Around 1,100 miles northeast of New Zealand, the Pacific islands of Fiji are a stunning dive destination, famed for their beautiful soft corals. Vibrant marine life, a plethora of tropical fish, and some exciting drift dives make Fiji a world-class dive destination, loved by anyone lucky enough to experience scuba diving Fiji. Here at Bluewater Travel, we run annual underwater photography workshops in Fiji, taking full advantage of the comfortable dive conditions and a huge range of photography subjects. Here are some of the best sites you can explore on one of our dive trips to Fiji.
Taveuni
To the northeast of the island group, the small island of Taveuni sits on the eastern side of the Somosomo Strait and is home to the renowned Rainbow Reef. The brisk currents that sweep through the Strait nourish a plethora of multi-colored soft corals and attract a good number of sharks including white tip and gray reef sharks, and nurse sharks. One of the best-known sites here is White Wall, named after the blanket of white corals that are found between 50 and 200 feet.
Beqa Lagoon
On the southern tip of the main island, Beqa Lagoon boasts dozens of dive sites and a wide variety of diving, including 18 miles of barrier reef. Divers can discover pinnacles and bommies, plenty of fringing reef, and several wrecks across 100 square miles of crystal clear turquoise water. Beqa is home to one of the best shark diving encounters in the world, where visitors can encounter up to eight species of sharks including black tip, white tip, and gray reef sharks, lemon sharks, bull sharks, and even the occasional tiger shark.
Viti Levu
Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji, is the gateway to the islands and where the majority of visitors will be based. Fiji's best-known dive area, Bligh Waters, is located on the northern coast of Viti Levu and draws divers the world over to explore the region's famous soft corals. The Bligh Waters are home to sites such as Mellow Yellow, where divers can discover huge fields of yellow corals, as well as a host of tropical fish, turtles, and the occasional shark.
Vatu-I-Raa Passage
At the center of the Bligh Waters, the Vatu-I-Raa Passage offers the ultimate Fijian dive experience with some of the best diving on the island. Stunning reefscapes of soft coral create breathtaking backdrops in a rainbow of colors as far as the eye can see. The narrow passages between the atolls and reefs where the currents are at their strongest are particularly lively, the nutrient-rich waters feeding a wealth of marine life. Vatu-I-Raa Passage is the highlight of any trip scuba diving Fiji.
Kadavu and Great Astrolabe Reef
A quieter destination south of the main island, Kadavu is less touristy than other parts of Fiji and so enjoys a more authentic feel. Reefs are in excellent condition and dive sites are less crowded, providing access to exceptional diving in calm and comfortable conditions. A highlight of diving here is the many manta cleaning stations, as well as plenty of reef fish and reef sharks. Kadavu Island also provides access to the Great Astrolabe Reef, one of the world's largest barrier reefs, and a breeding ground for many game fish species such as marlin, tuna, giant trivially, mahi-mahi, and snapper.
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