A number of shipwrecks are located in the passage.
Before the World War II, Irish missionary Patrick O'Reilly joined a religious mission to Buka Passage, and began collecting artefacts that helped to preserve Bougainville cultural history.[1]
The 1943 aerial photograph to the right shows the Buka Passage between Bougainville and Buka islands. Two Japanese airfields are visible, Buka Airfield (center) and Bonis Airfield (left).
Today, Buka Airfield has become Bougainville's major airport, whereas Bonis Airfield has been disused since World War II.
