Fun Facts About Solomon Island

With its prime location at the bottom right point of the Coral Triangle, it should come as no surprise that the Solomon Islands has some of the best diving in the world. Add pristine beaches and wild tropical backgrounds, you have yourself a multi-island vacation you won’t soon forget!

This collection of islands are found east of Papua New Guinea and northeast from the coast of A Australia. Spectacular reefs, wrecks and caverns

make up many of the dive sites you will encounter during a visit to the islands – they’re truly breathtaking. In addition, you can also expect to meet few other divers during a stay, which is one of the biggest reasons that this underwater environment remains so successful.

For those wildlife enthusiasts, the underwater world in the Solomon Islands provides a spectacular mix of underwater wildlife species with everything from manta rays, reef sharks, jacks and barracuda to smaller species like ghost pipefish, seahorses, nudibranchs and leaf scorpion fish.

You’ll find that the majority of diving in the Solomon Islands offers comfortable temperatures and great visibility. Depths of the dive sites vary depending on the goal of the dive – your dive specialist will be able to give you more details on this. It’s good to keep in mind that wrecks may fall on the deeper side at around the 90-foot mark.

Vacationing in the Solomon Islands

Vacationing in the Solomon Islands isn’t just about spending time under the water. Most visits will also include unique cultural experiences where you’ll have the opportunity to meet the locals and learn how they use dugout canoes or how to directly interact with them through purchasing local products and goods.

Attempting to explore as much of each and every island and its surrounding underwater world during your vacation can sound like a daunting task. As the islands are home to only a limited number of dive resorts, the few liveaboards that travel the region are the easiest way to travel around the islands, and ultimately the best way!

Whether you’ve already booked your tickets, or you need a little more help choosing your next scuba diving destination, check out these fun facts about the Solomon Islands.

Interesting Facts

The Solomon Islands are made up of over 900 islands, around half of which still remain uninhabited. There are 6 major islands: San Cristobal (also known as Makira), Choiseul, Malaita, New Georgia, Santa Isabel and Guadalcanal. The last of the islands listed is also home to the country’s capital city, Honiara.
The discovery of the Solomon Islands happened in 1568, Spaniard Ìlvaro de MendaÌ±a chose the name Islas SalomÌ_n (“Solomon Islands”) after the biblical King Solomon. He believed at the time, like the king, that the islands were in possession of a hearty wealth of gold and riches.
Did you know that you can dive into the largest saltwater lagoon in the world in the Solomon Islands? At around 700 square kilometres, Marovo Lagoon is bordered by the New Georgia, Vangunu and Gatakae Islands along with a double barrier reef system. Within the lagoon, there are also hundreds of smaller islands.
As of 2017, the population of the Solomon Islands was 611,343, ranking the islands as the 168th most populous country in the world.
One of the islands in the group of Solomon Islands is named after the former U.S. president, John. F. Kennedy. Kennedy Island was given its name after an incident involving the then serving lieutenant naval officer. His crew at the time swam onto the island after their ship had been rammed and wrecked by a Japanese vessel during World War II.
The Island’s official language is English. However, only 1-2% of the population are able to speak this language fluently. That’s because the Solomon Islands are home to 74 local languages. Of these languages, four are classed as extinct, while the other 70 are made up of a wide-ranging mix of influences such as English and languages from the surrounding countries.
Much of the land in the Solomon Island is heavily forested and boasts mountainous topography. The highest peak in the country is Mount Popomanaseu, a volcanic mountain that sits 2,335 meters above sea level (7,661 feet).
During the second World War, Guadalcanal was the site of a major Allied offensive against the Japanese, who were in the process of constructing an air base on the island. During the conflict, in which the allies would eventually triumph, losses were significant on both sides, including a number of warships and smaller vessels sank. While many of these were lost to depths beyond divable limits, some remain within reach and can be seen and enjoyed during a trip to the islands.
The Solomon Islands’ coastline totals an impressive 5,313 kilometres in length. The majority is beautiful, sandy beaches, tropical trees and crystal clear waters filled with pristine coral reefs.
The Solomon Islands’ underwater landscape includes one of the world’s most active submarine volcanoes. Named after the sea god of the New Georgia Group islanders, Karachi can be found just south of Vangunu Island. Since its first recorded eruption in 1939, the underwater volcano has continued to break the water’s surface only to be eroded back by the sea numerous times.

So are you readying to dive into the Solomon Islands? Click here to read more about this gorgeous diving destination.

If this Pacific paradise sounds right for you, book a Solomon Islands liveaboard to experience the “eat, sleep, dive” vacation of your dreams. We have two great options for this diving wonderland.

Solomons PNG Master (aka MV Taka)
Bilikiki

We also have Solomon Island diving packages that don’t involve sleeping on a boat. Many of the best dive sites are located close enough to shore to make dive resorts a great option. Relax by the pool, blow some bubbles and explore the local culture at these fantastic resorts.