Madang & the North Coast · Papua New Guinea · Wall · Drift
The Quarry
Silvertip sharks on a sheer wall a few metres from shore
The Quarry is a stretch of north coast reef that, only metres from shore, drops at a near vertical angle to just over 600 m. A strong, unpredictable current runs along it, and silvertip sharks are a regular sight here, set apart from the sleeker reef sharks by their thick bodies.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Madang & the North Coast and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The current here changes direction with depth, and on some days the dive uses that: divers drift south along the wall at 30 m, then rise to 18 m and drift back north. Silvertips, with their thick barrel-like bodies, are a common sight off the wall. Over the top of the reef grow many species of dendrophyllia corals, above all giant barrel-shaped Turbinaria frondens, some more than a metre across.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
Season follows Madang & the North Coast: Diving runs all year; May to October brings the heaviest rain and run-off that clouds the sites nearest the mainland.
Know before you go
- The current is strong and unpredictable, and its direction can differ from one depth to the next.
Questions divers ask
How is a drift dive at The Quarry planned?+
Around the current, which can run in different directions at different depths. On some days divers go south at 30 m, then move up to 18 m and ride the opposite current back north.
Sources
- The Quarry — Niugini Dive Adventures
- Dive Sites — Niugini Dive Adventures
More dive sites in Madang & the North Coast
Wreck
Machine guns still in the nose, midships and tail of a 1943 bomber
Wall
Hooded epaulette sharks tucked under ledges on a current-fed wall
Wreck
Office items and big refrigerators still sitting in the holds
Wreck
The remains of a truck still lying in the cargo hold
Channel & pass
A wall of big-eye trevally closing around divers on the turning tide
Seamount
Grey reef sharks on patrol and hammerheads in the deeper water
Similar dives elsewhere
The corner where Cabilao's sharks are seen, wall to plateau to wall
Whip corals along a drifted wall, with bumpheads passing
An amphitheatre-shaped wall worked by reef sharks
Twenty or more grey reef sharks off the ridge on a single dive