The Diving Side
Just about all dives are direct from Sere where the ocean is only one step away from the dive deck. Every now and then, especially with drift dives, the tender is used. This is a 20' ridged inflatable that can carry up to a dozen divers comfortably. The diving is at a leisurely pace with from 3 to 5 dives daily depending on location (guests are permitted to dive at their discretion between organised dives provided the captain is notified.) On all nights excepting where Sere is under way there is a night dive. Prior to each dive, there is a comprehensive briefing with advise on the most suitable lens, what to look out for, currents, maximum depth, etc. In addition to this, at least one crew member is present on all dives.

The Dive Sites

according to Jack and Sue Drafahl of Skin Diver magazine

Ngali Passage
...along Ngau Island's lee side would be our first stop. This action adventure is a drift dive through a 100 yard wide cut in Ngau's barrier reef. During high tide, clear ocean water rushes through the cut at about three to four knots. Visibility at high tide often exceeds 200 feet... hundreds of silvertip trevally... swirled in circles ... massive school of barracuda... only move enough for you to swim through them without causing a head on collision.

Toward the back of the passage (closest to the lagoon side), the grey reef sharks outnumber the divers. Here the passage narrows and you are literally being funnelled through big schools of snapper, huge grouper and extremely inquisitive sharks... this is a thrill ride you'll never see at Disney World!

The passage depth is at 90 feet. Because of the scouring effects of the current coral growth on the bottom is very limited. This allows photographers to slow themselves along the bottom long enough to take any photos they desire. The passage sides are by contrast, pulsating with colourful soft corals and hordes of wondrous reef species. It is however, difficult to take notice of the reef when there is so much high voltage big game action to observe.

Wakaya Passage
...located at the southernmost point of Wakaya's small barrier reef. On the lagoon side of the passage, numerous reef fishes such as the lovely purple queen hover atop the hard corals. On the sandy bottom, the wary sentinel goby guards its burrow while its life long companion, the blind prawn, works continuously to keep the burrow free from sand and coral debris.

From the shallower lagoon, the passage floor gradually slopes down to about 90 feet before dropping away into the ocean blue... In 30 feet of water there are loads of hard and soft corals, free swimming lion fish and a resident sailfin leaf fish. Butterfly fish and lyretail anthias cloud this reef as well.

... included manta encounters... hammerhead sighting in schools of four to sixteen. Below 70 feet, fields of four foot tall burgundy and gold soft corals are draped along the sheer wall. The photographic possibilities here are endless and the current is usually negligible... arguably one of the best reefs in Fiji.

E-6
... between the Lomaiviti Group and the Northern Group, an island called Namena is a reef outpost which has been appropriately named E-6. The reef comes to the surface and drops away vertically on all sides. Along one edge of this seamount there is a canyon that cuts through the reef at 27 feet. This canyon almost forms a complete circle. Both entrance and exit are on the face of the drop-off.

The canyon floor, six to twenty feet in width and shaded most of the day, is carpeted in yellow, pink, and orange soft corals four to five feet tall. The undercut sides of this reef have a staggering array of fans, soft corals and countless species of invertebrates including a highly diversified collection of nudibranches and flatworms.

Resting whitetip reef sharks are always lounging on the canyon floor. As you exit the large canyon opening, the blue water perfectly frames the riotous displays of soft corals, sea fans and profuse fish life. It is quite a spectacular scene. Along the drop off, hammerheads and grey reefs compete for attention... and food. ... There are schools of jacks rainbow runners and fusiliers enveloping the reef. Some friendly tiera batfish typically greet us at this site as well... one of the most photographically productive reefs in the Fiji Islands...

Keenan's Reef
...coral bommie outside of the Namena Reef called Keenan's Reef. At Keenan's there is a tremendous congregation of marine life packed into a small reef.

Starting in 20 feet of water, this reef has many of Fiji's smaller and more colourful reef residents such as hawkfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, grouper and thousands of purple and orange anthias basslets. The thickets of multi-hued soft corals round out the kaleidoscope of colour. The best diving is in the forty foot range, however, the reef bristles with colour and life at at all depths. This is the quality Fiji diving that people travel thousands of miles to experience.

Namena's Magic Mountain; The Great White Wall, The Purple Wall

... heart of the northern group... hundreds of unique lavenda soft corals...

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