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Diving in Fiji
Dive Sites near Viti Levu

Mainland diving meets the needs of every diver. Experienced divers can dive the ocean side of the barrier reef and passages through it.  As well as vibrant corals and colorful small free fish, dolphins, sharks, manta rays, turtles and large pelagic fish are frequently encountered. 

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The Coral Coast begins 15 kilometers south of Nadi town. Various dive sites include vertical walls festooned with soft corals and gorgonia fans and fish life on the outside of the main reef and in the passages. The area has earned a justifiable reputation as one of the worlds top dive destinations.

Dive Sites
1. Morgan's Refuge: A giant Maori wrasse at 80 to 90 feet. Scarlet sea fans, flatworms, nudibranchs and starfish. 40-100 feet. Light to moderate current. 2. Side Streets: This legendary dive site is difficult to describe - difficult to take in! More than a dozen superb coralheads with more to see than the diver can absorb. Lush canyons of gorgonias in vivid reds and yellows, tunnel walls festooned with multi-colored soft corals and ancient black coral trees. Imperial angel fish patrol through the stands of sea whips, while white tip reef sharks and coral trout lazily circle the coral heads. Days could be spent at this one great dive spot, which an experienced diver recently described as 'the closest thing to paradise that I have ever seen'. Even the living clam shells are lavishly decorated with brilliant soft corals! 3. Frigate Passage: Sea fans up to eight feet across. Colorful soft coral. Schools of jacks and baitfish. If you're lucky, you'll see - Gray reef sharks. 40-120 feet. Moderate to heavy current.
4. Wreck of the TASU No. 2: In September, 1994, a 200-ton Taiwanese fishing vessel was intentionally sunk at 75 feet on a flat, white sand bottom, just adjacent to the very pretty dive site called 'Yanuca Shallows'. The site is well protected from current and wind chop, and the crystal-clear water means that the divers can usually see the full length of the vessel from the bow! As the years go by, the wreck gathers more fish (both tropical and pelagic) soft and hard corals, sea fans and other tropical underwater scenery. The vessel sits upright on the sand bottom and it's a great photo opportunity for still or video.  5. Crusoe's Channel: 3 huge leopard sharks residing in a swim-through, eagle rays, shovel-nosed rays, schools of barracuda, and more!  This is a fantastic "big fish" dive! 6. Coral Gardens: Beqa Lagoon's best display of hard corals and tropical fish. Fiji is on the eastern extremity of the largest area of hard corals in the world - and in these 'gardens' one can see most of them represented. Corals, of course, attract the tropical fish that hide in their spiny protection. The twinkling colours of clowns, damsels, butterflies, regal angels, fire fish and Moorish idols shimmer among the stands of fire coral, staghorn, elkhorn and mushroom coral formations. Schools of batfish disport on the deeper edges of the heads while the packs of Pacific barracuda are always in the background, hunting a juicy lunch of tropical fish. This area is also prolific in fluted and giant clams and other members of the clam family. There are squirrel fish, triggerfish, trumpet fish - the many varieties of the surgeon fish - they're all here. In fact you would be hard pressed to name a Pacific Tropical that you did not see at the Coral Gardens!
7. Caesar's Rocks: Ten spectacular coral heads honeycombed with tunnels and caves. The walls and roofs of every cave and tunnel are covered with soft corals in every color of the rainbow; shades of red and yellow, purple and maroon. Huge gorgonias ('sea fans') and black coral trees hang from every coral head and ensure excellent photographs. This is surely an underwater photographers' paradise - schools of batfish, amberjack and shimmering schools of silver pelagic fish merge with turtles and rays. One of the world's ultimate dive spots, a constant delight to divers, conservationists and ecologists.  8. Tom's Thumb: When you get there you'll find out the reason for the name! Visit the lion's den! 9. Soft Coral Grotto: This spot, in the north-western area of Beqa Lagoon, is one of the top spots in Fiji for soft coral in a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors; orange-and purple-and white-and red dazzle the mind. Multi-hued crinoids add to the explosion of colors while Spanish Dancers perform their acts in time to some invisible orchestra. Reef Cod and Coral Trout roam the canyon-like gutters in these heads while pelagic fish hunt the reef fish on the periphery of the divers' vision. A lucky diver may be fortunate enough to see the Garden Eels swaying like living metronomes. And divers who hasten slowly through this underwater wonderland will take the time to notice the many varieties of nudibranchs in their diversity of shapes, sizes and colors.
10. THE AMAZING MAZE: Almost 400m from The Mushroom but within the same reef system, this site is a real maze. Tunnels, swim-throughs and canyons make up this wonderful diving spot starting from 18-20m all the way up to 10m. Every possible coloured reef fish you can imagine swarm through the multicoloured soft coral. Black coral trees hang off the tunnel walls while Clown, Triggerfish and Squirrel Fish dash in and out. 11. GOLDEN DREAMS: Six spectacular coral heads covered with yellow soft coral top to bottom.  Even the walls and roofs of every tunnel are covered with yellow soft coral.  Fiji's best display of the golden coral. Schools of Red Bass and Coral Trout always roam the canyon like gutters hunting for a meal, while Barracuda, Spanish Mackerel and Trevally are always in the background. Turtles, Stingrays and Sharks are often found here towards the sixth coral head at a depth of 21m. The dive spot starts off at 21m and rises to 11m with golden waterfalls of yellow soft coral all around. 12. NEPTUNES WEDDING CHAPEL: A shallow dive to a maximum depth of 16m with an abundance of corals that simply glow with every colour. This site is made up of four coral heads and has some tunnels and one large cave. The walls of the cave are covered with red and purple soft corals and red gorgonian fans hang off the roof of the cave.  This site is prolific in Moray Eels and Giant Clams.
