Whale Watching Trip November 7-17, 2023

Bilikiki just returned from another 10 day trip, however this trip was a different one - we went not only diving but also snorkeling, bird watching and whale searching! Our guests were from the UK and they were all led by cetacean expert Dr. Charles Anderson who has been onboard the Bilikiki many times before!
Unfortunately we didn't really have the weather on our side this time for lots of the time, Cyclone Mal was forming when we started the trip and that had an impact on the weather and the sea conditions. However we got to travel up to Santa Isabel province, which was a new area for Dr. Anderson and some of us! During this trip we also visited several villages in the Florida and Russell Islands, where our guests enjoyed traditional singing and dancing, saw some carving artists and fresh produce at the food markets. We also had the chance to do a nice walk around in Buala, Santa Isabel, what a beautiful place!
On our search for cetaceans we had several encounters with spotted dolphins, spinner dolphins and Indo-Pacific and common bottlenose dolphins. We were also able to have a glimpse of two beaked whales, several Omuras, an elusive pygmy killer whale and a couple of dwarf sperm whales. The most special encounter though was with three killer whales, with whom we stayed for more than 45 minutes. It was just magic!
Our bird watchers also had a great time, they were able to spot 50 different species of birds! Some of the birds they saw were quite special and included the moustached treeswift (editors note - there’s a picture below if you are curious, not as Tom Sellick as I was hoping but still pretty impressive), Nicobar pigeon (perhaps more Tom Sellick like really), the red knobbed imperial pigeon, the providence petrel (extremely rare in these parts of the world!), the nankeen night heron, the Sanfond's (Solomon's) sea eagle, of course the Blyth's Hornbill, the beautiful beach kingfishers, the eclectus parrots, the white billed crow (only known from Guadalcanal, Choiseul and Santa Isabel!), the long tail myna, the brown winged starling and the singing starling! What a show!
The diving and the snorkeling sessions were also very much appreciated by our guests. Who cannot fall in love with the beautiful underwater world in the Solomon Islands? All those reef fish everywhere! And those super healthy coral reefs and gardens!
What a trip it was!
It was really nice to have everyone onboard and we hope we will see you again soon for more adventures! A big thanks to Dr. Charles Anderson for bringing another group and for all his knowledge!
A big thank you, once again, to our incredible crew for their continuous hard work, for taking such good care of all of us and for making this Bilikiki experience an unforgettable one!
Happy Bubbles
Pato&Fernando
 

Bird of the Solomon Islands

Bird of the Solomon Islands

Posted by Sam and Kellie on November 17, 2023

What our guests say

"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

"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 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

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

Brett Lobwein

"The trip of a lifetime! Impeccable crew, perfect organization, beautiful landscapes under and above water, new friends, incredible wildlife. My eyes a... Read More"

Stephanie Loubat

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

Reed Nescher

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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