NEW GUINEA’S ONLY PERMANENT LIVE ABOARD DIVE BOAT
The MV FeBrina, is the only live aboard in Papua New Guinea. Under the command of Alan Raabe the owner/skipper the vessel plies the waters from Walindi Resort in Kimbe Bay to the Witus and other locations. Very little advertising is required for the MV Febrina. She is possibly the most famous dive vessel after the Calypso. The quality of diving experience MV FeBrina offers can be quantified by the high number of bookings and the sheer number of repeat customers.
FeBrina cruises from her home port, Walindi Plantation Resort, visiting areas further afield such as Witu Islands, Fathers Reefs, South Coast New Britain and Rabaul. The FeBrina’s signature itinerary is the 10 day Kimbe Bay, Witu Islands and Fathers Reefs which is offered in April, May and June, September, October and November. These are the reefs of Cousteau. He spent so much time in New Guinea, and was so enchanted by it, that it was only natural that Alan Raabe and Max Benjamin would start a dive centre and liveaboard in Kimbe Bay.
It is hard to explain exactly how good the diving is in Papua and New Guinea. The Witus are probably host to the worlds’ most diverse diving, with reefs, walls and amazing black sand macro diving. Under the guidance of Digga and Josie, you will see schools of jacks, barracuda, giant trevally, fusiliers, chubbs and the full range of reef fish. There are literally 1000 species of fish in New Guinea and you can see most of them when you dive with the FeBrina team. In addition to the pelagics we have seen dolphins hunting underwater and a full blown shark attack, where 5 sharks attacked and took fish from the pinnacle on which we were diving. We enjoy diving all over the world, but in terms of the kind of diving seen in National Geographic Magazines- this is the place to dive. (Indeed when National Geographic asked the world famous underwater photographer David Doubilet where he would like to return to, he chose Kimbe Bay and New Guinea.
During July and August, FeBrina operates mid year itineraries: diving Kimbe Bay, Fathers Reefs and Lolobau Island. Selected mid year itineraries travel from Walindi to Rabaul and return. January, February and March see FeBrina exploring the Southern Coast of New Britain, based out of Rabaul. On selected itineraries during the year, the boat also visits the New Hanover area up towards Kavieng.