One big highlight of any visit to the Solomon Islands is diving Leru Cut – an astounding site that impresses even the most well-travelled of divers.
The experience is something to behold for all, but for photographers it is a dream come true as the beautiful light patterns make it the perfect playground.
Leru Cut is accessible only from a liveaboard, which makes Emperor Bilikiki not simply the perfect way to arrive at this must-see spot but one of the only ways to do so. And having been going there for nearly 30 years, the Bilikiki crew know exactly how to time the dive to get the perfect light, no matter the time of year.
The cut is a narrow passage that extends roughly 100 metres into Leru Island and allows only for single-file diving. It’s illuminated by sunlight filtering through the jungle canopy which highlights the vivid colours around you but also makes for a fascinating balance of light and shadow.
Divers move through the passage and can surface to admire the vine-draped walls or soak in the sounds of the surrounding rainforest. Then, having revelled in this sensory playground, you return back through the cut, and emerge at a breathtaking vertical wall adorned with gorgonian fans and soft corals, teeming with marine life.
Within the cut, if you can draw your eyes away from the beams of light, you can see macro lif, including various forms of pipefish such as the ornate and ghost varieties, along with crustaceans and shrimp under some of the overhangs.
Outside the wall, there can be lots of pelagic action, such as reef sharks, barracuda, and eagle rays while turtles are regularly seen here as well. Up closer on the wall, most of the nine species of anemonefish found in the Solomon Islands (including the elusive White Bonnet which is endemic to the Solomons and a small part of western Papua New Guinea) can be seen, along with butterflyfish, angelfish, hawkfish, parrotfish, and rabbitfish.
If you look closely, you can even see pygmy seahorses hiding in the numerous Gorgonian Sea Fans.
It is a gasp-inducing experience from start to finish and a dive that must be added to your list.
If you would like to find out more about Leru Cut and all the other amazing diving in the Solomon Islands, contact our fantastic team on [email protected] and they will help you in any way they can
Pictures courtesy of Erin Quigley and Matt Smith