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Papua New Guinea

Madang

The resort town of Madang is located on the east coast of Papua New Guinea. Several dive resorts and hotels are located in the area.

MADANG: Jais Aben Resort

Located on a peninsula some fifteen kilometers north of Madang, Jais Aben Resort is an idyllic holiday destination. Jais Aben is a warm friendly resort, a peaceful world of simple pleasures filled with an informal atmosphere, good food, friendly people and comfortable accommodation. Jais Aben has 18 ocean front units, overlooking small coral beaches.

Jais Aben is well known for its diving facilities, one of the first, if not THE first resort to offer diving in PNG. Explore the many spectacular wrecks and reefs in offshore Madang. Marine biologists have been flocking here for years as they keep discovering new and unnamed species of nudibranch's. So for you nudi lovers, don't miss this place, they have tons!

Planet Rock: Planet Rock is a small bommie that rises up from more than 80 meters to a very shallow five meters. It is not real big, perhaps 150 meters by 50 meters at its extremes. Three kilometers offshore, a volcanic sea mount rises from great depths to within 4 meters of the surface. Renowned for it’s variety and abundance of small and pelagic marine life.

Magic Passage: A 30 meter deep channel through the outer barrier reef schools of fish gorgonians and soft corals.

Banana Rock: Small sea mount starting at 7 meters rocky outcrops with gorgonians barrel sponges and reef fish

Le Jean Point: Coral wall with drop offs, pelagic and reef fish

B-25 Bomber: The plane off Wangat Island is located at a depth of 15 to 25 meters. It is fully intact except for the port engine which is missing, the port wing tip is at 15 meters and the starboard wing at 25 meters. The main body of the plane is about 18 meters deep. Starting from the front, the four 0.5 inch guns are very obvious and through the damaged nose section the four ammunition hoppers that fed the guns can clearly be seen. There is still a considerable number of rounds still in the hoppers but they are cemented into place by concretions.
M.V. Henry Leith: At the northern end of Nagada Harbour there are a couple of islands, the smallest of which is Wangat (or Wangad or Wonad) Island. This is located only meters inside the barrier reef. The island is very small, it only takes a few minutes to walk across it. Located off this island are a couple of very interesting wrecks. One is the wreck of a North American B-25D Mitchell light bomber which is off the southern end of the island. Off the south-western corner of the island is the wreck of the Henry Leith. Originally a 32 meter long coastal freighter, I have not been able to find much about this ship yet. All I know is that it was sailed from Sydney in 1969 for Lae (where it was to be used) and that it broke down and was towed to the Russell Islands by a Japanese boat. In the 1970s or 1980s it was purchased for one kina by Kevin Baldwin and scuttled by him and Bob Halstead as a dive site. It is perfectly placed in terms of depth and location.