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Four orange anemonefish with a white head stripe nestled among the pale tentacles of a rust-red anemone — Rabaul & Simpson Harbour

Rabaul & Simpson Harbour · Papua New Guinea · Wall

Submarine Base

A caldera rim where wartime submarines unloaded right beside the shore

Area photo: Barry Peters from Greer, SC · CC BY 2.0

Submarine Base is a sheer drop-off a stone's throw from the shore in Rabaul Harbour, marking the edge of a submerged caldera. The wall falls away for over 250 m and is covered in sponges, sea fans and whips, and its name recalls the Japanese submarines that unloaded cargo here in the Second World War.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Submarine Base: typical dive 5–50 m (15–164 ft), deepest point 250 m (820 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit5 m50 m250 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 280 m (919 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

4.2032° S, 152.1717° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The drop-off begins only a short distance from the shore, where the edge of the submerged caldera falls away. The wall plunges for over 250 m, so there is no bottom within reach and the dive is a descent along the face, which is covered in sponges, sea fans and whip corals.

Background

The site takes its name from its wartime use. Because the drop-off lies so close to shore, Japanese submarines could come in beside the beach and unload their cargo here without revealing their position.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Submarine Base
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFair

Season follows Rabaul & Simpson Harbour: May to October is the best stretch; December to March is the wettest, though only marginally wetter than the rest of the year.

Sources

  1. Rabaul, New Ireland & New Hanover diving — Zublu
  2. Your Essential Rabaul Diving Guide — Underwater Asia
  3. OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
  4. Submarine Base, Rabaul — Dive Site Directory

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Atun Wreck

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George's Wreck

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Hakkai Maru

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Manko Maru

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Wreck

Pete's Bi-Plane

A three-bladed propeller still in place on the nose

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