Fiji Islands Travel Guide | DiveMe

DIVING AND DIVE SITE INFORMATION

Fiji’s underwater world is a kaleidoscope of colors and experiences that will stimulate your senses and stir your imagination. It is a world of diversity and contrasts where you should expect the unexpected.

Fiji’s dive sites are generally only accessible by boat due to shallows extending far from shorelines. To reach most of these dive sites would take lengthy surface swims that would not only eat at your time but also your energy.

In general Fiji’s dive sites are in the reef passages between the open ocean and protected lagoons. These are made up of channels with numerous bommies and narrow channels that can be covered in one dive.

Currents can be quite strong making for great drift diving but care should be taken to follow known safety protocol in this instance. But remember, currents are the life blood of soft coral as they, and reef fish reach up to absorb the nutrients providing a magnificent display of colour as the coral emerges from its previous limp and ball-like position.

Visibility is usually clear but can change in a few hours depending on the tides and direction of the currents. Other factors that can affect visibility are heavy rainfalls inland causing river run-off, seasonal plankton blooms and coral spawning. To a lesser degree the existing weather also impacts on visibility – clear or cloud cover.

If you are going to snorkel be prepared for strong currents occasionally and choppy seas. Do not push the limits and if the weather and water condition worsens ensure you have organized a boat to come and pick you up if any distance from shore.

Diveme - crinoids, giant gorgonian fans, black coral and massive soft coral trees

Stephen Fink:

“We dropped into the blue and descended to a sandy ledge at 100 feet where a hammerhead shark was sighted. Schools of barracuda and jack inhabit the channel where a large coral pinnacle is washed by 100ft-plus visability.

From bottom to top there were intense pockets of filter feeders: crinoids, giant gorgonian fans, black coral and massive soft coral trees. The diving is timed to hit enough current to engorge the soft corals and cluster the fish together. That’s what makes these reefs so vibrant and alive.”

PADI and NAUI dive courses are offered at most resorts that operate dive shops and through dive operators. (Refer to the list on this site).

Following is a brief overview of some of the dive sites on offer in the various regions. The dives are classified as Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. Your Dive Operator or resort will be in a position to advise you of additional dive sites that will suit you level of diving ability and expectations.

Diveme - Viti Levu is Fiji’s Mamanuca Group Diving Island

Diveme - Heartbreak Ridge Diving walu, grey reef sharks, barracuda, rainbow runners

Diveme - Fantasy Dome (Spud Dome) dive consists of three bommies with the daddy of them reaching 10m

Diveme - Dreammaker underwater pinnacle is the feature of this site with canyons, splits and channels.

Viti Levu

Viti Levu is Fiji’s largest island with 75% of the population residing here. The Capital city Suva is located on Viti Levu as are the two major international Airports, Nadi and Nausori.

The best diving is located in the north and south with dive operators usually focusing on the western side where a large number of resorts are located in the Mamanuca Group.

Rakiraki is a sugar cane town but there are offshore islands and reefs providing good diving. On this side of the island the weather is dry and hot with heaps of sunshine. Currents are variable.

Heartbreak Ridge – Intermediate

This is a prime example of expect the unexpected. When currents are present the big boys come out to play. A 20m ridge runs alongside to the reef and wall gradually sloping down to 27m. Denizens of the deep such as walu, grey reef sharks, barracuda, rainbow runners are present with smaller fry such as surgeonfish and batfish. If your luck is running you may get to see turtles or schools of parrotfish.

Fantasy Dome (Spud Dome) – Novice

This dive consists of three bommies with the daddy of them reaching 10m. As the name suggests the knobby branches resemble a pile of potatoes. In the shallows you will see damselfish, schooling fusiliers and at the base thousands of garden eels.

The remaining two bommies rise to within 6m of the surface and are covered with soft corals, sea fans and several species of leather coral. This is home to various species of crustaceans such as shrimp and lobsters. This, intermingled with the brilliant diversity of colorful tropical fish creates a fabulous image of Fiji’s underwater world.

Dreammaker – Novice

A large underwater pinnacle is the feature of this site with canyons, splits and channels which are generally OK to swim through but be careful about damaging the sea fans that line the walls. The canyons and channels are a myriad of golden coral trees, red whip coral and red sea fans. Snapper and whitetip reef sharks are residents of this domain.

The southern end of Viti Levu is the location of the famous Coral Coast, stretching from Fiji’s Shangri-La Resort and Spa to Crusoe’s Retreat Resort, the island of Vatulele with its exquisite and exclusive world renowned resort and Beqa Lagoon, home of the shark feeding dive experience. This region normally has dry, sunny weather and is dotted with Fijian villages from one end to the other.

Pacific Harbour, closer to Suva is a little more prone to rain.
There are numerous dive operators and resorts along this major tourist belt that run charters to Beqa, Vatulele and other close by areas and sites. Visibility varies with currents and runoff from rivers on the main island.

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