EASTERN FIELDS
The Eastern Fields is a large (12 by 3 miles) submerged atoll located approximately 105 miles southwest of Port Moresby in the Northern Coral Sea. The outer wall surrounds a large central lagoon, accessible via numerous passages. Given the absence of any nearby islands, there is no runoff to cloud the atoll’s deep waters; as a result, visibility can be astounding. The abundant sunlight, coupled with the constant upwellings of nutrient rich water, assure abundant biodiversity and rich coral growth, frequently at much shallower depths than usual. We joined Craig DeWit on the Golden Dawn for our 2005 visit to the Eastern Fields and then stopped in Australia’s Blue Mountains before returning home.
