REGINA M (PROBABLY)

Best months: Jul–Oct

Protected Area

Tulagi Island

Why dive here

With 391+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, humpback whales and orcas - REGINA M (PROBABLY) offers some of Iron Bottom Sound's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 29-31°C, warmest January, April, December.

Best timeJul–Oct

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBarracuda, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Humpback Whales and Orcas · 391+ species recorded

Water29-31°C · warmest January, April, December

CharacterWreck dive · max 1m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Regina M, or what we strongly suspect is the Regina M, offers a wonderfully accessible wreck experience, though it's barely a dive. This motor vessel, driven ashore in Honiara Harbour during Cyclone Namu in '86, sits with most of its hull visible above the waterline. We love it because it’s a brilliant snorkel or even just a wade, perfect for a surface interval or when you want a break from deeper dives but still crave that history hit. You can really explore the remains up close here. Head to the stern, where the prop shaft is still largely intact, and peer into the engine room space. Schools of tiny silversides often shimmer around the shadowed sections, and we’ve spotted small pufferfish poking around the barnacle-encrusted plates. It's a great spot to see how quickly tropical fish colonise even the shallowest structure. Our favourite time to visit is late afternoon, as the sun dips, casting long shadows across the rusty steel.