The Solomon Islands - A Wildlife Cruise in the South Pacific!

The Solomon Islands lie in the turquoise-blue waters of the South Pacific,  to the the east of Papua New Guinea and to the north-east of Australia. This seldom-explored paradise is spread across six major islands, plus over 900 smaller ones, and is home to a wealth of wildlife both above and below the waves (much of which is endemic), as well as a unique culture and a fascinating history. The best way to explore this wildlife-rich archipelago is by boat, and so for this pioneering holiday we have exclusively chartered the 18-passenger MV Bilikiki. This small and comfortable motor vessel features nine guest cabins, all of which are en suite and air-conditioned. It is an ideal floating base for this exciting natural history cruise and will be our home for 10 nights as we journey past rugged jungle-clad islands and over pristine coral reefs. Whilst we will enjoy plenty of time at sea each day in search of cetaceans and seabirds, we will also explore the Solomon Islands themselves in search of the region's terrestrial wildlife and to visit traditional Melanesian villages.

The larger islands are the tops of undersea volcanoes, clothed with lush tropical rainforest, whilst many of the smaller ones are low-lying, sandy coral atolls which barely rise above the sea. The forests are home to a wonderful variety of birds — including many endemics — as well as a wealth of other wildlife, including huge birdwing butterflies and a range of striking dragonflies. The Solomons are fringed by some of the most pristine and spectacular coral reefs on Earth and lie within the so-called 'Coral Triangle', the centre of global marine biodiversity. The reefs here teem with fish and other undersea-life, and we will be assured of some world-class snorkelling on this holiday!

We begin the tour, however, with a flight to Brisbane on Australia's eastern coast. We recommend breaking the journey to Honiara at this point, either with a few days to enjoy the city, or by joining our pre-tour extension to Lamington National Park, home to Regent Bowerbird, Paradise Riflebird and Albert's Lyrebird. This is a wonderful spot to enjoy some gentle birding whilst adjusting to the new time zone. From Brisbane we fly to Honiara in the Solomon Islands and, after a night in town, we transfer to MV Bilikiki, our home for the next 10 nights.

For the first half of our cruise, we will slowly work our way westwards, past the Russell Islands, out into the Solomon Sea and onwards towards the New Georgia Islands and Marovo Lagoon, the largest double barrier reef lagoon in the world. We will keep our plans and exact route flexible, however, to take account of the sea and weather conditions, the advice of our guides and to ensure that we make the most of the wildlife encounters we enjoy along the way. These should include plenty of cetaceans (whales and dolphins). Although there has been relatively little cetacean research undertaken in the Solomons — and there is much still to be discovered — the wonderful diversity and abundance of species around the archipelago are obvious. On our inaugural cruise here in 2018, our group enjoyed sightings of an impressive 16 species of cetacean, including Omura’s Whale, a little-known baleen whale that was only described in 2003! Other species to look out for include Sperm Whale, Pan-tropical Spotted, Striped, Risso’s, Common Bottlenose, Indo-Pacific Bottlenose, Fraser’s and Rough-toothed Dolphins, Short-finned Pilot Whale, Pygmy Killer Whale and Melon-headed Whale, plus Cuvier’s, Longman’s and Blainville’s Beaked Whales.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the region's seabirds, which range from graceful White-tailed Tropicbirds to piratical Lesser Frigatebirds. Delicate White Terns share the seas with Red-footed and Brown Boobies, along with Sooty Tern, Black-naped Tern and Brown Noddy. There is also the chance of finding one of the rarer seabirds that ply these waters, such as Heinroth's Shearwater, Beck's Petrel or Collared Petrel. The landbirds are equally diverse and the islands hold a range of endemics and regional specialities such as Sanford’s Sea Eagle, Island Imperial Pigeon, Solomon Cockatoo, Coconut Lory, Claret-breasted Dove and Pied Goshawk.

For the second half of our cruise, we will return to the main island of Guadalcanal by a different route, perhaps stopping at Mborukua Island (also known as Mary Island). We will continue our search of the archipelago's whales and dolphins as we go and will stop frequently to snorkel over the reefs and visit different islands along the way. Back in Honiara, we will spend our final evening aboard MV Bilikiki and then disembark after breakfast the following morning to catch our flight back to Brisbane and then ultimately home.