Albatross Channel
Dive site
Albatross Channel is Kavieng's most celebrated dive, a wide ocean pass between New Ireland and Nago Island where tidal currents concentrate manta rays, sharks and open-water pelagics year-round. Oceanic manta rays are the headline attraction — they rise to cleaning stations on the channel walls and then glide back into the blue mid-water column, sometimes in groups of 6 or more. Grey reef sharks patrol the drop-offs in numbers, and schools of barracuda and yellowfin tuna pass through on the stronger tides. Divers typically tuck into a reef corner and hold position while the current delivers the show. This is one of the most reliably productive manta sites in the Pacific.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 40 m
Advanced depths
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 40 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
27 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong |
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