BlackJack - Milne Bay
BlackJack in Milne Bay is the kind of site that makes you pinch yourself, or at least wonder if you’ve somehow stumbled onto a movie set. It’s a B-17 bomber, completely intact, sitting on the seabed like it just landed there a moment ago. We’re talking about a plane draped in sponges and soft corals, with fusiliers swirling around the wings and snappers peeking out from the bomb bay. Exploring the cockpit or the gun turrets, seeing the gauges still in place, it’s a genuinely eerie and incredible feeling. This is a bucket-list wreck for any diver who appreciates history and aviation, a truly remarkable dive.
- Location
- Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -10.300000, 150.850000
Best Time to Dive in Milne Bay
The warmest water temperatures in Milne Bay occur in January, averaging 31.0°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 31.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 31.0°C (air: 28.1°C)
- February: 31.0°C (air: 28.0°C)
- March: 31.0°C (air: 28.1°C)
- April: 31.0°C (air: 27.8°C)
- May: 31.0°C (air: 27.6°C)
- June: 31.0°C (air: 27.1°C)
- July: 31.0°C (air: 26.8°C)
- August: 31.0°C (air: 26.6°C)
- September: 31.0°C (air: 26.8°C)
- October: 31.0°C (air: 27.4°C)
- November: 31.0°C (air: 27.8°C)
- December: 31.0°C (air: 28.2°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Milne Bay
- ADMIRAL WILEY - 0m (wreck)
- American PT Cruisers
- Banana Bommie (reef)
- Dart Reefs (reef)
- Dinah’s Beach
- Dorasi Shoal (pinnacle)
- Lauadi
- Milne Bay - 5-20m (reef)
- Paradise Point (cenote)
- Pocklington Reef (reef)
- The Joelle
Nearest Dive Centres to BlackJack
Marine Life in Milne Bay
Home to 254 recorded species including 208 reef fish, 12 sea cucumbers, 8 hard corals, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 6 sharks & rays, 5 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Burrowing urchin (Echinometra mathaei) - Sea Urchins
- Black Marlin (Istiompax indica) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Dusky Parrotfish (Scarus niger) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Redfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus) - Reef Fish
- Blackedge thicklip wrasse (Hemigymnus melapterus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly fish (Chaetodon vagabundus) - Reef Fish
- Bear Paw Clam (Hippopus hippopus) - Clams & Mussels
- Bleeker's Parrotfish (Chlorurus bleekeri) - Reef Fish
- Boring Clam (Tridacna crocea) - Clams & Mussels
- Saddled Parrotfish (Scarus dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Kihikihi (Zanclus cornutus) - Reef Fish
- Saddleback Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium) - Reef Fish
- Banded-tail Coral-cod (Cephalopholis urodeta) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for BlackJack
Based on average water temperature of 31.0°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 31°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories