These pictures were taken in October of 2001 while on the dive boat Tiata. Our route took us from Rabaul on the island of New Britain to New Ireland, up to Kavieng and New Hanover, then to Djaul Island and back to Rabaul.

The diving in Papua New Guinea is some of the best I have seen anywhere in the world. The reefs there are unspoiled and the fish populations are healthy. There was a lot of action during World War II around New Guinea and the seas there are littered with all kinds of wrecks: ships, submarines and aircraft.

It is truly a diver's and photographer's paradise.

All photos were taken with an Olympus 4040 digital camera in a Tetra housing. Underwater light was provided by two Sea & Sea YS-120 strobes.

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Map of Papua New Guinea	Sunrise off Rabaul. The mountains you see are volcanos.	School of Chevron Barracuda at Djaul Island	The barracudas form their school into a circle	The circle is complete

Heller's Barracuda at Chapman's Reef, New Hanover	School of Batfish at Taun, New Hanover	Blue-Spotted Stingray out hunting at night	Kevin Baldwin, Tiata's owner, gives a briefing	A well-camouflaged Crocodile Fish off New Ireland

A close-up of the Crocodile Fish	Silvertip Shark near New Hanover	Another Silvertip	Native canoes, New Ireland, bringing fresh produce	An Emperor Angelfish, one of my favorites

A Lyretail Rockcod hides in a sea fan	Damselfish hovering over the coral	Noel Taylor and a large Cuttlefish, New Ireland	Japanese 'Kate' torpedo bomber from WWII	Japanese 3-man mini sub, sunk during WWII

Diver and the torpedo tubes on the sub	Diver and the hatch + conning tower of the sub	The Tiata at Djual Island	The reef with Djaul Island in the background	A Regal Angelfish at Djaul Island

A Clown Triggerfish	A colorful Hermit Crab	Lionfish on the wall at Chemisso Pass, New Ireland	The wall at Chapman's Reef	A pair of Clown Anenomefish at home

Cup Corals at night	An afternoon at Djaul Island	A Moray Eel hiding in the coral	Soft coral and a Longnose Hawkfish	A local kid watches me pass beneath his canoe

The crew of the Tiata: Steve, Micah, Kevin and Joe	A large school of Pennantfish	A Sweetlips at Chapman's Reef, New Hanover	An intoxicated Hawksbill Turtle near New Hanover	A Trevally (or Jack), about 2 feet long

A Lionfish out hunting at night

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