Colorado Dive & Travel

Welcome to Bilikiki
In the midst of the South Pacific, the Solomon Islands is part of the coral triangle and home to some of the best, least visited scuba diving in the world. There is an amazing diversity of marine life, dive sites and experiences, all a short flight from Australia or Fiji. Bilikiki Cruises has been running liveaboard scuba diving trips and cruises in the Solomon Islands for over 25 years. Our experienced crew know the best dive sites that the Solomon Islands has to offer, so come on a diving trip in the Solomons in comfort and style!

The Solomon Islands
the Solomon Islands are a remote, beautiful chain of nearly 1000 tropical islands. They are just south of the equator, a 3-hour flight northeast from Australia and 4 hours northwest from Fiji. They are home to nearly 600,000 people most of who still live traditional, community-based lives in villages far from the modern world.

Diving in the Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands are home to some of the best reefs in the world and the diving is spectacular, diverse and colorful, there is not just one type of diving but an array of different habitats and ecosystems. There are pelagic and critters, wrecks, caves, amazingly healthy coral gardens, sand slopes, mangroves, walls and sea mounts. There is no ice diving but pretty much everything else is covered!

DIVE PACKAGE INCLUSIONS:

• Shared cabin for 9 nights, double/twin cabin, ensuite bathroom
• 8 days diving, 4-5 dives per day (incl. 1 night dive); with guide, 12-liter tanks, weights
• Unlimited drinking water, tea, coffee
• Free Nitrox
• Return airport transfers (within 3 days of the trip)
• Marine Park & Port Fees and local taxes
• Village visits are arranged during the surface intervals.

DIVE PACKAGE EXCLUSIONS:

• International Flights
• Diving rental equipment
• Scuba Training
• 15 liter or other sized tanks
• Alcohol, soft drinks and juices (except dinner)
• Gratuities

COMPLETE PRICE - $6480 per person, based on double occupancy. For single occupancy, please make an inquiry, then we would need to have a discussion about a possible single booking?

What is the Cetacean Superhighway of Timor Leste?
The Cetacean Superhighway is the Ombai-Wetar Strait in Timor-Leste, a deeply narrow channel that acts as a major migratory path for whales and dolphins, with approximately one-third of all Pacific water flow into the Indian Ocean passing through it. This "superhighway" serves as a crucial bottleneck for marine life, attracting a wide diversity and abundance of species, including pygmy blue whales, sperm whales, pilot whales, and various dolphin species, making Timor-Leste a globally significant hotspot for cetacean viewing.

What makes the Ombai-Wetar Strait a superhighway?

• Deep Waters and Nutrient-Rich Environment: The strait is exceptionally deep (over 3,000 meters) and is fed by the Indonesian Throughflow, a large-scale current that carries nutrient-rich waters from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean.
• Major Migratory Route: This deep, narrow corridor is a vital migration route, especially for large whales like the Pygmy Blue Whale.
• High Concentration of Cetaceans: The abundance of food and the strait's function as a bottleneck for marine life result in a high density and diversity of whales and dolphins, with over 20 species potentially found there.

When is the Best Time to Go?
Peak Season: The prime time for swimming with blue whales is generally from mid-October to late November, or early December.

What to Expect?

• Pygmy Blue Whales: You'll likely be swimming with Pygmy Blue Whales, which are still the largest animals on Earth.
• Other Whale Species: You may also encounter other marine life, including sperm whales, dolphins, and even dugongs, depending on the day and location. Plus Beaked Whales, Humpback Whales, Killer Whales (Orca), and Pilot Whales are commonly sighted.
• Dolphins: Various dolphin species, including Spotted Dolphins, Spinner Dolphins, Rough-toothed Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Melon-headed Whales, and Short-finned Pilot Whales are also found in the strait.
• Small Groups: Tours are typically in small groups to minimize pressure on the whales and ensure a more intimate experience.
• In-Water Encounters: While the whales are on a mission and can be skittish, guides and crew will make their best efforts to get you close for in-water swimming.

How to Experience It?

