Central Fiji is often considered Fiji’s finest diving – with corals, corals, corals and more corals – which provide enchanting habitat for captivating critters. But beyond the corals & critters are dives which include the wide open sea, 1000-meter walls, exciting passages & deep canyons, also some wild currents & lovely calm lagoons. From Bligh Water in the north-west, moving diagonally between the two largest islands of Vanua Levu & Viti Levu, into the Koro Sea, is an area known as Lomaiviti – “Fiji’s Big Fish Capital”. This area is only accessible by liveaboard and is generally regarded as Fiji’s finest diving.

Here, the Islands of Namena, Makogai, Koro, Wakaya, Batiki, Nairai, Gau, Ovalau and Moturiki are mostly the peaks of deep sea volcano’s rising from 1000 to 3000 meters. While there’s no doubt that the main draw is coral, coral, coral and more coral . . . there’s so much more in this area of Fiji.

The surrounding reefs in the central are fed from major ocean currents and upwelling from the deep sea. This means tons of nutrients flowing in from the oceans, which in turn means marine life galore.

In places you have wide open sea, then 1000 meter walls and passages & canyons with strong currents, then calm inside reefs forming the habitat for large schooling fish like tuna, barracuda, trevally, snapper…. gray reef sharks, hammerheads, manta rays, turtles… as well as whales and dolphins.

Perhaps the most famous dive site in Fiji is called E-6. In Bligh Water, it’s a seamount rising sheer-sided from 3,000 feet in a narrow channel. There’s a large swim-though lined in gorgonia fans & soft coral, with soft-coral trees growing up from the floor; a narrow opening allowing sun rays to penetrate, illuminating the bright fans & soft coral like stained glass; the floor hosting colorful poison-bristle nudibranch; adjoining small caves sheltering large lobsters.

This is what awaits you on a visit to Fiji.

The Somosomo Strait is renowned for superb coral gardens featuring rainbow displays of soft corals. You’ll dive the fabled Rainbow Reef & Great White Wall. In spite of its notoriety for magnificent corals, the straits also offer some super pelagic dives. In certain spots, be prepared for ripping currents. Taveuni Island is commonly known as the “Garden Island” due to both its exceedingly lush tropical vegetation and its proximity to remarkable “gardens” of coral in the surrounding seas.

Located across the Somosomo Strait from the big island of Vanua Levu, this region is one of the richest coral areas in the world. Nearby, the world famous Rainbow Reef & Great White Wall have been noted in the ‘Top 10 Dive Locations in the World’ by U.S. Divers magazine. Rainbow Reef is an large area of more than 20 dive sites. The most famous of these is the “White Wall”.

Divers usually choose the Yellow Tunnel, to begin the ride, plunging into a world of vivid yellow coral. Next comes the White Wall through a different tunnel in the reef, past sea fans and blue ribbon eels, before reaching a 200-foot drop-off. The soft coral covering the enormous Great White Wall is, in fact, a light lavender shade. But the depth gives the wall a surreal white glow, as if illuminated by some electric light source.

The nutrient rich waters also bring plenty of pelagic fish species and you can expect to see barracudas, reef sharks and manta rays, particularly at a site fondly known as The Zoo.

You do need to be prepared for the possibility of some strong currents when diving around Taveuni. Usually, the currents are gentle drifts which carry you on a “ride” past some of the most awesome displays of soft corals on the planet. But, the currents can rip & if you’re up for it, that’s the best time to be there, as the corals open fully & the sights will take your breath away . . .

So, what’s different about Beqa Lagoon?  There are the requisite coral gardens, of course.  It’s Fiji, after all.   But the Shark Reef Marine Reserve with its jacks, snappers, groupers & impressive range of sharks is the big draw. Lots of sharks!  You’ll find tigers, lemons, bulls, silvertips, white-tips & black-tips, grey reefs & tawny nurses.  World-famous for its coral gardens, Beqa (Pronounced Benga) Lagoon also offers some exhilarating shark diving …… The wonderful Shark Reef Marine Reserve here was created to protect the resident shark population & to provide an environment for studying them.

Located on the southern tip of Viti Levu, the lagoon is easily accessible from the Nadi airport & is a nice Fiji option.

For divers, the shark protection area allows encounters with schools of jacks, snappers and groupers – AND – an impressive range of sharks: including tigers, lemons, bulls, silvertips, white-tipped reefs, black-tipped reefs, grey reefs, and tawny nurses.

For less experienced divers or for visitors who don’t want to take a domestic flight to the outer islands of Fiji, scuba diving at Beqa could be the option you’re looking for.

The lagoon, more than a hundred square miles of clear water is surrounded by a barrier reef, which means you don’t have any ripping currents. The bommies feature a series of channels, caverns and windows, all of which sport colorful corals.

Here you find giant gorgonians sheltering long-nose hawkfish, trumpet fish, lionfish, anthias, nudibranchs & eels, amongst other species typical of this type of coral environment.

Featuring a fine array of hard corals in addition to the usual Fiji soft corals, Kadavu is also known for its Great Astrolabe Reef, the fourth largest barrier reef in the world. It’s good diving for novice divers but beware … those wild Fiji currents are lurking. Know where you’re diving!   The island of Kadavu is situated approximately 90 kilometers south of the main island of Viti Levu & is Fiji’s fourth largest. It is one of Fiji’s most rugged areas, with a number of high mountains and few roads.

Kadavu’s visitors are attracted by its natural beauty & is particularly famous as a scuba diving destination, due to its proximity to the world-renowned Great Astrolabe Reef off the eastern end of the island. The reef is one of Fiji’s largest, stretching northwards about half the distance to Suva.

The beauty of the Great Astrolabe Reef is well known amongst divers. The reef is about 100 km long, making it the fourth largest barrier reef in the world and is home to a variety of stunning hard & soft corals.

The slopes of the outer reef are adorned in hard corals & steep soft coral drop-offs. Divers marvel at the awesome pale blue branching acrapora, mustard green lettuce leaf corals, violet warty finger corals, pale grey sheet corals, brown table corals & lime bottlebrush corals. Plus,, you find passages, submerged pinnacles & manta ray cleaning stations.

The pristine fringing reefs are now becoming as popular as the barrier reef, and offer some lovely opportunities for any diver, but particularly the novice.

There are places where, at times, you’ll encounter some of those wild-ride Fiji currents, so be sure your dive master knows your level.