Some eye candy from Uepi

Finally KUNA had the opportunity and a good reason to sail around Vangunu Island through Morovo lagoon: go to Uepi Island, 37 miles from Peava. Taking a trip inside the lagoon was definitely easier after two banana boat rides but overall there are only a few shoals to avoid, the entrance to the Mbili passage is easy to negociate, staying right in the middle of the channels and the waters directly around Vangunu island are quite deep. Any shoal above 9m become a milky emerald green color and when it gets yellow brown, start worrying!! I will later post a track.


As a contribution to Morovo conservation DVD project, Grant and Jill, who manage the resort on this private island invited us to film on their reefs, which, despite many challenges, have been protected for more than 20 years. Grant and Jill have worked very hard on educating the local villagers to avoid fishing, and explain that in return, the tourists who come and look at the reef bring in business, which is good for the community. The concept of tourism and investment in the future has yet to grow a lot more in the Solomons.

Uepi reefs are the oldest MPA (Marine protected area) in Morovo, a testimony for what fish life may have been not so long ago on all the other reefs when fishing pressure was less. Morover, Uepi has been a diving resort for so long that the fish is really accustomed to divers, great for those who like to have a close up look. It is definitely easier to film reef life and fish behaviours where fish are plentiful and not afraid of humans, who are predators elsewhere. Grant and Jill are a wealth of knowledge about the marine environment there because they dive everyday.

Uepi is also a fantastic diving resort, with excellent facilities, very helpful staff and delicious local food. Great place to stay for a diving holiday!!


The accomodation side from the water. Do NOT anchor THAT close!!

I later will post a track on how KUNA got through the lagoon and to the anchorage behind Uepi island. Really the Uepi anchorage is not so well protected from the S- to NW and it can get fairley choppy if waves build up during squalls or more systemic winds but the holding ground is about OK (sand and rubble), and it would be well protected in the trades season, though stinking HOT!!!!. If you go there, take care to anchor with sufficient swinging space in between all the bommies to prevent damage from the chain. An amazing number of animals live on these small oasis. Also anchor far away enough from the island to not impend on guests privacy and report to the office on arrival to get advice on what you can and can’t do.

Diving around Peava

At the other end of the lagoon, is the wharf and shop of Solomon Dive Adventures ( check www.solomondiveadventures.com ).

It is probably the best community integrated dive operation in the Solomon Islands. The business manager Lisa Choquette has 30 years of experience diving and came from Hawaii.

Lisa in dive boat
She made every effort to train 5 local villagers to the Divemaster’s level at her own cost, so they can later take on running the dive business themselves in the future. Those five divemasters are boys, but she also certified four ladies, who unfortunately did not go any further but open water, some for getting pregnant… Shame, more ladies should take on diving in the Solomons.

Along with the dive business, Lisa opened a library for the community bringing a variety of books and DVDs, along with a kindergarten,

The kids from the headstart program

Lisa regularly organizes educational shows setting up the projector in the open area near the church. She is also often called upon for medical help, fixing bushknife cuts, or helping some kids to elocution, etc, etc.. Recently, she organised a big campaign to keep the village clean, teaching the local to pick up the rubbish and now, several beautifully painted 44 gallon drums ornament the main road! Rubbish is sorted, some recycled, paper and plastics are burnt. Another main campaign concerned smoking, another alcohol! Slowly, the messages spread through, with the added support of church sermons and the help of her divemasters…

60 something, Lisa is very active woman who is doing a lot for the community and educating the villagers about conserving their marine resources to a sustainable level through diving. A small marine reserve has been created as a community initiative to keep fish near the wharf so visitors can look at tame fish. No spearing allowed there!!


A juvenile batfish pretends to be a dead leaf

I forgot to mention, yes the diving in the area is worth it and the team know where to the most obscure species in the dive sites surrounding Peava! My underwater camera has broken down unfortunately so no good pictures! Mbulo Island, 3 miles across from Peava, has some sheer drop off on the Northern side, all protected from the SE swells. After a week, the plankton bloom had gone down and the visibility was up to 30m. beautiful caves and coral gardens with large gorgonian fans make for some nice landscape down deep at 25-35m.

diamondfishes
A dusk dive in Peava lagoon passage did bring some amazing nudibranchs, cuttle fishes and the famous flasher wrasses, which court by rapidly raising and lowering their dorsal fin at dusk. The lagoons warm waters host to many animals, gropers, turtles, puffer fish, rays, razorfish, painted flutemouth, and many surgeonfishes, and despite being a bit murky, are my daily swim, worth exploring again and again!