Marovo Lagoon - General Info
Description:
Marovo Lagoon is located in the New Georgia Islands, east of Vangunu Island. It encompasses 700 square km, much of which is navigable. It is protected by a double barrier reef system.
The Marovo Lagoon World Heritage Area is located in the Marovo Lagoon. There are a handful of resorts in the area and an airstrip at Seghe. The area is known for spectacular scuba diving and snorkeling. The villages in the area are famous for producing some of the most skilled wood carvings in the Solomon Islands. See shopping section for info on purchasing wood carving.
Entrance Notes and Cautions:
Depths in Marovo lagoon vary with much of the lagoon over 100m in depth with clear water. There are several entries from the East through deep, wide passes between the reefs. The lagoon is also accessible from the West. Much of the lagoon is navigable and there are many protected anchorages.
The Mbili entrance is very famous and offers a very protected anchorage.
Cruiser Highlights:
Matiu Island
North of the lagoon is Matiu Island, a protected anchorage with good diving and snorkeling in the pass north and south of the anchorage. It has a big white sand beach – just paradise according to recent reports.
Fees:
There is no fee in all of Marovo for just snorkelling, or anchoring. It is generally expected that one pays a Custom/ Reef fee of US$5 pp per scuba dive (whether you are diving by yourself or with a dive centre).
This is the accepted going rate already established by the live-aboard dive boats (August 2023) and should be paid to the local village.
It is wise to ask at each anchorage who the fee is payable to. Each area of Marovo falls under the jurisdiction of a different village. It may be payable directly to the Chief or to the landowner of the island itself.
Position:
8° 34.58′ S, 157° 52.58′ E (Seghe Town)
Last updated: November 2023
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Related to following destinations: Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands, Western Province (New Georgia)
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gemma ross says:
Jan 19, 2019 01:22 AM
On sailing overnight between the Russell Islands & Marovo lagoon, we arrived at Mbili passage in the early morning. Mbili village on Minjanga island opposite Gatokae is home to many talented wood carvers. We anchored just inside the southern tip of Sanihulumu Island.
It has been recommended that yachts ask the visiting carvers in canoes to view the carvings in one go either at the village community hut or on the beach. This can be organised by Paul John of Sanihulumu or by going to see Lisa at Solomon Dive Adventures (SDA) off the small island of Turupu next to the anchorage. Chief Luten & his family live on the northern penisula of Gatokae & they will also show you carvings there.
The reason for this is so that all the villagers get a fair chance at selling their work, as some of the canoes can be rather insistent & all seem to come from the same family therefore monopolising. If you are not firm you will get “canoed” all day every day.
There are several good dive sites in the area for which there is a Custom fee of SI$25 pp per dive if you have your own gear or you can dive with SDA & it is included. Lisa at the Dive Resort was very helpful in explaining that the fee is meant to go into the community fund so I recommend having a chat with her to ascertain who owns which dive site & we gave the fee to her directly as she puts it into an account for the village (rather than it ending up in one person’s pocket). Also be careful that you do not get asked for the fee by different people. We tried very hard to please everybody but it seems that there are some politics & greed that marred our time there.
Any concerns & talk to Lisa! Equally I do not want to put anyone off going there because it was a lovely spot & the diving awesome. Mbilikiki dive liveaboard visited the same time we were there so the carvers all gathered together for their guests to view their art. Even if you are just looking, some of the carvings were spectacular & in a group setting there is no pressure to buy like with the canoes.