Manager’s Blog November 16-26, 2019

Manager’s Blog November 16-26, 2019
Bilikiki is back after a 10 day trip with guests coming from different parts of the globe: the USA, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Canada. All of them ready to explore and enjoy the Solomon Islands!

Starting in the Russell Islands, the guests had a beautiful start to the trip with the stunning Leru Cut and the amazing coral gardens at Mirror Pond. Then, it was just non-stop marine life with schools of barracudas, big eye jacks, flame angel fish, robust ghost pipefish, octopus, bumphead parrotfish, mobula rays, white tip reef sharks and grey reef sharks.

Marovo, as always, was incredible! Wrecks, walls covered with soft corals, gigantic fans, caves and life from the tiniest Denise pygmy seahorse to hammerheads - including grey reef sharks, silvertips, black tips, schools of spadefish, bobtail squid, cockatoo waspfish, scorpion leaf fish, cuttlefish, crocodile fish and eagle rays. And there was the carving markets too! Where meeting the local artists is always fun and interesting!

Then more macro for the macro lovers: ornate, halimeda and robust ghost pipefish, common seahorse, flounders, ribbon eels and nudibranchs. And for the big fish lovers, an amazing and unforgettable encounter with manta rays at Devil's Highway, it was one hour of non stop mantas!!! There was also Karumolun village visit for traditional dancing and singing, which everyone really enjoyed.

We also had the pleasure to celebrate the 500th dive of Paul McIlvaine and the 1500th of Peter Pinkerton! Congratulations!!

And what a nice way to end our trip, with a whale encounter and a rainbow on our way back to Guadalcanal.

Thank you all for this amazing trip and for all the fun we all had! Thank you too to Rick Belmare for the Sea Hunt nights, we really hope to see you all again "for another exciting adventure in the underwater world!”.

A big thank you to our crew for the great work they do and for being simply the best!

Happy bubbles,

Pato&Fernando

The divers onboard the Bilikiki, Solomon Islands

Bobtail squi

Cake

Cake onboard the Bilikiki in the Solomon Islands

 

Posted by Sam and Kellie on November 26, 2019

What our guests say

"Always a great time on the Bilikiki. Spectacular diving, excellent food and an amazing crew. One of the best laid out boats I've been diving on."

Mike Aitken

"Just really, really, really enjoyed our trip!!! We really fell in love with Pato and Fernando. They did an excellent job guiding us! The crew is as go... Read More"

Darlene Myers

"Second time and still finding new sights to see! Wonderful trip well worth the effort....."

Reed Nescher

"I have just returned from a 10 night stay on board the Bilikiki. It was my first trip on the Bilikiki however friends we were with have been 3 or 4 ti... Read More"

Pearl Corker

"I did my 1000th dive on my second trip on the Bilikiki. Last time was in 2005 and then I thought it was the best liveaboard I had been on. It still is... Read More"

Alex Davids

"I have been on many Bilikiki trips over the past eight years, and I will keep going back again and again. I’ve dived in more than 15 countries and h... Read More"

Joanna O'Shea

"Bilikiki is much more than a great dive boat with a fantastic crew sailing the remote Solomon Islands and discovering new and beautiful dive sites; it... Read More"

Thane Kreiner

"If I could rate them 6 stars I would!!! Amazing boat, crew, food and diving."

Brett Lobwein

"Just got back from a 10 day trip on Bilikiki with Tina and Oli. The whole Bilikiki team made our trip a memorable one, despite the temperamental weath... Read More"

Jonathan Rose

"I can't think of a better way to spend 12 days than on board Bilikiki. It is absolutely spectacular diving amongst healthy corals, colorful fishes, st... Read More"

Karen Doby

"My bucket list trip. Outstanding crew and service. Superb diving. Stable and comfortable vessel and accommodations. The chefs do a marvellous job, eve... Read More"

Fred Catella

"I had an amazing 10 nights onboard the Bilikiki! The dive sites were so diverse and so beautiful, we had some amazing encounters with wildlife, the cr... Read More"

Lauren Thomas