Florida Islands Coral Gardens

The Florida Islands (Nggela Group) form a sheltered inner bay system just north of Guadalcanal and Honiara, offering the most accessible reef diving in Iron Bottom Sound. The coral gardens here were remarkably resilient to bleaching events that damaged reefs further south, and hard coral coverage on the protected inner slopes remains dense and diverse. Maze corals, table Acropora, and giant sea fans compete for space alongside rich invertebrate communities including ornate ghost pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish, and rare rhinopias scorpionfish. The passage between the islands generates gentle currents that aggregate feeding fusiliers and attract hunting trevally. Being the closest quality reef dive to Honiara — under 45 minutes by boat — the Florida Islands are frequently visited for half-day trips and are suitable for all certification levels.