Joe’s Wall, Gizo, Solomon Islands

Site Overview
Dive Centres
Site Type: Scenic Reef with Gorgonians and macro
Depth: Top: 5M Median: 19M Bottom: 27M
Location: Near the island to the north east just the other side of Ferguson Passage from Gizo, Solomon Islands

The terrain at Joe’s Wall near Gizo in the Solomons west is very similar to the nearby Secret Spot – a reef slope steepening to a wall, then back to a slope, – but there is not quite so much coral cover. This makes it less of a fish and more of an ‘other critters’ dive. (That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of other critters at Secret Spot, or that Joe’s Wall has no fish!)

Red seafan with blue beyond at Joes Wall diving Gizo in the Gizo by Diveplanit

There were a couple of giant seastars to which I should have added an arm into the shot for scale.

Seastar that was half a metre across at Joes Wall diving Gizo in the Gizo by Diveplanit

They were literally 50cm from tip to opposing tip. Here’s one wrapped around a cockscomb oyster shell.

Giant seastar wrapped around cockscomb oyster shell at Joes Wall diving Gizo in the Gizo by Diveplanit

At the other end of the scale spectrum were the nudis. A beautiful Ocellated Phyllidia,

Ocellated Phyllidia Nudibranch at Joes Wall diving Gizo in the Gizo by Diveplanit

And a rather large Swollen Phyllidia.

Swollen Phyllidia Nudibranch at Joes Wall diving Gizo in the Gizo by Diveplanit

Caught unawares this Saddle Grouper was looking a bit sheepish, and wasn’t quite sure whether to flee, or just wait for me to go away.

Saddle Grouper at Joes Wall diving Gizo in the Gizo by Diveplanit

No Solomons dive site album is complete without the obligatory Clownfish photo.

Clarks Anemonefish in anemone at Joes Wall diving Gizo in the Gizo by Diveplanit

And the humble, yet incredibly complex tunicates. Believe it or not these _animals_ have nervous, digestive, reproductive and circulatory systems.

Tunicates at Joes Wall diving Gizo in the Gizo by Diveplanit