• Eco-Tours: Because this is a unique and regulated activity, you must join a specialized eco-tour with expert guides who understand how to approach the whales ethically.
• Location: Most trips depart from the capital, Dili, heading out into the deep channels between Dili and Atauro Island.

Why Timor-Leste?

• Blue Whale Migration: Timor-Leste is one of the few places where consistent and reliable blue whale sightings occur.
• Untouched Waters: The country offers pristine, clear waters where these majestic creatures come to feed on nutrient-rich krill.
• Away from Crowds: It's a relatively new tourism destination, providing a more "raw and real" experience away from mass tourism.

Why is it important for tourism?

• Accessibility: The deep waters are close to the shore, making the Ombai-Wetar Strait easily accessible for whale and dolphin watching tours.
• Global Hotspot: Due to the sheer numbers and diversity of cetaceans, the area is recognized as a global marine hotspot and an Important Marine Mammal Area.
• Peak Season: While many species are resident, the migratory period from approximately October to December is particularly good for spotting large whales like the Pygmy Blue Whale.

### Ashmore Exploratory – Far Northern Reefs – Coral Sea

7 Nights – 27 Dives. A rare opportunity to visit the remote and pristine reefs of Ashmore Reef. Dive with hundreds of turtles at Raine Island & descend on the historic wreck of the Quetta.

Highlights:

• Remote rarely visited reefs with incredible coral.
• Raine Island – See hundreds of turtles at the world’s biggest green turtle nesting site. Tiger sharks are attracted to the nesting turtles.
• Ashmore Reef – Plunge into the unknown, spectacular and remote.
• Boot Reef – The single most remote place that MV Spoilsport visits.
• Great Detached Reef – Big fans, hard and soft corals & pelagics.
• Quetta Wreck (Tidal dependant) – Jewel of the Far North.

Horn Island
Embark at Horn Island 4:00pm.
Options for further travel vary. Daily scheduled flights from Cairns to Horn Island are available & should be arranged by the individual.

Ashmore Reef
Mysterious, isolated, rarely visited. The graveyard of a dozen 19th century ships. Still not fully explored, Ashmore Reef lies literally on the sea border with Papua New Guinea. Help unlock the many secrets of this final frontier. A place that has already given us arguably the greatest drift dive in Far North Queensland…’The Flight of the Cassowary”. Dive into the unknown and uncover the hidden wonders of Ashmore Reef.

Boot Reef
Miles and miles of unbroken sheer-drop sea wall. Sharks, giant Qld grouper and magnificent fans create a symphony of colour and live action. Lying nearly 300 kilometers east of Thursday Island, Boot Reef is the single most remote place that MV Spoilsport visits. Almost anywhere you dive, you’ll be the first to have been there. Diving dreams are made of this.

Raine Island
Between 40,000-100,000 green turtles visit Raine Island each year to lay their eggs in the warm sands. The island is not accessible to the public, but the reefs surrounding it are excellent for diving. The pristine coral here is some of the best we’ve seen anywhere.

Great Detached Reef
The 46km of fringing reef here give us some great sites to choose from. See fields of hard coral down to 30m at Turmoil, plus beautiful soft corals, fans and whips at Twin Peaks, Oh My Bommie, Cracker and Big Woody. This reef is home to masses of marine life, large & small.

RMS Quetta (tide dependent)
The RMS Quetta sank on the night of 28 February 1890, after striking an uncharted rock. At the time, it was Queensland’s worst maritime disaster. Today, the RMS Quetta lies on her port side in 18m of water and is an excellent dive site in terms of wreck, reef and fish. The wreck diving jewel of the far north.

Itinerary - Ashmore Exploratory Itinerary (Horn Island to Horn Island – 27 dives)
Boarding The Spoilsport, this expedition embarks and disembarks at Horn Island - commercial flight to Horn Island is not included and must be arranged by each person.

All itinerary details are subject to change, specific marine life cannot be guaranteed. Please note - there are no courses offered on this itinerary. This information is based on the scheduled 2024 itinerary and will change as this reef is explored and the itinerary is refined.

Thursday:

• 4:00 pm board Spoilsport at Horn Island Pier
• 4:30 pm depart for Great Detached Reef.

