Girls Only: Marine Education Solomons Liveaboard Trip

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Price: From USD 6114 pp

Travel dates: 05 Sep 25 to 15 Sep 25

Book between: 16 Feb 25 and 31 Jul 25

Learn more about marine life with a Fish ID course!

Join Carmen Toanchina and Rianne Poesse on a Girls Only Scuba Holidays (GOSH) liveaboard trip in the Solomon Islands!

GOSH trips are designed to bring together female divers with a shared passion for marine life, offering the opportunity to travel, learn, and dive together. These trips will offer women a chance to expand their knowledge of marine ecosystems, participate in the REEF citizen science program, and contribute to conservation efforts. Beyond diving and education, GOSH trips create meaningful connections, allowing women to share unforgettable experiences with like-minded divers who are equally passionate about the ocean.

This escorted group tour on the Solomons Master will take you to the very best dive sites in the Solomons, and you’ll have two of the best in the business to guide you.

Carmen, with her extensive knowledge as a former Cruise Director in this region, shares her passion for the marine life of the Solomon Islands. She offers engaging presentations and, for those interested, an the opportunity to complete a REEF Fish ID course. Rianne Poesse is an extremely well-travelled diver, and will add a creative element, with a workshop on making Instagram and TikTok Reels.

Diving in the Solomon Islands is a true voyage of discovery with a wide variety of underwater landscapes. During this trip, up to 34 dives are on offer as well as two exciting land excursions, so you will not only explore the beautiful underwater world, but also experience the culture and nature of the islands. Divers will also receive a goodie bag that includes a REEF starter kit (for the fish ID surveys) and a Mask Strap.

This trip is perfect for women who want to enjoy themselves with like-minded diving enthusiasts. The atmosphere of this trip, free of men, creates a unique dynamic where sociability and adventure go hand in hand.

Classic Twin Cabin – USD 5.656 | 3 spots left

Located on the lower deck, this cabin offers a private bathroom and individually controlled air conditioning, with two single beds for up to 2 guests. Includes bathrobes and extra towels.

Premium Twin Cabin – USD 6.128 | 2 Spots left

Located on the main deck, this cabin offers a private bathroom and individually controlled air conditioning, with two single beds for up to 2 guests. Includes bathrobes and extra towels.

What’s Included:

• 10 Nights in a Classic Twin
• Accommodation on full board basis
• Return transfers Honiara Airport – Coral Sea Resort – Liveaboard
• Dive package consisting of approximately 34 dives

Excluded:

• Flights, marine park and port fees (AUD 380)
• Equipment hire
• Nitrox
• WiFi

Best travel time for a diving vacation to the Solomon Islands

The best time to dive the Solomon Islands is generally during the dry season, which runs from April to October. During these months, conditions are generally the most stable, with clearer water and less chance of rain. Water temperatures remain pleasantly warm year-round, usually between 26°C and 29°C (79°F – 84°F). During the dry season, the seas tend to be calmer, which is ideal for diving and underwater visibility.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 | Today you arrive in the Solomon Islands. After a flight from Brisbane or Nadi (Fiji), you will arrive in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. We meet at the Coral Sea Resort, where we get acquainted. At 6 p.m. we will be picked up by the crew to board the liveaboard. Here we receive a briefing, install ourselves in our cabins and enjoy our first dinner on board. Late in the evening, the boat sets sail for the Russel Islands. NB: The route description below is a sample itinerary. Depending on, among other things, weather conditions, there maybe deviations from the daily program.

Day 2 | Russell Islands
Arriving in the Russell Islands, we start our first check-out dive at an impressive underwater WW2 base(White Beach). Here we discover an abundance of marine life such as archerfish, ornate ghost pipefish and sometimes hard to spot red-eyed gobies. Colorful nudibranchs, possibly squid and octopus, lurk among the WW2 tanks, pontoons and hundreds of munitions. We also make the second dive at White Beach, but in a different section. After White Beach, we sail on to Rainbow Reef – a colorful and vibrant marine mont with healthy reefs where schools of milkfish, barracuda and rainbow runners congregate. The last day of diving we dive at Karamulon Reef – a twilight dive on this reef offers one of the most enchanting scenes, especially when mating behavior occurs.

