Dive Fiji

Diving in Fiji is often world class - Jean-Michel Cousteau called it, "the soft coral capital of the world." Because we lived in Suva, on the largest island of Viti Levu, we tended to do most of our diving in nearby Beqa Lagoon. However, there are many other beautiful and exciting places to dive around the country.

At Beqa, we have seen wonderful soft corals, several species of shark, rays, turtles, lion fish, blue ribbon eels and much more. Here are some pictures taken by Peter, Marijke and Clark while scuba diving in Beqa Lagoon, for those who are interested.

We have also dived some of the sites around Savusavu, which is located on the second largest island of Vanua Levu. While we were there, we saw more turtles than we usually do in Beqa, but we also noticed that there was more bleached and dead coral. We have heard that, since we were there last, it has recovered.

We have also dived several sites along the Coral Coast of Viti Levu. Here are some photos that Coral Village Divers took, which give you an idea of the underwater world you can expect in Fiji. In this area, we have dived Morgan's Wall. I enjoyed that site (included in our dive reports), but the Coral Coast generally doesn't seem to have as many good sites as other parts of Fiji.

Here are quick links to the information that can be found in this page:

Safety Information
Hazards
Books and other resources for diving in Fiji
Dive Operators
Weather and sea conditions
Other resources and travel to Fiji

Safety Information

If you have a diving accident on Fiji and think that you might need the Recompression Chamber in Suva, please call one of these numbers:

Dr H. Ali - 999 3500 (mobile)
Dr J. Maharaj - 999 3501 (mobile)
Mr Curly Carswell - 999 3506 8850 345

The recompression chamber can also be contacted at recompression@connect.com.fj but this is NOT for emergency use.

The chamber is located within Suva's private hospital, which intends to provide an international standard of medical care.

For other medical emergencies, phone 911

Diver's Alert Network (DAN) - the dive safety organisation:
USA: +1-919-684-4326 (accepts collect / reverse charges calls) or +1-919-684-8111 (does not accept collect / reverse charge calls)
South East Asia-Pacific Region (S.E.A.P.), which includes Fiji.
E-mail: danseap@danseap.com.au.
Web site: http://www.danseap.com.au/
Australia: +61-8-212-9242
New Zealand: +64-9-445-8454

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Hazards

What hazards can you expect when diving around Fiji? Here are a couple that you might want to know about:

Currents. There are strong currents in many places around Fiji. These contribute to some of the extraordinary wildlife here, such as the White Wall (made up of soft corals) in the Somosomo Straight off Taveuni; a world renowned drift dive. However, these currents often move faster than you can fin, so it is a good idea to have a knowledgeable local with you when diving.

Cyclones. November to April is the cyclone season and strong winds can whip up the seas at any time of the year. You should always check on the weather conditions before going out in a boat. Most boat captains are conscientious and will have checked, but it is better not to assume that. Call the meteorological office in Namaka (phone 6724 888) before going out.

Wildlife. There have been a couple of fatal shark attacks off the island of Taveuni. Recent ones were in December 2000, May 2001 and September 2003. According to FijiTV, the former occured when a local man moored his boat about 150m offshore and dived into the water to swim to shore. According to newspaper accounts, he was moored only 30m offshore. While he was swimming, a shark bit his leg and he bled to death before reaching shore. In the second incident a lone spearfisherman was attacked while he was carrying his catch. This is not a recommended practice. The third fatality was a 40-year old man wading ashore from his boat at Drekeniwai, with his catch.

There are a couple of species in Fiji waters that are known to be dangerous: Tiger sharks, Oceanic White Tips and Bull sharks. However, I have never heard of them attacking scuba divers here. Apart from that, there are a few other animals with teeth, such as Barracuda and Moray eels, and some of the soft corals, Crown of Thorns sea stars, Lionfish and so on, can give you a nasty sting. Check out the wildlife books or ask a local about the wildlife where you are diving.

Sun. If you are light-skinned and come from a country at a higher latitude, the intensity of the sun can catch you out. It is all too easy to get sunburned here, particularly on your head, neck and shoulders. Apply sun screen regularly and take plenty of water with you on dive trips. Your dive boat may have water on board, but you need to drink a lot more than you are used to. If you find yourself getting intense headaches which clear up within a couple of minutes of drinking a glass of water, you may be getting dehydrated. Take lots of water or fruit juice with you and drink it frequently.

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Books and other resources for diving in Fiji

Coral Reef Fishes, by Ewald Lieske & Robert Myers. From Princeton University Press, 1999. Covers the Indian Ocean and Caribbean as well as the Pacific. A comprehensive fish guide with over 2,500 colour drawings.

Diving and Snorkelling Guide to Fiji, by W Gregory Brown. From Pisces Books, 1993. A brief and accessible guide to dive sites and wildlife.

Diving & Snorkelling Fiji (2nd edition). Mahaney, Casey & Astrid. Lonely Planet 2000. 141p. Paperback. ISBN 0864427719. This is a nice contribution to the books about diving around Fiji. It contains general information on Fiji as well as specific information about dive sites, organised by region, with contact information on dive operators. As you might expect from authors who are also underwater photographers, the illustrations are plentiful and attractive. It categorises all sites on degree of diver competence required. It is well priced at UK£10.90 (about FJ$33.00). I think it would be worth buying, particularly if you have not had much experience of diving around Fiji.

Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Guide, by Gerald R Allen & Roger Steene. From Odyssey Publishing, 1999 (5th edition). A guide for divers with over 1,800 colour photographs

You can order these books from

Australian Museum. With the amazing wealth of wildlife in Fiji, you will probably need help with identifying it all. Now you can find out online what that fish was, at the Australian Museum's Fish Site. The site allows viewers to search its database of fish in the South Pacific by scientific name or common name and also provides a step-by-step key, designed to help you identify even the most obscure fish.
Go to: http://www.austmus.gov.au/fishes/

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Dive Operators

Central Region - The Coral Coast to Pacific Harbour and Ra

Aquablue Fiji operates from Wailoaloa Beach 10 minutes from Nadi Airport. Awesome diving to the Mamanuca Islands. We offer complimentary road pick up from all Nadi and Denarau Hotels. We provide PADI and SSI training.
Web address: www.AquaBlueFiji.com
Tel: 679 6726 111 or 679 9964195
email: info@aquabluefiji.com

Aquacadabra operate out of the First Landing Resort in Lautoka. They have new equipment and a fast, well-appointed boat. They provide PADI training courses. Their web site is http://www.aquacadabradiving.com/

Aquatrek has a regional store called Aquatrek Beqa in Pacific Harbour, next to the Centra Hotel. They have several boats and their Pacific Harbour operation has become known for its Sunday morning, shark-feeding dives. Their boats are small and fast, and their rental equipment is in good condition. They provide PADI training courses. Their Nadi store is at 465 Queens Road.
Tel./Fax: +679 3450 324.
E-mail: aquatrekbeqa@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.aquatrekdiving.com/

Beqa Divers mooring is located by the Lake in Pacific Harbour, with an office, workshop and training pool in Lami, near Suva. They have old-ish equipment to rent and they also service gear. Their web site is http://www.beqadivers.com/ Their boat usually sets off at about 9.00 a.m. and they take groups out to most of the well known sites around Beqa Lagoon. They are less expensive than the other operators in the area and they also provide lunch. They provide PADI training courses. Their office address is 91 Marine Drive, Lami, Suva.
Tel.: +679 3361 088.
Fax: +679 3361 047.
E-mail: divefiji@connect.com.fj

Crystal Divers is located on Nananu-I-Ra Island just off the north tip of Viti Levu Their web site is: http://www.crystaldivers.com/ They visit several of the well known Fiji dive sites, including Mt. Mutiny and E-6. They have a small amount of gear available for rental, so it is better if you can take your own. Their boat usually leaves from the dive shop at 8:00 a.m. Crystal Divers, Nananu-I-Ra Island, PO Box 432, Rakiraki, Fiji.
Tel.: +679 6694 747,
Fax: +679 6694 877.
E-mail: crystaldivers@connect.com.fj and info@crystaldivers.com

Crystal Divers will make reservations for accommodation as well as airport transfers. On Nananu-I-Ra there are bures (cottages) and dormitories available, for example with Betham's Beach Cottages, P0 Box 5, Rakiraki, Fiji.
Phone / Fax +679 6694 132.
Web site: http://www.bethams.com.fj/

Dive Connections is based in Pacific Harbour and their boat goes out to all the popular sites in Beqa Lagoon. They have old-ish equipment to rent. Their boat usually sets off at about 9.30 am and they provide lunch between dives. They have an instructor who provides PADI training courses.
Tel.: +679 3450 541.
Fax: +679 3450 539.
E-mail: diveconn@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.diveconnections.com.fj

Mike's Divers is located at Votua Village on the Coral Coast. They offer marine life conservation education, in addition to dive tours and training. Most of their dive sites are close to shore, which means very short boat rides, for those prone to sea sickness! They have lots of new rental gear. They offer training through PADI. They also offer group and local discounts. They will pick you up for free from the local resorts, the nearest of which is The Warwick, which my family think is a fantastic place. PO Box 136, Korolevu, Fiji.
Tel./Fax: +679 6530 222. USA
Tel./Fax: +1 (650) 879-0421.
E-mail: info@dive-fiji.com
Web site: http://www.dive-fiji.com/

Ra Divers is based at Mokusigas Island Resort on Nananu-I-Ra. Their boat takes up to 12 divers to sites around the island. When we dived with them in July 2001 they were having problems with staffing and with their boat. They promised a trip by phone and then cancelled when we turned up. (They told us that a group of 'Lebanese' had hired the boat and didn't want anyone else on board. We later discovered that they meant a group of lesbian scuba divers had hired the boat and did not want any men on board!) When we did manage one trip with them, a boat engine kept cutting out (a problem they seemed to have had for some time), leading to a 'stop-start' trip. My mood wasn't improved by an unsecured tank rolling over my video and damaging the light housing. YMMV. They describe themselves as a PADI facility.
PO Box 417 Rakiraki, Nananu-I-Ra Island, Fiji.
Tel.: +679 6694 511.
Fax: +679 6694 611.
E-mail: radivers@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.radivers.com/

If you want to dive off Nananu-I-Ra, which is well worth doing - it is a beautiful island, I recommend you dive with Crystal Divers, even though they are one of the more expensive operations in Fiji, and stay at one of the smaller resorts such as MacDonalds, Charlie's Cottages or Betham's Beach Cottages. The more expensive Mokusigas Island Resort is very overpriced for the level of facilities they offer, compared to other resorts in Fiji, although their food is good and their staff very friendly.

South Pacific Adventure Divers (SPAD) is located at The Warwick resort. They offer trial dives in the resort pool at 1.00pm on most days. They have two boats, the larger of which can take up to 12 divers. They offer trips to Beqa Lagoon two or three times a week, although this is a very expensive way of diving there. It is far cheaper to drive to Pacific Harbour and go out with one of the operations based there. The rest of the time they dive sites close to their base, on the outer wall of the fringing reef. I dived with them three years ago and they were very disorganised and provided very poor service. Perhaps they have changed since then. They have an instructor who provides PADI training, if you want to take a chance
Tel.: +679 672 4624.
Fax: +679 672 0719.
E-mail: spaddivefiji@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.spaddivefiji.com.fj/

Northern Region - Vanua Levu, Taveuni and nearby islands

Aqua-Trek Taveuni dive several locations including the well known Great White Wall (named after the beautiful soft corals not the shark!).
Tel.: +679 8880 544.
Fax: +679 8880 288.
E-mail: garden@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.aquatrek.com/

Eco Divers is located in Savusavu on the south of Vanua Levu. They have fast dive boats and the owner, Curly Carswell, is one of Fiji's great characters.
Tel.: +679 8850 122.
Fax: +679 8850 344.
E-mail: ecodivers@connect.com.fj

L'Aventure Divers - Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is located on the south of Vanua Levu, a couple of kilometres to the east of Savusavu. Tel.: +679 8850 188.
Fax: +679 8850 340.
E-mail: laventurefiji@connect.com.fj

Southern Region - Beqa, Kadavu and Vatulele

Dive Kadavu has a good reputation locally.
Tel.: +679 3311 780.
Fax: +679 3303 860.
E-mail: divekadavu@connect.com.fj

Beqa Lagoon Resort is located on the island of Beqa and their dive operation also dives Beqa Lagoon. They won a number of diver awards, including top resort, given by the readers of Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine in 2002.
Tel.: +679 3304 042.
Fax: +679 3304 028.