Friday: (3 dives + night dive) Great Detached Reef + Raine Island.
Saturday: (4 dives + night dive) Pandora Wreck, Cocoon depart after night dive to Ashmore Reef.
Sunday: (4 dives + night dive) Ashmore Reef, stay overnight.
Monday: (4 dives + night dive) Ashmore Reef, depart to GDR overnight.
Tuesday: (4 dives + night dive) GDR vicinity, depart to Quetta.
Wednesday: (4 dives) Quetta/Cape York Tip visit.
Thursday: Disembark art Horn Island.

Important: We recommend that you allow 24 hours between your last dive and your onward flight (all diving is finished by 5 pm Wednesday).

Raine Island
Raine Island is a small, remote sand cay on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, around 620 km northwest of Cairns in Queensland.

Raine Island is uninhabited by humans. However, the Wuthathi people of the eastern Cape York Peninsula and the Meriam Nation people of the eastern Torres Strait have been regular visitors for tens of thousands of years. Both groups identify as holders of native title for Raine Island and make decisions about the management of the island. Management decisions are made through the Raine Island Recovery Program Reference Group. This group works in collaboration with the Queensland and Australian governments.

Vegetation on the island primarily consists of low shrubs. These grow over the island’s rocky center, fringed by sandy beaches and reef.

Raine Island is the largest nesting site for Green Turtles in the world. It is also the only known Australian breeding site for the critically endangered Herald Petrel. The island is the most important seabird rookery in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) - this is an independent country within Micronesia, composed of 4 island states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.

Our travel adventure is a combo trip to Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) + Pohnpei

Dive with Odyssey Adventures to see the Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon, the World's Best Shipwreck Destination

About Chuuk (also known as Truk Lagoon)
Chuuk state consists of 7 major island groups lying within the Eastern Caroline Islands, about 617 miles SE of Guam and 3,262 miles SW of Hawaii. The total land mass of Chuuk state, including the outer islands, is approx. 77 sq. miles.

Wreck History
WWII era was a difficult time for the residents of Chuuk. On February 17-18, 1944, US forces attacked the Japanese-held islands of the lagoon, first knocking out air and communications facilities and then systematically sinking the many freighters in the lagoon. Some 30 years later, Blue Lagoon's founder and Diving Hall of Fame member Kimiuo Aisek discovered that these wrecks were covered in fantastic coral growth and were indeed sunken museums. Today they continue to amaze visiting divers.

Aboard Odyssey, you'll have the Journey of a Lifetime
The Odyssey, is a 132’ air-conditioned live-aboard vessel has spacious rooms, private ensuite facilities, and a large entertainment lounge. All meals and beverages are included and so is the nitrox.

A typical day aboard Odyssey, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRnkxocJ8vM

Diving in Truk Lagoon, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20wJV-cNChk&t=178s

M/V Odyssey Dive Package Includes:

• Airport greeting and transfer to vessel (arriving on charter schedule)
• 7 nights accommodation onboard the Odyssey
• 6 days of diving up to 5 dives per day
• Nitrox - 30% (for nitrox certified divers)
• Tanks and weights
• All meals, snacks, beverages including beer and wine

Package Pricing (in USD) - $3995 per person, double occupancy

• 5% Chuuk Sales tax
• $50 Chuuk Dive permit
  Total Cost - $4245/person, double occupancy
  All taxes are subject to change

Package Does Not include:

• International Airfare Denver (DEN) to Chuuk International Airport (TKK)
• Chuuk departure tax ($30)
• Equipment rental
• Scuba training
• Hotel Rooms, if needed
• Crew Gratuities (optional)

Pohnpei is our second destination - it's a lush, volcanic island in the Federated States of Micronesia, known for its verdant landscapes, abundant rainfall, and historical significance. It's the largest and tallest island in Micronesia, boasting dense rainforests, mist-covered mountains, and thriving mangrove swamps. Pohnpei is also home to the ancient ruins of Nan Madol, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Pohnpei Surf and Dive Club Headquarters
located at Mangrove Bay Hotel, Bar, Restaurant, and Marina, it's just a 10-minute car ride from the airport, Pohnpei Surf and Dive Club has direct access to the water, a nice dock for our boats, Mangrove Bay Hotel, Bar and Restaurant, and Marina has a full-service bar and a sushi restaurant, fast internet connection in the rooms, 8 lagoon-front rooms that look out upon the harbor, and much more to offer to guest. We are located, a very short walking distance or quick car ride to numerous bars, restaurants, and markets, it’s the perfect location!

