

Outside of the fjord, Cyclone Reef is a great site. Here, a coral pinnacle rises from around 600m to within 5m of the surface attracting a profusion of marine life. Schools of fish hang off the reef, while numerous Sharks patrol the depths, including Grey Reef Sharks & sometimes Hammerheads. Shallower, Turtles are often seen and the beautiful corals of the reef itself hide many wonders, including the rare Weedy Scorpionfish.

Mulloway Reef is another big fish dive. This site has more than its fair share of Hammerhead sightings, plus many other sharks, huge schools of Barracuda, Tuna, Trevally, Eagle Rays & Manta Rays. The currents can be strong, but as visibility is so good, the best way to enjoy the site is often to simply hang on and watch the show.

Black Rock to the south is another great dive, with less currents than Mulloway Reef but still no shortage of pelagic action. Closer to the resort, a distinct, very friendly Manta Ray often can be found at Bev’s Reef. She also visits Marion’s Reef nearby. Both sites are lovely, easy dives with something for everyone.

On occasion, groups of experienced divers can arrange trips to the S'Jacob & Black Jack, two superb but deep WWII wrecks. The area also has many other great dive sites and almost certainly many more that have not yet even been discovered.

When to dive

It is a year-round dive destination however the spectular outer atolls can get blown out at times. The best months considered to be between November & April.

Getting there

The area can be reached by plane from Port Moresby, about an hour away. There are flights about 3 times per week.

Activities

Most activities aside from diving revolve around the area's natural beauty, including kayaking, trekking & snorkelling. Visits can also be arranged to local villages to absorb yourself in local culture.

Resort and liveaboard options

The resort, which is built in the traditional style, has 24 well appointed & comfortable rooms for guests to stay in. Due to the remote location, a stay here should be booked in advance.

Powered by GetYourGuide

You might also enjoy...

Southern Leyte

Southern Leyte may not be as famous as some of the Philippine's more celebrated diving spots, but don't let that fool you.

Leyte is the most easterly island of the Visayas region, and the island is also the least developed. It boasts exceptional scuba diving.

Currently, diving here is concentrated in Southern Leyte, which is gaining a reputation as one of the best places in the Philippines to see Whale Sharks.

Layang Layang

Layang Layang is a remote atoll in the South China Sea, around 300 kilometres off the coast of Borneo.

The 14 kilometre long atoll rises from the depths 2000 metres below, providing awesome wall diving and some great opportunities for shark lovers.

East Kalimantan

On the east coast of Kalimantan, a little south from the world famous Sipadan area, are more equally impressive, but less well-known islands & reefs.

These difficult to reach dive sites are now beginning to open up to divers - and the intrepid travelers who make it this far will not be disappointed.

Boracay

Just off the northern tip of Panay Island, south of Mindoro is the small island of Boracay.

Famed for its white, powder sand beaches - reputed to be some of the world’s best - Boracay is one of the Philippines’ most famous tourist spots and is now open to visitors once again.

The island is also one of the most popular places to learn to dive in the Philippines, with a wide range of dive sites to suit all levels.

Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park is the home of the Komodo Dragon - and also some of the best diving in Indonesia.

It is a popular liveaboard diving destination.

The national park comprises of two main islands, Komodo Island and Rinca Island, along with numerous smaller islets. These current swept islands of Komodo are home to a huge amount of diversity, wonderful coral reefs, a profusion of marine life and no shortage of pelagic action.

Kimbe Bay

Kimbe Bay is on the island of New Britain, a large island running east to west that separates the Solomon Sea to the south from the Bismark Sea to the north.

The area is known for its stunning coral formations and boasts a huge diversity of marine life, from Dolphins, Sharks and Whales to endless tiny invertebrates.