Dive Review of Bilikiki/Spirit of the Solomons in
Solomon Islands

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Bilikiki/Spirit of the Solomons, Jul, 2008, by Terry Anderson, TX, USA ( Sr. Contributor 28 reports with 15 Helpful votes). Report 4380.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	July 2008: We went on this trip because of comments of and emails with another Undercurrents member who was on the Spirit of Solomons in 2005--Thanks Peter Maerz and Undercurrents! To go--fly on Pacific Air to Fiji, only 10 hours, 2 hour lay over, and then take the 3 hour flight to Honairi,Solomons. Fiji is pleasant, and expensive, but we found the diving far superior in the Solomons. The Bilikiki owner, Rick, will take care of all arrangements once you get to Fiji, and even helped us arrange a tour of Guadacanal battlegrounds before the one week liveaboard. We were on the Bilikiki's sister ship, Spirit of Solomons, a large comfortable vessel with excellent service, food, and two outstanding DMs--Justine Anderson and Philippa Dean. Their briefings were excellent, and they allowed us to dive our own profile entirely: everyone has to have a computer and DAN insurance. This is an efficient, professional, and friendly operation. There only were 6 divers, (the ship can handle 20) and 12 on the crew so the service was fabulous--and there were no hidden costs for the high price of gas. Beers and wine were reasonable. We dove at 8, 11, 2, and 5, and a 8 night dive usually was available. Underwater: whittip, blacktip, and gray sharks, lots of schools of barracuda and other fish, and lionfish, electric clams, pigmy seahorses, stone and scorpion fish, hawkbill and green turtles, great staghorn coral fields. Mary Island was tremendous, with all of the above and tunas, schools of 500 horseeyed jacks, and heavy grey sharks cruising the pristine reefs. And the twin tunnels seamount at Florida Island also was incredible, and we dove WWII wreck of the ship Ann, where we saw 12 lionfish, ribbon eels, and an ornate ghost pipefish. No Mantas at the cleaning station, but did see a large Eagle Ray. The Bilikiki and Spirit are the ONLY dive boats in the Solomons, so you never see other divers. We visited a very friendly village, and the local people were delightful. This trip was a winner--we'll return and the next time we will take the 10 day trip. www.bilikiki.com/index.php
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Indonesia, Galapagos, Maldives, Philippines, Borneo, Caribbean, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Panama
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	82-84°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	70-90 Ft/ 21-27 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	None
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Bilikiki/Spirit of the Solomons in Solomon Islands

Bilikiki/Spirit of the Solomons, Jul, 2008,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Bilikiki/Spirit of the Solomons in
Solomon Islands