Mangrove Bay Hotel will be hosting you in double rooms on the waterfront with a spacious balcony, TV, Air Conditioner, WiFi, and a beautiful view of the lagoon and surrounding ridges, as well as views of both the sunset and sunrise. This is the perfect option for surfers or divers looking for comfortable, modern accommodations with full amenities on a world class trip, or for couples seeking a unique, authentic experience in the Pacific Islands instead of another chain resort experience.

Ahnd Atoll will be the highlight of anyone’s trip to Pohnpei. The Atoll is located 10 miles offshore of Pohnpei (reef to reef from the south side of Pohnpei) or around 25 miles each way from our dock. A one-way trip usually takes around 1 hour, 20 minutes from our dock all the way to the beach at Ahnd (under good boating conditions). Ahnd Atoll is privately owned by the Nanpei Family Estate who manages and protects it. It is also a Unesco Marine Biosphere Reserve with many conservation zones.
A day trip to Ahnd Atoll for scuba diving, snorkeling, beach time goes a bit like this depending on the activity you want to do. Most trips leave around 8 am, and return around 5 pm. Most dives are done at the pass or on the backside of the atoll where conditions are calmer. Snorkeling can be done at the pass or reefs around the beach.
To visit the atoll you will need an entry permission from the Nanpei Estate, and we can arrange that for our guests. We can only visit the atoll with the permission of the owners and weather permitting. The weather we cannot change! To visit the atoll we need light winds for the 10 mile ocean crossing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5waeJrTJhHM

“Nan Madol” is a prehistoric ‘city’ of more than ninety man-made islets off the coast of Temwen Island, constructed of naturally-occurring prismatic basalt columns, basalt boulders, and coral fill. Many of the islets have large, complicated structures on them composed of the same types of rock — stones as heavy as 90 tons. Together, the islets formed a powerful administrative and religious complex from which the island of Pohnpei was ruled for several hundred years by a line of tyrannical monarchs called Saudeleurs. The lower city, Madol Pah, was the administrative center, while the upper city, Madol Powe, was the ceremonial heart of the complex.
Megalithic sites like Nan Madol are rare around the world and even rarer in the Pacific. Anyone who has seen the city would place it alongside other more famous megalithic feats such as the pyramids of Egypt and Central America, Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, and Rapa Nui’s moai. And yet, Nan Madol is little-known outside the archaeological community and visited by a surprisingly small number of people each year. Nan Madol was inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2016.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzBmrpFNcH4

Pohnpei Dive Package Includes:

• 7 nights accommodations (Double Occupancy)
• 5 days x 2 tank boat dives
• Ahnd Atoll excursion surcharge (weather permitting)
• Nan Madol day trip
• Airport transfers to/from resort
• All applicable taxes

Dive Package does not Include:

• International flights Denver (DEN) to Chuuk, Pohnpei
• Personal items, anything not mentioned as inclusive
• Meals, alcoholic beverages, sodas, bottled water
• Scuba training
• Rental dive gear
• Crew/hotel staff gratuities

Pohnpei Package Price is $1679 (estimated on the high side, it's difficult to get an accurate invoice, for a trip 18 months in future) - prices are per person in USD, based on double occupancy. Ask for non-diver rate, double occupancy, or single occupancy diver rate. For room upgrades - please inquire for the applicable rates.

Total Combo Price - $5924 per person, double occupancy

** AIRFARE SOLD SEPARATELY **

Price is per person and based on double occupancy and items specified. Space is subject to availability, price subject to change without notice and not guaranteed until deposit is received.

Credit card payments can expect an additional 3.5% (5% Int'l) to be added to the final invoice for all payments made with credit cards. This fee covers the cost of PayPal. Checks are welcome.