Day 3 | Russell Islands
We will stay with the Russell Islands for a while, starting this morning with two of the most stunning dive sites. Mirror Pond is known for its crystal clear waters and passageways sometimes inhabited by a saltwater crocodile. Next, we explore Leru Cut, an iconic dive site in the Solomon Islands. After these unforgettable experiences, we continue to Custom Cave for an in-depth exploration. In the evening, a special dive awaits us at NE Mane, where we may witness enchanting mating behavior in the underwater world of Karamulon Reef. This promises to be another day of breathtaking discoveries in this beautiful archipelago.

Day 4 | Mary Island
In favourable weather, we sail to remote Mary Island, known for its huge schools of jacks and barracudas, and sightings of Manta Rays and Hammerheads. The dive sites Mary’s Bommies have rich fish life, where we may see the shy Fire Emperor. Dive sites include Jack Point, Barracuda Point and Mary’s Bommies.

Day 5 | Morovo Lagoon
Today we explore Morovo Lagoon, the largest saltwater lagoon in the world. We begin by diving at a spot near an underwater volcano, where we can hear the rumbling of the volcano, despite it being 26 miles away. Other dive sites include Kitcha, Kavachi Sea Fans and Male Male. After diving, we visit Peava Village, where we visit a small school and a market with wooden sculptures. Don’t forget to bring cash and school supplies to support the school. We’d love to tell you more about our Pack for a purpose initiative.

Day 6 | Mbulo Island
Today we move the boat to the beautiful heart-shaped island, Mbulo Island (Mbulo means heart). This island offers three different dives with unique topography and one of the most amazing underwater cathedrals, where light penetrates from different angles, creating a magical cathedral feel. Here we also see beautiful giant clams, healthy coral gardens and the paddlefin cardinalfish (Carmen’s favorite). These dive sites continue to fascinate, time after time.

Day 7 | Russell Islands
We sail overnight to the Russell Islands and begin the day at Karamulon Point that sometimes has a lot of current, which means more fish, possible sharks and eagle rays. After the first dive, we will visit the islanders of Karamulon, who will perform a beautiful traditional dance for us, displaying their artistic dancing and singing skills. The night dive at White Beach offers something special: the rare Pocket Lampfish. This fish is visible only if you turn off your flashlight to see its bioluminescent organ glowing under its eye. Hopefully they are waiting for us.

Day 8 | Florida Islands
On our return trip, we stop at the Florida Islands. We start the day with a swim at Baby Cakes and spend the afternoon at Maravaghi Bay. In Maravaghi Bay we can choose a relaxing dive under the boat, with a chance of seeing the saddleback anemonefish and the true clownfish, or an exciting current dive on Devil’s Highway, depending on the moon phase and currents, with a chance of seeing manta rays. The last dive of the day is at Tanavula Point, where we can spot a wide variety of nudibranchs. Again, keep your eyes open for any mantas.

Day 9 | Wreck diving in the Florida Islands
Now that we are in the Florida Islands, the World War II wreck capital of the Solomon Islands, we cannot miss the opportunity to dive a few wrecks. We begin with a volcanic reef dive, where two identical lava tubes are formed. These offer beautiful underwater scenery and a wide variety of fish species, including almost all species of anemonefish (except the saddleback and true clownfish). We also keep an eye out for the rare black-striped emperor fish and larger fish such as marlins or sharks. Wrecks include the Catalina Plane Wreck, Mavis Plane Wreck and Ghavutu Wharf, a site rich in history and marine life.

Day 10 | Wrecks at Honiara
The last day of diving is always sad, but we ended our trip by visiting two amazing shipwrecks close to Honiara.: Boneghi 1 and Boneghi 2 After years underwater, these wrecks have become beautiful hotspots full of life. The number of marine animals here is unimaginable, from the most beautiful nudibranchs to colourful fish that call these wrecks home. Carmen always greatly enjoyed diving on these two magnificent wrecks and counting all the species of fish she could find here. We aim for a “century dive,” trying to record more than 100 species on one dive.

Day 11 | Tour ends
Unfortunately, this fantastic trip to the Solomon Islands comes to an end today. After breakfast, you will leave the ship and head home.

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