The Quarry

(Diver Level: All)

The Quarry is a section of north coast reef which, although only metres from the shore, drops off to just over 600 metres at a near vertical angle.

Swimming out over the reef you can identify many species of dendrophyllia corals - especially giant barrel shaped Turbinaria Frondens – with some over a metre in diameter. These are surrounded by a dazzling array of colonies of golden Daisy or Sunshine Coral - Tubastraea Aurea, which cling precariously to overhangs and the walls of small caves located within the reef wall.

There is always the opportunity to photograph the beautiful nudibranch mollusc and Phestilla Melanobrachia – both of which feed on the aurea. The aurea is also eaten by the Wentletrap Snail which eats out the polyps and leaves strings of bright yellow eggs in the cavities. The shallow, crystal clear water on top of the reef makes this an ideal option for even the ambient light photographer.

The ecosystem of The Quarry is particularly favourable for virtually every other species of marine mollusc.  Although classified by the anatomy of the animals living within them, the vast array of univalve shells that are found around The Quarry area features ome very descriptive names including Tiger Cowries and the rarer Golden Cowrie – renowned for its brilliant orange shell. Numerous Spindle Cowries can be seen feeding on Gorgonias and other soft corals. Also found are the full range of Olive Shells, Strombs and cones.

Lucky divers have witnessed the rare Charonia Tritonis (giant triton) – which is 50+ centimetres in length consuming a crown-of-thorns starfish. Unfortunately, the bustling tourist trade in Madang has seen a number of these fast-disappearing triton shells for sale at local markets. The villagers along the North Coast are more farsighted – refusing to allow any shells to be removed from the reefs in their region.

In addition to the mollusc and corals, the Quarry’s other main attraction are large sharks which inevitably follow the ocean currents that flow past the reef wall. Silvertips are commonly seen here with their thick, barrel like torsos distinguishing them from the sleeker reef sharks which are more common along the barrier reef.  Divers may also have the opportunity to compare the Oceanic white-tip that occasionally appears in the area with its smaller cousin, the white-tip reef shark.

The current at The Quarry is strong and unpredictable - its direction can vary according to the depth of water – at times, it is possible at times to drift dive south at 30 metres and then ascend to 18 metres and drift dive back to the north.