New NAI'A Family?

Twenty-five years ago we launched NAI’A in Fiji and she quickly became one of the most well-respected liveaboard dive boats ever. We had a magnificent time exploring Fiji and beyond and we got to know thousands of keen divers, many of whom have become good friends. We raised our family in a beautiful, stimulating and safe environment. But now the NAI’A family is ready for new challenges.

Cat’s and my girls are just beginning their teenage odyssey while Todd and Alexx’s kids are well and truly launched and building their own lives in Fiji. After such a glorious run with NAI’A, it pains us to offer her for sale, but we realize that she, her crew and her many return passengers would all benefit from the energy and vision of a new NAI’A family. If you or your adult children or friends are considering a sea change, this is an opportunity to step into an exciting and profitable turn-key business in a gorgeous, peaceful nation in the South Pacific.

We rebuilt the ship in Suva in 1992 and again in 2010 and have operated her in Fiji ever since. A strong Dutch-built steel ship, NAI’A has proven herself as Fiji’s ultimate liveaboard experience but her success is even broader. She’s already voyaged to the Kingdom of Tonga for 21 extremely popular humpback whale swim seasons. She did the first exploratory expeditions to the Phoenix Islands and has been back several times to support the World Heritage Marine Protected Area we kick-started there. We have also dived Vanuatu and New Caledonia on our extended adventure itineraries.

NAI’A is well respected in the liveaboard scuba diving niche. The company is profitable and always has been despite the many obstacles the world has thrown out. We have forward bookings for Fiji into 2020 and our whale swim charters in Tonga are full through 2021. NAI’A is at the top of her game. If you are intrigued by the possibilities, please contact me for more information.

Best fishes,

Rob Barrel, founder   
Todd and Alexx Edwards, co-founders  
NAI’A Fiji
rob@naia.com.fj 

Diving in Fiji: Bryde’s Whales seen the other day off Solo, north of Kadavu

A pod of at least 8 Bryde’s Whales seen the other day off Solo, north of Kadavu...

Diving in Fiji: Bryde’s Whales seen the other day off Solo, north of Kadavu

Pilot whales are the sprinters of the deep - life - 14 May 2008 - New Scientist

Pilot whales are the cheetahs of the oceans, focusing their hunting effort on short, intense chases after a few rich food items. They are the first deep-diving whales known to follow such a strategy.

Whales such as sperm whales and beaked whales, which feed during deep dives that take them hundreds of metres below the surface, have to find and capture prey while holding their breath.

Until now, biologists had assumed that all deep-diving whales would cruise slowly and graze on slow-moving prey items while underwater, since this minimises their energy expenditure.

Using this strategy, most deep-diving whales can spend nearly an hour at a time underwater. Pilot whales, however, are the exception – their dives last no more than 15 to 20 minutes.

To find out why, Peter Tyack of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, US, and his colleagues suction-cupped data recorders to 23 short-finned pilot whales off Tenerife in the Canary Islands. During the few hours the recorders stuck to the whales, they logged sound and movement for a total of 59 dives to more than 500 metres depth.

Nutritious reward

Near the bottom of most, but not all, of these dives, the recordings showed that whales made a sudden sprint of 30 seconds or less, accompanied by a furious burst of echolocation clicks, which usually signals a nearby prey item.

The researchers calculated that this short sprint consumes, on average, about 22% of the entire oxygen use for the dive, during just 3% of its duration – a huge cost for a breath-holding animal to pay.

Such a cost would need a large potential payoff. "They look like they are going after big, nutritionally rich prey," says Tyack.

The researchers are not sure exactly what the whales were eating on the dives they measured, but other studies have found large, muscular – and hence, especially nutritious – squid in the stomachs of pilot whales.

Journal reference: Journal of Animal Ecology (DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01393.x)

Pilot whales are the sprinters of the deep - life - 14 May 2008 - New Scientist

Nai'a offers great deal!

