Active Experiences: Dive

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Active Experiences

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Active Experiences: Dive

Intro

There’s good reason that seasoned scuba divers are drawn to Fiji – other than the friendly locals of course! Stunning green islands meet warm coastal seas with vibrant reef cities filled with fish and coral. Once the bane of sailing ships, Fiji’s maze of brilliant coral reefs are now celebrated for their diversity of habitat and marine life. Even dive greats like Jean Michel Cousteau call Fiji paradise. Some of the world’s longest barrier reefs can be found here; the ‘Great Sea Reef’ and the ‘Great Astrolabe Reef’ and multiple world-class dive sites like ‘Grand Central Station’, ‘Nigali Passage’ and the ‘Great White Wall’.

Over 1200 species of fish and several hundred types of flower-like corals and sponges will have you aching to discover the alien world beneath the waves. An abundance of PADI or SSI affiliated dive resorts and operators are scattered throughout Fiji’s top dive regions. Kids as young as 8 are able to safely discover scuba with programs like ‘Bubblemaker’. Whether you're just finding your way around a BCD jacket, are keen to explore infamous sites like the ‘Great White Wall’, or log your next dive adventure on a liveaboard, you’ll find that diving here is well worth the plane ticket.

Experienced divers will especially love the diversity of reef escapes and sites in the Beqa Lagoon, Bligh Water, Somosomo Strait and the Great Astrolabe Reef.

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**Dive Video - A short video showing Fiji’s top 5 dive locations – 10 – 12 seconds on each**

‍**Map featuring the best dive spots – ability to hover over and read a brief description on each**

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Requirements

Fiji has an abundance of dive resorts and operators on offer, guests can choose from either PADI or SSI affiliated dive operators both of which are scattered throughout Fiji’s top dive regions.

All divers must be at least 10 years old.
Certified divers must provide a PADI / SSI certification card.
A PADI / SSI Medical Liability Form must also be completed.
Proof of travel insurance.

Things to Know

Dive Chamber

Fiji has two decompression chambers available for divers in case of emergency. The Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in Suva houses a hyperbaric chamber,offering treatment for decompression sickness (DCS) and other diving-related conditions. Additionally, the Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) facility in Suva also has a hyperbaric chamber with trained medical personnel to provide emergency care. These facilities ensure that divers have access to professional treatment should the need arise, reinforcing Fiji’s commitment to safe diving practices.

While dive operators emphasise conservative dive practices to minimise risks, it is always advisable for divers to have appropriate insurance that covers hyperbaric treatment.

Best time to dive in Fiji - The dive season is year-round with visibility between 15 and 50m. The cooler months of April to October are the most popular times to dive.

The visibility tends to peak between the months of July and early December when the water is cooler. It can be cool enough during this period to reduce plankton activity and create crystal clear waters, with visibility sometimes exceeding 50m!

Dive experiences

Learn to Dive –

Trade in your snorkels for a tank in the soft coral capital of the world. With phenomenal coral reefs – including two of the world’s largest - to play in, over 1200 species of fish and several hundred types of flower-like corals and sponges and experienced dive operators to guide you, there’s no better time to take the plunge.

Fiji has diving options for beginners all the way through to the most advanced training levels. Here’s a great article on why Fiji is a great place to learn to dive. https://www.fiji.travel/things-to-do/diving

Manta Rays - The mantas’ graceful underwater dance is a sight to behold and one that you’ll remember long after you’ve left the water.

Chance encounters with these gentle, filter feeding giants happen all over Fiji but your best shot at seeing them is at Manta Reef (Kadavu), Drawaqa Island (Yasawa Islands), near the Wakaya Club (Lomaiviti Islands) and in the Somosomo Strait (Taveuni).

Some sites prefer that you only snorkel with mantas while others let you dive. Sightings can also be seasonal and it’s best to check with your dive operator about optimum times for an encounter.Mantas are listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. To help protect these magnificent creatures, resorts in Kadavu and the Yasawa Islands share detailed data from their manta tours with the Manta Trust. The data helps inform better management strategies that benefit both tourism and manta conservation.There are only a handful of places on the planet where you can observe mantas in the wild. So, if you’re here diving, seek out one of these special sites to add to your Fiji dive bucket list.

Shark Dives - There are not many places in the world where you can dive cage-free with sharks in tropical waters and it is certainly not for the faint-hearted. However, for an experienced diver and shark enthusiast, it can be one of the most exciting, adrenaline filled and memorable experiences of their life.

