Coral Triangle · Solomon Islands
Gizo
A 140-metre WWII transport ship on its side a short boat ride from town
Gizo, capital of the Solomon Islands' Western Province, is a tourism centre whose dive boats reach most sites in 10 to 30 minutes. The draw is the Toa Maru, a 140-metre Japanese WWII transport lying on its side from 7 to 37 m, backed by fighter-plane wrecks, the fish-packed reef at Grand Central Station and the macro wall at Joe's Wall. Dives run from the 5 m top of an offshore pinnacle to the wreck's 37 m.
About diving in Gizo
Diving at Gizo is done by day boat. Most sites lie 10 to 30 minutes away, so a day spends little time in transit; the Toa Maru is about twenty minutes out. Boats take no more than 8 divers each and carry oxygen. Certification cards are required for all divers, and full training is available for those without one, with the Open Water course qualifying divers to 18 m (60 ft).
The Toa Maru slopes from 7 to 37 m, and four WWII fighter planes add further wreck dives. Joe's Wall falls from 1 m to beyond 60 m with gentle current. Grand Central Station has logged over 270 fish species on a single dive, and Hot Spot draws sharks, trevally and turtles that stop to be cleaned, despite coral lost in the 2007 earthquake and tsunami.
Away from the wrecks, Kennedy Island is an outer-wall drift with huge sea fans, pygmy seahorses and pelagic fish, and Secret Spot hides a ridge at around 40 m where large sharks, rays and schools of fish rise from the deep. One Tree Island is a coral dive among hard and soft corals and large gorgonians. The water sits near 29°C all year, so no wetsuit is required.
Gizo suits divers who want wreck history and reef life in the same trip without long boat rides. Newly certified divers have the shallow Hellcat and the gentle drift along Joe's Wall, which suits beginners and experienced divers alike. Experienced divers get guided tours inside the Toa Maru and the deep ridge at Secret Spot. Repellent is recommended at dusk and dawn against malaria.
Best time to dive Gizo
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Good |
Gizo has no distinct monsoonal wet season, more than two or three days of rain in a row is rare at any time of year, and weather has not cost a day of diving in 40 years. November to April tends to be wetter and April to November drier, with a gentle south-east trade wind prevailing from April to October. November has the least wind of any month, although the air can turn muggy. Visibility averages about 20 to 24 m year round.
Best months: November
Dive types & marine life
Sharks, trevally and batfish gather where currents merge at Grand Central Station, and turtles and rays visit the Toa Maru often. Spotted eagle rays are often seen at Secret Spot, pygmy seahorses are found at Kennedy Island and Joe's Wall is famous for nudibranchs. Sharks and other pelagics come through Hot Spot on tidal swings.
- Wreck
- Wall
- Drift
- Pelagic & blue water
- Coral garden
- Reef fish swarms
- Trevally & jacks
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
- Nudibranchs
- Pygmy seahorses
- Macro critters
Best dive sites in Gizo
- 1
Toa Maru Wreck
Japanese WWII transport ship on its starboard side; guided tours enter the workshop and crew quarters.
- 2
Grand Central Station
Reef at the north-western tip of the Gizo islands where merging currents bring sharks, trevally and batfish.
- 3
Joe's Wall
Wall dropping from the shallows of a small bay, known for large nudibranchs.
- 4
American Hellcat Fighter Plane
WWII fighter plane resting completely intact in 10 m of water.
- 5
Hot Spot
Offshore pinnacle rising to 5 m from 300 to 400 m depths, with baitfish and predators on tidal swings.
- 6
Secret Spot
Drift along a reef of sea whips and fans, with spotted eagle rays in the passage.
- 7
One Tree Island
Hard and soft corals with large gorgonian sea fans and dense reef fish.
Site guides
An intact WWII fighter plane sitting in a sunlit lagoon
Grey reef sharks cruising past schools of fusiliers and jacks off the point
Wall
Large nudibranchs on a wall that begins in the sand of a small bay
Wreck
A Second World War transport lying on its side, with a workshop and crew quarters to enter
Wall
A knoll covered in yellow soft corals found nowhere else around Gizo
How to get to Gizo
Daily flights from Honiara land at Nusatupe Airport, a short boat ride from Gizo town. On Fridays the most efficient route from Australia runs Brisbane to Munda, then a 10-minute domestic flight to Gizo. One dive centre runs its boats from the shop in town, another from a resort on Mbabanga Island.
Dive videos
Gizo Scuba Diving · Great Ocean Divers on YouTube
Solomon Islands Diving, Gizo - The Gap and Pinnacle · Great Ocean Divers on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive the Toa Maru at Gizo?+
A certification card is required for every dive. The wreck slopes from 7 to 37 m, and the guided interior tours of the workshop, crew quarters and dining area are for experienced divers.
How do divers get to Gizo?+
Daily domestic flights run from Honiara to Nusatupe Airport, a short boat ride from town. On Fridays there is a route from Brisbane to Munda followed by a 10-minute flight to Gizo.
When is the best month to dive Gizo?+
Diving runs all year with no monsoon season, and weather has not cost a day of diving in 40 years. November has the least wind; April to November tends to be drier, with a gentle south-east trade wind from April to October.
Sources
- Dive & Snorkel - Dive Gizo — Dive Gizo
- Dive - Fatboys — Fatboys Resort
- FAQs - Dive Gizo — Dive Gizo
- Gizo & Solomon Islands - Dive Gizo — Dive Gizo
- Gizo Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
- Toa Maru Wreck — Dive Gizo
- Joe's Wall — Dive Gizo
- Grand Central Station — Dive Gizo
- American Hellcat Fighter Plane — Dive Gizo
- Hot Spot — Dive Gizo
- Secret Spot — Dive Gizo
- One Tree Island — Dive Gizo
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