LAST MINUTE DEALS ON TONGA HUMPBACK WHALE SAFARI SPACES

Due to a last-minute cancellation, Nai'a suddenly has six available spaces remaining on their 2008 Tonga Humpback Whale Safari and can discount them by 25%. The berths are available on the July 18-28 trip. And for something completely different, you can stay on in the Kingdom of Tonga to join the country's biggest ever celebration: the coronation of the new King. How often do you get a travel opportunity like that?

Check out Nai'a's Tonga Humpback Whale Safaris and email or call them right away to reserve your place among the gentle giants.

Information and support of the cause to end whaling

We recommend these sites for their information and support of the cause to end whaling.

• Greenpeace
• Boycott Japan
• International Fund For Animal Welfare
• Sea Shepherd
• World Wildlife Fund
• Natural Resources Defence Council
• Save the Whales
• Whale Nation

Many of the sites listed above also have anti-whaling petitions and projects to support and protect whales. I would strongly urge you to help these organisations with all their endeavours. While we may not directly agree with the tactics used by some groups we understand and respect the resolve they show in the campign to save the whales. One thing we all have in common is a love of these amazing marine mammals.

Pilot Whales - Fiji - Naigani Island - scuba diving trip, dive in Fiji.

Fiji - Naigani Island - scuba diving trip, dive in Fiji.

Pilot Whales

It was about 20 nautical miles from Naigani Island on a heading of 42 degrees to reach the Vatu Wall, but the trip was worth it. About halfway to this outer reef, we encountered a school of pilot whales heading in the same direction as us. “Captain Rambo” stopped well ahead of them and we waited quietly to see what they would do. Unexpectedly, they came directly towards the boat and then hung around. Neil went straight in with the video camera, wearing his “Nitrox Serious Diver” T-shirt and no fins! The others went in with the first mask and snorkel they could grab then came back for their fins. Everyone raved about their close encounter with these intelligent, inquisitive mammals.

I was sure that the pilot whales would not come in close enough to see underwater, so I decided to take pictures from the boat instead. Well, they came right under us a few times, clicked at the snorkelors, and my old Nikonos could not do it justice! Fortunately, Neil was able to get some good video footage of the whales."

Whales & Dolphins (Smithsonian Handbooks)

A beautifully illustrated guide to every species of whale, dolphin and porpoise. Covers their identification, evolution, biology, behaviour, reproduction and social lives. Includes tips on how and where to watch whales, dolphins and porpoises, and information on their conservation.

From the great illustrations and quick-reference title bar that includes taxonomic, habitat and population information, to the range maps and behavioral information, this book was such a steal. I received this book shortly before starting cetacean surveys in the south pacific and it was an incredible source of information.

I have used many field guides and, although I never tested its 'water-proofness", it is simultaneously concise yet complete. It not only gives identification keys for individual species, but also keys to identifying individual animals. If you are a teacher, student, biologist or enthusiast, get it, wherever you are in the world.

The fight against whaling - Fiji Times Online

The fight against whaling - Fiji Times Online:

"The fight against whaling

Sunday, May 27, 2007

IF you're an ardent follower of the TV series Criminal Minds being shown on Fiji One, you would have also caught the Greenpeace advertisement featuring Sir Anthony Hopkins lobbying on behalf of the ocean's giant leviathans the endangered whales.

It is a timely advertisement given that on May 28-31, the annual 2007 meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will happen in Anchorage, Alaska.

Many will attend including representatives from Pacific Island countries that are members of the IWC to determine the future of whales.

The IWC is the decision making body of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) and originally had 14 member states.

Over the past 50 odd years, its membership has grown to 73 and they hold the fate of the whales and the dolphins in their hands.

The IWC was established in response to recognition that after centuries of whaling, species after species of the great whales were being hunted close to extinction.

Intensive whaling efforts such as those in the 1960s where about 70,000 whales were caught annually led to international action to regulate the commercial whaling industry.

However, it came too late for the Atlantic population of gray whales which have been hunted to extinction."

The fight against whaling - Fiji Times Online