We departed Alotau, anchoring for the night at Killerton Islands, close to the mouth of Milne Bay. Thursday morning, a pod of bottlenose dolphins swam beneath a rainbow towards the mangroves. We moved on towards Raven Channel, a site we know well from our previous times here. A large pod of spinner dolphins clustered around the bow as we moved towards our anchorage.

spinner dolphins on our bow

By afternoon, we were immersed on the reef we had previously named ‘Magic Spot’. Indeed, it still is magical! We conducted a Vitareef study here while also making observation dives at several nearby sites including one called ‘the Lighthouse’. Strong currents raged over these reeftops at times, turtles floated through, small anthias danced in the water’s movements, napoleon wrasse drifted by, and a pufferfish permitted close scrutiny.

We spent four days at this anchorage, moving on Monday to the Julian Reefs, off the west coast of the mountainous Normanby Island. These reefs are a series of underwater ridges forming a broken barrier reef system. There was hardly any current here and without the cooling effects of constantly moving bodies of water, there was a significant amount of bleaching. We conducted a bleaching transect and counted 55% of colonies bleached within the 80 square metre zone. However, the reef is still breathtaking. The wall is fairly steep, almost vertical in places, and the reef top is a picture postcard of table Acroporas interspersed with a dazzling array of other genera.

despite a substantial amount of bleaching.....

...the reeftops at Julian Reefs were breathtaking

As we brought the ship through the channel between Normanby and Goodenough Island, clouds rolled down the steep volcanic masses, enshrouding areas of pristine forest. Sailing canoes passed us by. We moved through the channel with Dobu in sight at the end of it. This is an extraordinary looking island – steep green ridges rising from cliffs above sea level to a plateau. A strong current rushed past Heraclitus and we watched as canoes paddled steadily against it to return home.

the extraordinary form of Dobu

The underwater excitement here is at a dive site called ‘the bubble bath’ – volcanic vents steam off in the shallows beneath Dobu beside coral bommies and a seagrass bed. Above water, friends were made in these new waters for us, including Jericho who will be part of the team leading a party of sailing canoes in the festival at the end of the year. Kula and sailing cultures are strong here - one going in hand with the other.

inter island transport in the d'Entrecasteaux Islands