Febrina

The MV FeBrina experience is a treat indeed !Being welcomed aboard by lovely Josie and taken to my air conditioned cabin was a delight. This boat is super comfy. The cabins have all been recently updated and are clean, spacious and very well appointed. The crew was a pleasure to spend the week with. The diving was spectacular ! The array of dive sites and beasties was incredible. I felt high on sensory overload every dive. Such diversity and abundance of sea life I have never experienced before. Soft corals, hard corals, crinoids, nudibranchs, sea slugs, crabs of all kinds and the fish life !!! Seriously, the abundance of fish large, small and weird is fabulous ! Juveniles of every species is a joy to see. Clownfish protectively patrolling their anemones everywhere in many different colors. Pygmy seahorse, Titan trigger fish , Cuttle fish and of course Sharks. The silvertip sharks were my favorite. With two divemasters on critter watch every dive something special was found literally every time.If you love diving book this trip. I can hardly wait to get back and do it again !

The FeBrina is a comfortable boat that sleeps 12 guests and sails from Walindi Pantation to the reefs of KImbe Bay for the majority of the year. Walindi is reached via an internal PNG flight from Port Moresby to Hoskins Airport and a 90 minute drive. Our trip was in August with air temperatures in the low 30’s °C and water temperature a constant 29-30°C.The cabins are comfortable and air conditioned and the staff provide a daily laundry service which means you can survive on minimal clothing if you need your luggage allowance for more important things like dive gear and cameras.Food is plentiful and varied, using local produce as much as possible.The crew, from kitchen staff to dive guides are extremely friendly and helpful. Camera facilities are good, with benches and open lockers provided for each diver on deck. The guides are exceptional at finding interesting animals for photographers and non-photographers alike. The briefings are clear and accurate, probably a reflection of the extensive experience they have of the sites. Up to five dives a day are available, with nitrox as an option. There is little current to worry about and the nature of the reefs make long slow ascents a real pleasure.The majority of dives are at coral outcrops in the Bismark Sea and these show an amazing variety in substrate and fish life between sites. The soft corals are most impressive, as are the schools of fish experienced at some reefs. There is one site (Restorf Island) that will satisfy those interested in muck dives, which is also a great night dive. There is no end of nudibranchs and other cryptic animals. The scenery is spectacular, and the macro life is prolific. You won’t be disappointed by the opportunities provided on this trip.

FEBRINA LIVEABOARD REVIEWThis year in June 2014 I had the good fortune to visit and dive from the MV Febrina in Papua New Guinea. The experience exceeded my expectations. Don't let the outside of this vessel fool you. It seems small and looks a bit aged, but, the cabins have all been recently completely renovated. I had a twin share with Cross bunk bed set up. Beds are clean and comfortable. Bathroom is fairly roomy with new very clean shower stall. Cabins have individual temperature controls and ample storage space. The captain and divemasters on this boat are exceptionally good at their jobs. The rest of the crew are always courteous and seem eager to please. The food is fresh , ample and always good. Two dive masters went out on each dive with us.Both are amazingly good at finding critters large and small. Captain Alan knows these reefs like no one else in the world. He set the moorings for most of them. The dive deck is designed well with individual lockers/ boxes for your personal gear.PNG MARINE LIFEThe waters are clean and teeming with life. So many juvenile fishes it made my heart sing. The top side scenery is just breath taking. We found proper lionfish, ghost pipefish, Crocodile fish, too many color and kinds of nudibrachs to list. Cuttle fish, octopi,pigmy seahorses, more species of corals and anemones than you can possibly imagine. We had two shark feeds both of which were well handled and brought in many sharks. Turtles here are friendly. I was on sensory overload the entire trip. So many beautiful colors in all the life there it brings a smile of wonder to my face each time I think of it.CONCLUSIONWhat a wonderful experience! These are the most pristine waters I have ever dove in. I have heard it said, "If you could only pick one place in the world to dive, It should be PNG". I have to agree with this. I hope I have the good fortune to visit the MV FeBrina and her crew again in this life time.