Marovo Lagoon - Gizo & Western Province
Marovo Lagoon holds its own, a massive saltwater expanse that's quite impressive when you consider its scale. Dive in and you're often drifting along a sandy channel, keeping an eye out for pipefish, nudibranchs, and crocodilefish camouflaged against the bottom. The real draw, though, is the sheer volume of fish; they mass in numbers that can genuinely block out the light sometimes. We’ve seen mobula rays glide through here too, and the coral diversity on the channel edges is something to appreciate. It's a great spot for divers who enjoy a relaxed drift and aren't chasing big pelagics every time.
- Location
- Gizo & Western Province, Solomon Islands, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -8.383300, 157.983300
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Variparui Island
Nearby Dive Sites in Gizo & Western Province
- Abyss’ Triggerfish - 20m (wall)
- Aichi D3A ’Val’ (Wreck) - 26m (wreck)
- Aussie Point - 21m (reef)
- Bell P39 Airacobra (Wreck) - 26m (wreck)
- Bilikiki - 20m
- Castaway Island - 16m (reef)
- CATHAY - 0m (wreck)
- Cave of the Kastom Shark - 32m (cave)
- Coral Corner - 21m (reef)
- Douglas SBD Dauntless (Wreck) - 16m (wreck)
- Grand Central Station
- Haipe Reef - 27m (reef)
- Heron’s Wall - 18m (wall)
- Lumbaria Island - 9m (reef)
- Mbelo Mbelo - 25m
Nearest Dive Centres to Marovo Lagoon
Marine Life in Gizo & Western Province
Home to 304 recorded species including 261 reef fish, 13 hard corals, 11 sea cucumbers, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 clams & mussels, 3 sharks & rays.
Notable Species
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Dusky Parrotfish (Scarus niger) - Reef Fish
- Mimic Surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Bleeker's Parrotfish (Chlorurus bleekeri) - Reef Fish
- Indo-Pacific sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis) - Reef Fish
- Kihikihi (Zanclus cornutus) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus) - Reef Fish
- Redfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus) - Reef Fish
- Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Parrotfish (Scarus oviceps) - Reef Fish
- Saddled Parrotfish (Scarus dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly fish (Chaetodon vagabundus) - Reef Fish
- Double-bar Goatfish (Parupeneus crassilabris) - Reef Fish
- Horned Bannerfish (Heniochus varius) - Reef Fish
- Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) - Reef Fish
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels