Where should you go to find the best diving in Fiji? With its constellation of islands, Fiji offers a multitude of stunning beaches that are perfect for relaxing. But dip your head below the waves and you’ll discover underwater coral gardens, colorful darting fish and graceful manta rays.
Whether you’re an experienced diver, with many dives under your “dive” belt, or you’re still learning which way is up on your snorkel, Fiji offers a truly sublime underwater experience for everyone.
BEST FIJI DIVING – PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Fiji is a year-round dive and snorkel destination due to its temperate climate, and the warm, shallow waters of Fiji’s reef-fringed lagoons are the perfect training environments.
Most Fiji resorts will have their own dive operators who can offer introductory resort dives for beginners to an open-water certification course for those looking to take their skills to the next level and discover some of the best diving in Fiji.
The winter months of April to October are the most popular times to experience the best Fiji diving when the visibility tends to peak between the months of July and early December when the water is cooler.
FIJI MARINE LIFE
Fiji is known as the ‘soft coral capital of the world’ for good reason. With its location in the South Pacific, the strong currents of the outer reefs bring nutrient-rich waters from thousands of miles, helping to attract some of the most diverse marine life in the ocean.
Boasting more than 390 coral species and around 1,200 fish species, the waters surrounding Fiji offer some of the best snorkeling and diving in Fiji.
You can choose from wall dives, swim-throughs, canyons and caverns to once-in-a-lifetime encounters with bull sharks, wahoo, manta rays and whale sharks. Underwater visibility regularly exceeds 100ft and the corals are so healthy that when the corals bloom, they have a flower-like beauty.
WHERE TO GO FOR THE BEST DIVING IN FIJI
Viti Levu
Along Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu divers can reach Bligh Water and the Vatu-i-Ra Passage, famous for its rich marine life. Keen divers will love Breathtaker dive site – with the clue in its name. Breathtaker is a long vertical wall of coral-carpeted reef pillars 80 feet high brimming with reef fish, plus big open water species including slick and stripy barracuda.
Kadavu
About 62 miles south of Viti Levu, Kadavu is the jumping-off point for the Great Astrolabe Reef. Named after the French ship Astrolabe, the Great Astrolabe Reef is a breeding ground for big fish like tuna, marlin, giant trevally and sharks.
The reef stretches for nearly 45 miles making it one of the longest barrier reefs on the planet and offers some of the best Fiji diving and snorkeling.
There are incredible dive sites here with coral-carpeted pinnacles and tunnels. Eagle Rock is a group of rock pinnacles with abundant hard corals and masses of fish life, while Broken Stone offers an underwater landscape with a maze of swim-throughs, caverns and tunnels.
Not all dives require oxygen tanks. Manta Reef off the south coast is a perfect example. Enormous manta rays swim in the shallows, relaxed enough to allow swimmers and snorkelers to approach at a respectful distance. Manta rays are nervous creatures that scare easily at the sound of scuba bubbles, so divers need to slip quietly into the water from a spotter boat and only use their snorkels to see these flying beauties.
The Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands
Sitting north-west of Viti Levu, the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands are great for beginners looking for the best snorkeling and diving in Fiji.They’re also easy to get to as they’re close to Nadi, Fiji’s international airport.
The dive sites here are safe for beginners and many resorts – such asTurtle Island – have coral gardens and easy places to explore if you’re keen to move from snorkeling to diving.
If you’re new to diving, the coral-studded underwater cliff in the Yasawa Island chain, called Lekima’s Ledge, is a good place to start. The slowly descending ridges allow you to explore deeper as your confidence grows and the site attracts plenty of fish as well as ample coral gardens.
Vanua Levu and Tavenui
Fiji’s second and third-biggest islands are just a short flight or boat ride north of Viti Levu and offer some of the best diving in Fiji.
Experienced divers will find the best Fiji diving at the Great White Wall off Tavenui – possibly the best soft-coral dive in Fiji – the Nasonisoni Passage off Vanua Levu, and E6 in the Lomaiviti Islands, which features a phenomenal seamount that brushes the ocean’s surface.
Tavenui’s Great White Wall is a fabulous dive that is often described as the best dive in the Fiji, thanks to the amazing colors, the stunning array of hard corals and the kaleidoscope of reef fish.
In Vanua Levu head to Namena Marine Reserve, a protected 27 square mile park, a two-hour boat ride from Savusavu. Some of the best sites here include Dreadlocks, with its multi-colored hard and soft-coral garden, Dreamhouse, home to schools of barracuda, jacks and tuna, and Dungeons and Dragons, a towering maze of swim-throughs.
EXPLORE TURTLE ISLAND FIJI
At Turtle Island Resort Fiji diving is included in the nightly rate, which means guests who are certified divers can get a one-tank dive per day for free.
Experienced Dive Masters will guide you on an adventure into paradise allowing you to get up close and personal with sharks, rays and turtles and see colorful coral gardens in water that is 27-30°C (80-86°F) all year round.
Vertical Blue, Turtle Island Resort’s dive partner, will equip you with all your dive gear (except for adjustable fins and booties), any tuition you may need, guided dives for all levels, and they’ll happily provide extra tanks and dives for an additional fee.
Turtle Island also offers great snorkeling on their daily tours or even just around the jetty with amazing fish life and colorful corals.
Hosting just 14 couples at a time, Turtle Island Resort really does feel like your own slice of paradise. With 500 acres of lush forests to explore and 12 private beaches, at Turtle Island Resort you really can escape the crowds.
Get in touch today to start planning your next vacation to Turtle Island.
