Tawali - Milne Bay
Tawali is a solid pick for divers looking to explore Milne Bay’s diverse underwater scene. It’s particularly strong for those who appreciate both wide-angle reefscapes and the smaller critters of muck diving. We’ve found their local guides are exceptionally good at spotting things you’d otherwise swim straight past. If you’re keen on wall dives adorned with colossal elephant ear sponges or prefer the thrill of a drift dive, Tawali serves as an excellent base for accessing both. Visiting in September often brings a good chance of encountering manta rays, which is always a bonus.
- Location
- Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -10.333333, 150.583330
Dive Sites Near Tawali
Tawali provides access to 12 dive sites in Milne Bay.
- ADMIRAL WILEY - 0m (wreck)
- American PT Cruisers
- Banana Bommie (reef)
- BlackJack
- Dart Reefs (reef)
- Dinah’s Beach
- Dorasi Shoal (pinnacle)
- Lauadi
- Milne Bay - 5-20m (reef)
- Paradise Point (cenote)
- Pocklington Reef (reef)
- The Joelle
Other Dive Centres in Milne Bay
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)
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 Marine Life
- 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
Recommended Packing List for Milne Bay
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