Fortunately for you and the many dive adventure seekers, Fiji is home to some excellent shark dive tours. The experts in Pacific Harbour and Barefoot Kuata (Yasawa Islands) will make your shark dive a safe experience.

Read all about the prime shark dive locations and a bunch of interesting tour highlights right here.

For more information on Shark Diving in Fiji follow this link - https://www.fiji.travel/en-nz/articles/diving-shark-diving

Unique Dives – Fiji offers a range of unique dive experiences such as Wreck & Conservation dives, for more information follow this linkhttps://www.fiji.travel/en-nz/articles/diving-dive-with-a-difference

Dive Regions

Suncoast – Rakiraki

A 2½ hour drive north of Nadi, diving off Rakiraki on Fiji’s Suncoast is one of Fiji’s not so best kept secrets. This pocket of paradise promises pristine reefs and over 50 dive sites in the Bligh Waters and Vatu-i-Ra Passage. The waters off the Suncoast are considered the “new” soft coral capital of Fiji – a maze of barely submerged coral stacks and pinnacles, festooned with soft corals and alive with crowds of brightly coloured reef fish.

Black Magic Mountain is a classic Fiji dive site with beautiful healthy coral. It’s best known for schooling fish like big eye jacks, fusiliers and anthias, as well as several different species of sharks and rays. Then there is Instant Replay and just like the name suggests, once you’ve done it, you’ll want to do it again. Perhaps Instant Replay's best feature is the deeper coral heads covered in yellow and purple soft corals.

A cluster of resorts can be found around the island’s northern-most peninsula. The area is also known for great hiking, deep sea fishing and seasonal kiteboarding and windsurfing. Volivoli Beach Resort and Wananavu Beach Resort make for ideal base camps for weeklong dive adventures.

Pacific Harbour and Beqa Lagoon

Pacific Harbour and Beqa Lagoon are two of Fiji’s original soft coral wonderlands and the Beqa Lagoon is world renowned for its shark dives. Usually calm, this shallow lagoon teems with marine life and you can expect pinnacles, wrecks, and a plethora of colourful corals. The Lagoon can be easily accessed from Viti Levu – particularly from Pacific Harbour, the Coral Coast as well as offshore Beqa Island.

Savusavu

Some of Fiji’s best diving can be found off Savusavu in Vanua Levu – Fiji’s second largest island. Two of the best dive spots are on the Great Sea Reef and the Namena Marine Park. The waters off Savusavu are some of the most pristine in the whole of Fiji and it’s no surprise that this is home to one of the world’s finest pearl brands, J. Hunter Pearls.

Natewa Bay, the largest bay in the South Pacific, is also emerging as one of the North’s best kept secrets with dive operators conducting exploration dives in the nutrient rich and diverse waters.

Four Savusavu based resorts that are conveniently within reach of these sites at the Namena Marine Reserve and Rainbow Reef, are Jean Michel Cousteau Resort, the Koro Sun Resort, Namale Resort & Spa and Savasi Island Resort.

Natewa Bay –

https://www.fiji.travel/en-nz/articles/the-incredible-natural-beauty-of-natewa-bay

Natewa Bay is the largest bay in the South Pacific, bordered by the lush rainforests of the Natewa Peninsula on Fiji’s second largest island, Vanua Levu. Although it is only a 35 minute scenic drive from the seaside town of Savusavu, it takes just that little more effort to get there, so rewards those slightly more adventurous travellers with an off the beaten track experience well away from the tourist crowds. Some people say that the shallow reefs of Natewa Bay remind them of the Great Barrier Reef the way it used to be. Combined with the remote villages and ecotourism activities available in the forests of the adjacent Natewa Peninsula, this area offers a ridge-to-reef biodiversity that is found in only a few special places in the world. Come and visit this little-known gem for a truly unique experience in a stunningly beautiful natural environment.

Natewa Bay is not only the largest bay in the South Pacific in terms of area, but also one of the deepest, with maximum depths of over 1,000 metres in places. The regular supply of cool water upwellings from the deeper water likely moderates the temperature closer to the surface, which could be the reason why there are still many reefs in the bay with exceptional coral cover. The protection offered by the surrounding hills, and the fact that the bay has avoided any significant damage from recent cyclones, contribute to the fact that the reefs here are often regarded as amongst the healthiest anywhere in the world.