13. MACARENA: A section of reef where four coral heads sit in approximately 22m of water on the outer edge of the reef. Schools of Trevally and Rainbow Runners feed in the area and are abundant. Sponges and huge Sea Stars accompany the great number of gorgonians to be seen. 14. SERAFINA: Two large reefs rising from the midst of the open sea on the outer sections of the main reef.  In some 26m of water is a vast display of  hard and soft corals in pristine condition with many large  reef fish and cruising sharks patrolling the area. The spaciousness and spectacular sights are overwhelming. 15. THE PINNACLES: Four deep coral heads which reach 35m on the landward side and dropping off much deeper on the seaward side. At the shallower depths a wide range of tropical fish are seen meandering amongst the yellow soft corals and deeper schools of larger fish including barracuda, tuna, trevally and mackerel with the occasional reef shark can be found.
16. DREAM MAKER: A large part of the outer reef in three sections containing gigantic walls of soft golden corals and multi-coloured corals. One of the best displays of live soft coral in Fiji. The walls of coral are truly magnificent. Three separate walls of soft coral each different to the other with the deepest part of the dive in 18m and an average depth of 14-16m. Box fish and surgeon fish are seen in profusion with  a group of deep sea snapper regularly present near the reef. Electric rays are occasionally seen during the dive 17. THE ARCH: A large coral head in 18m of water in which openings resembling doors and windows are inset reminiscent of a boat off which hang many corals and gorgonians. Sweet lips regularly cruise in and out curiously observing the divers and the many smaller reef fish. 18. DOLPHIN BAY: Three large coral heads in approximately 18m of water situated some distance from the main reef where dolphins that migrate through the area are often seen. Schools of bat fish inhabit the reefs which are covered in a mixture of hard corals, gorgonians and whips.
19. THE MUSHROOM: More than a dozen superb coral heads covered with multicoloured soft corals.  Gorgonians in vivid red hang from the tunnel walls. Emperor and Regal Angelfish patrol through the stands of Sea Whips while Coral Trout lazily circle the area. Hours could be spent at this one site observing the many varieties of Nudibranch in their different shapes, sizes and colours.  Maximum depth is 18m.   20. PAVILION: Four superb coral heads prolific with tropical fish. One cannot expect to see more tropical fish at any other dive spot. This site is an underwater photographer's paradise. Stands of Sea Whips, multicoloured soft coral and yellow gorgonians hang off the sides of the coral heads.  Maximum depth is 18m. 21. TUNNEL CITY: This is one spot where the coral heads are honeycombed with tunnels and caves like nowhere else. For the adventurer, this is the site to visit. Long and winding tunnels, dark corners and very spooky caves where one needs to have eyes in the back of their head to watch for the unexpected. Maximum depth is 19m- average 12m
THE ENCHANTED CANYONS: Fourteen coral heads with caverns, canyons, tunnels and swim-throughs. Huge gorgonians partially block the tunnels while multi-hued soft coral hang from the walls of the canyons. Schools of Moorish Idol, Clown, Dansel and Regal Fish shimmer among the stands of staghorn and stump coral formations.  Schools of Batfish normally swim around the deeper edges of the canyons. SMALL WORLD: The vast variety of marine life at this one diving spot makes it difficult to simply describe. Starting off at 10m all the way to 16m, it displays a true Disneyland nature. Multi-hues soft corals, hard corals and huge gorgonians hang from every coral head, while Sea Whips sway with the slight passing current. This area is also prolific in Fluted and Giant Clams.   Nudibranch and Spanish Dancers act in their corner while Coral Trout lazily watch. BREATH TAKER: A deep reef where schools of big fish and many sharks are found. The principal area consists of three coral heads at a depth of  25-30m with a drop-off to about 100m. White Tip, Black Tip, Whalers and Gray Reef Sharks are at this particular spot at all times. Truly an experience of  a lifetime. Schools of Barracuda, Spanish Mackerel, Trevally, Skipjack and Amberjack are seen here roaming the coral heads with the sharks. The last coral head has an amazing display of giant purple fans. Turtles are often found here and if one's lucky - the elusive Manta Ray. This spot is Nananu-I-Ra's best display of very big fish, and with so many different species of sharks at one spot, and at any time of day, is truly the last frontier!  
BLACK CORAL FOREST: A single pinnacle rising from a depth of 19m to 5 m covered with ancient black coral trees from bottom to top. The black coral trees are swarming with Moorish Idol, Butterfly fish and Squirrelfish. This spot is Nananu-I-Ra's best display of black coral trees in one particular pinnacle which is isolated from the main reef system! SALLY'S CHOICE: A multiple series of coral heads descending approximately 22m, each some 5m apart containing many swim-throughs, caverns and caves upon which are encrusted many coloured soft corals and gorgonians. Spanish mackerel, rock cod, black trevally and black tipped reef sharks are commonly encountered. SEGA NA LEQA: A giant swim-through in approximately 20m leading from the outer sea to the main reef. Coral trout, Rock Cod, Red Emperor entertain the passing divers who always become fascinated with the homing morays while navigating the multiple swim-throughs and caverns.