Thursday 1 January 2009

FIJI - WHERE TO DIVE - Sportdiver.com

Fiji - Where to Dive
Diving Fiji's underwater reef system is unlike anything you've ever experienced. Known the world over as the soft coral capital of the world, Fiji's underwater world offers an amazing array of fish life to observe as well, with well-over 1,000 species of fish. With such an explosion of color, there are reefs that will excite and challenge both novice and experienced divers. There are two distinctive marine environments in Fiji, a very large lagoon and the Malolo Barrier Reef.

For more information about diving Fiji visit sportdiver.com/fiji and scuba-diving-fiji.com

The Big W's
If you are looking for a thrilling dive with lots of big fish, this is the dive to do. Located on the edge of the Barrier Reef, manta rays, sharks and whale sharks are known to make an appearance on this reef. Ranging from 45 to 120 feet with excellent visibility.

The Fish Factory
A good dive for the newer diver with gentle currents and calm surface waters, this dive begins on the rising tide on Taveuni's Vuna Reef. Starting at about 32 feet, the dive leads you to a sandy bottom where, if you like, you can stay and see a multitude of coral bommies, abundant and colorful fish life –and the occasional pilot whale—without ever descending to the sloping bottom of 82 feet.

The Supermarket
Located inside the Malolo Barrier Reef, this dive site is famous for shark encounters. Here you can find grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks. If you're lucky you may get a chance to dive during a shark feeding – an experience some say is a thrilling adrenaline rush. Starting at only 29 feet and sloping to a depth of 110 feet, this is one of the most thrilling Fiji dives.

Jackies Reef
This shallow and easy to dive reef has been used for over 35 years as a fish feeding ground by area resort staff. It's thought that because of this feeding, it has brought about one of the most diverse reefs in the region, with both large and small reef fish as well as large varieties of schooling fish passing through.

Vomo Island
This site has two separate reefs. Ronnie's Reef offers canyons, gullies and diverse sea life; and Vomo Caves offers caverns and swim-throughs, featuring luminous fingers of light breaking through the cracks of the formations. At depths of 50 feet-plus, you'll see dramatic and colorful coral formation.

Barrel Heads
There are amazing hard corals and sea fans here as well as resident reef sharks and turtles. You may also see larger sharks, yellowfin tuna and various pelagic species. A huge pinnacle rises from the depths of more than 196 feet making for a majestic backdrop.

Namotu Reef
Amazing visibility will be found here with abundant marine life and coral formations. Here you'll be rewarded with manta ray, hammerhead and dolphin sightings. The site is just off Magic Island.

Salamanda Shipwreck
A 130-foot cruise ship, intentionally sunk in roughly 90 feet of water. The Salamanda is covered in soft corals and anemones with filled with masses of shrimp and crab. With crystal clear visibility, this is a prime location to get that shot you've been waiting for. An easy penetration dive, the wreck has been stripped for divers' safety.

Vuna Reef – Coral Gardens
This Taveuni dive has a gentle current, great visibility and offers a dive suitable for a variety of divers with depths from 16 to 98 feet. Here you'll descend over one of the three lava fingers that make up the site, and then begin your search for the many small residents hiding in the overhangs and crevices. With a diverse underwater landscape and a variety of depths, the area attracts larger species like hammerheads, manta rays, barracuda, snapper and yellowfin tuna.


FIJI - WHERE TO DIVE - Sportdiver.com

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