Choosing a diving or snorkelling adventure in Natewa Bay offers a rare opportunity to experience a little-known underwater paradise. The shallow reefs are home to vibrant coral gardens, where an incredible diversity of hard corals can be found just below the surface, along with large, brightly coloured sea fans and thousands of Christmas tree worms of every colour imaginable. Naturally, healthy populations of reef fish like butterflyfish, angelfish, and huge schools of anthias make their home in and around the corals. Sunbeams shine through the clear, shallow water, illuminating a whole new level of beauty as the reef comes alive.

The Outer Islands

The nutrient-rich Bligh Waters and Koro Sea attract numerous schools of fish and larger pelagic all year round. Large marine mammals like humpback whales can be seen playing in these waters from July – October for breeding and calving.

The best way to see these sites are on dive liveaboards although some resorts exist on Wakaya and other islands in the Lomaiviti group. Because currents are quite strong in these waters, it’s more suitable for intermediate and experienced divers. You can check out Nai’a Fiji Liveaboards, the Wakaya Club and Spa and Toberua Island Resort for an immersive and luxury experience. For the sustainability minded folk, Leleuvia Island Resort offers you a responsible and environmentally friendly, “off the grid” Fiji dive experience.

Taveuni & Somosomo Strait

Known as the ’Garden Island’ for its plentiful plant life, Taveuni is Fiji’s third largest island. Scuba divers will be delighted to find that Taveuni is located adjacent to the amazing Somosomo Strait (which is loaded with awesome dive sites) and is also home to Rainbow Reef and the famed ‘Great White Wall’ – arguably Fiji’s most famous dive site of all. The Somosomo Strait separates Vanua Levu from Taveuni in North-East Fiji. The crystal-clear seas off Taveuni have to be seen to be believed.

There are daily flights to Taveuni from both Nadi and Suva. Taveuni features an array of excellent dive accommodation options. Think, traditional Fijian inspired resorts, boutique adults-only properties and also a few premium luxury lodgings.

Kadavu & The Great Astrolabe Reef

Kadavu is surrounded by The Great Astrolabe Reef. Astrolabe Reef is one the largest on the planet, hence its location is a magnet for both divers and intrepid oceanic explorers of all kinds. In fact, a dive excursion to Kadavu should really be mandatory for divers who adore discovering remote South Pacific Ocean locations. The expert dive guides in the region, inherently know all the best secret dives sites, no matter the time or tide. Tremendously deep water is constantly channelled through the Great Astrolabe Reef and into the lagoons closer to Kadavu.

The Naiqoro Passage within the Great Astrolabe Reef is protected from fishing and requires a permit to enter - all the better to light up an astute divers’ sense of discovery. Kadavu is the ultimate dive region for people seeking a dive experience that is extra special, absolutely exhilarating and completely undisturbed by mass tourism.

Kadavu is pretty remote which makes for a smaller selection of dive accommodation compared to other areas in Fiji. Nevertheless, you can easily book ahead and find anything from neat, budget style bures right through to stunning 6-star luxury.

Mamanuca Islands

Thinking of visiting the Mamanuca Islands for your next Fiji dive vacation? Good, because if you intend to discover a series of exquisite reefs mixed with gentle lagoons, then bingo, this is your official dive haven. Namotu Wall is a lesser known site but no less amazing place to begin. The Supermarket is a great dive site too and cleverly takes name due to the multitude of marine life that come here to feed.

Dive sites in the Mamanuca Islands are typified by reefs with calm seas and easy to navigate coral reefs. Hence, the region is the terrific base for beginners, intermediate, advanced divers and is the ideal spot for your next family dive adventure. Many resorts here offer all-inclusive package deals, including nanny services, and some feature tailored dive holiday stays/rates too.

Yasawa Islands

Visually, the Yasawa Islands are a textbook masterpiece of dramatic islands and inviting seascapes. Naturally, the underwater scenes are nothing short of breath taking, since the volcanic island formations have effectively created a host of splendid dive sites.

Locals and visitors alike hold the Yasawa Islands in high esteem and all dive sites are easily accessible. Colourful sea fans and soft corals are found within deep reef walls and a wide variety of invertebrates can be spotted living in the overhangs. Seasonal sighting of Manta Rays in the Yasawa islands is possible.

Some of the dive operators in the Yasawa group offer conservation dives, which include crown of thorn sea star removal, coral planting as well as surveying. Guests can be part of these dives, so they fully understand the project.

Accommodation options in the Yasawa Islands range from quaint and affordable eco style beachfront lodgings right through to the glamour and glitz of a 5-star resort.