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Ecotourism
Papua New Guinea is one of the three last tropical wilderness areas left in the world with virgin rainforests, pristine reefs and vibrant and living cultures. 75% of the country is covered by dense rainforest and the rest is savannah grassland, wetlands or sago and mangrove swamps.
Papua New Guinea’s wild animal life is rich and diverse. Of the 43 known species of birds of paradise, 38 are found in PNG. Marsupials such as cuscus, possums, wallabies, tree kangaroos, sugar gliders, bandicoots and quolls are common. Unique to Milne Bay are the endangered Black Mountain Wallaby on Goodenough Island, the endangered Tates Triok possum on Fergusson Island, David’s Echymipera bandicoot on Kiriwina, the endangered Woodlark Cuscus, St Aignans bat over several islands and Van Deusens Rat in Agaun.
Of the two known species of monotreme, the echidna is only found in PNG. Different species of rats, bats and mice are plentiful as well as a plethora of insect life. Reptile species include snakes, lizards, frogs and the salt water crocodile. The green tree python is fairly common here but there are two species yet to be described. There are several species of endemic frog with more than thirty yet to be described. With over 800 species of butterfly, PNG ranks 12th in the world.
PNG has the highest number of orchid species in the world with 3 000 recorded and new ones being discovered every year. There is an estimated figure of 15 000 plants in PNG of which 10 500 are endemic. The vegetation of Milne Bay is very diverse, from coastal to sub alpine. There are over 250 endemics. Papua New Guinea is truly a naturalist’s wonderland.
Milne Bay is especially blessed with thick jungle cloaking the Owen Stanley mountain chain in which we have 269 of the 730 species of birds found in PNG, some of which are endemic to Milne Bay. Our forests and reefs are teeming with life but these habitats are under threat from the pressures of logging, hunting, agriculture, mining and fishing. So far, Milne Bay is one of two provinces in the country that does not allow export of logs although processed timber is exported.
Eco tourism was pioneered by Napatana Lodge and Milne Bay Magic Tours. As a result of this work, Milne Bay has been selected by the PNG Government to be a model province to pilot eco tourism. In addition to creating an impact on natural ecosystems and optimising benefits to locals in the rural areas, eco tourism should work hand in hand with conservation and raise awareness about ecologically fragile regions. It should foster respect for other cultures and bring about exchange of ideas and culture. Visitors from the more developed countries will benefit from the experience of living in a totally natural environment and the experience of the local cultures as well as imparting a new sense of value to the habitats.
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About Milne Bay
Terrestrial Tourism