Matava - The Astrolabe Hideaway, as the name suggests, dives The Great Astrolabe Reef, around the southern islands of Kadavu and Ono. Famous for their Manta Ray dives, they provide a range of accommodation types, from very inexpensive, shared dormitories, up to private, ocean-view bures (Fijian cottages). They provide PADI training courses.
Tel.: +679 3336 098.
Fax: +679 3336 099.
E-mail: matava@suva.connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.matava.com.au/

Vatulele Island Resort is located on the island of Vatulele.
Tel.: (Australia) 61-2-9665-8700, (USA) (310) 670-8430.
E-mail: vatu@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.vatulele.com/

Western Region - Nadi, the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands

Aquatrek have a store in Nadi, in addition to their other regional bases. The store is at 465 Queens Road.
Tel.: +679 6702 413.
Fax: +679 670 2412.
E-mail: aquatrek@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.aquatrekdiving.com/

Aquatrek Mana Island is a wonderful busy operation with 2 diveboats. They are famous for their "Supermarket" shark feeding dive. Marijke went out once and really enjoyed the dive, service and divegear. They do day-trip dives from Nadi.
Tel.: +679 6702 413.
Fax: +679 670 2412.
E-mail: aquatrek@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.aquatrek.com/

Scuba Bula is located about a 25 minute drive south of Nadi International Airport at the Seashell Cove Surf & Dive Resort. The resort has a variety of accommodation, suitable for backpackers and families. They have dive gear to rent, including underwater cameras. Both Scuba Bula and the resort can be contacted at PO Box 9530, Nadi Airport, Fiji.
Tel.: + 679 6706 100,
Fax + 679 6706 094.
E-mail: seashell@connect.com.fj
Web site: http://www.scubabula.com/

Live-Aboards

Fiji Aggressor
Tel.: +679 3361 382.
Fax: +679 3362 930.
E-mail: aggressorfiji@connect.com.fj

The Nai'a is a Fiji-based liveaboard that travels to sites around Fiji, as well as neighbouring countries. For example, they travel to Tonga for Humpback whale watching in the appropriate season. Their web site is at http://www.naia.com.fj/

Seahawk Yacht Charters based in Savusavu

More information about dive operators and diving in Fiji is available from the Fiji Visitors Bureau.

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Weather and sea conditions

The hottest months are January and February, when air temperatures can vary from the mid-30s Celsius to the low-20s at night. These are also the wettest, most humid months. The coolest months are July and August, when the maximum temperature is usually in the low 30s. The maximum and minimum sea temperatures lag behind the air temperatures by about a month. They vary from the high-20s in February to the mid-20s in August.

The best water visibility is in the cooler months, from June to about October. However, I don't recall visibility ever dropping below about 15 metres at the very lowest.

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Other resources and travel to Fiji

Fiji is a safe place to visit. Generally speaking, in times of political strife most of the problems are likely to arise in the areas around and between Suva and Nausori - the resorts and dive areas are far less likely to be affected. However, the levels of property crimes are relatively high, and these crimes have affected resorts. My advice is never carry valuables around with you; never carry large sums of money; never carry purses or wallets openly and, if you can, lock all valuables in hotel safes or similar. Some areas are safer than others as far as muggings and street crime are concerned, however, nowhere is completely safe so you should always take reasonable precautions.

Dive Training Organisations

Marine Environment - information and web links

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"There are few places remaining on our planet as beautiful as Fiji. ... I've found Fiji's coral reef communities to be among the most vital. Fiji's islands offer an unparalleled range of dive sites and the sheer diversity of life is overwhelming! ... Among the unspoiled, brightly-coloured gardens of Fiji's blue waters, the serious diver will find a touch of paradise."

Jean-Michel Cousteau
Environmentalist, film maker and writer