Fiji Scuba Diving

Scuba diving in Fiji’s waters is a unique and memorable experience, as you are able to see a wide variety of colorful soft corals and other different forms of marine life, including rays, dolphins, reef sharks, sea turtles and a large assortment of tropical fish. The water is also warm year-round and often has great visibility, although the clarity may be reduced off the main islands in the summer (November-March) because of the heavy rains. The ideal time to dive in Fiji is in the early morning before the winds pick up.

You can choose to scuba dive on the islands through their lovely tropical resorts and tours, which, along with scuba diving, may offer other activities, such as fishing, a delicious BBQ meal and even overnight stays at quaint Fijian villages. However, for safety reasons, never go snorkeling by yourself and make sure you know enough about the area beforehand if you are not part of a professionally-guided tour.

Choosing the ideal location to stay at for your scuba diving adventures depends on what you want from your trip. For example, if you are looking for tropical beach scenery such as palm and coconut trees and white sandy beaches, it is best to stay at islands such as the Mamanucas and Yasawas, which are some of the more popular tourist areas in Fiji. However, if you prefer privacy, stay at the Lomaiviti island group or the Southern Islands, which are home to the more remote diving areas, so you can scuba dive without the crowds. However, you are bound to find a beautiful scuba diving location no matter where you stay at in Fiji.

Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands

Off the Mamanuca and Yasawa island groups, you can find protected shallow lagoons containing numerous diving sites that are teeming with marine life. These diving areas in the Mamanucas can easily be accessed by a 20-minute boat ride from the Nadi Airport area on Viti Levu. In the Yasawas, there are some interesting caves you can explore as well, particularly the Sawa-i-Lau, which are limestone caves that are famous for being one of the locations that the 1980 movie, The Blue Lagoon, was filmed in.

You can also stay in the numerous resorts on these islands which offer beautiful white sandy beach scenery and different water activities, including scuba diving. A few of these include the Treasure Island Resort and Plantation Island Resort in the Mamanucas and the Yasawa Island Resort and Bayside Resort in the Yasawas.

Southern Islands

You can find some world-famous diving sites in the Southern Islands where you can see various soft corals, reef bommies, and passages, most notably the Beqa Lagoon off of Beqa Island and the Great Astrolabe Reef on Kadavu Island. On these islands, you can enjoy privacy and uncrowded scuba diving. You can also stay at secluded diving resorts that are only accessible by boat, such as the Beqa Lagoon Resort on Beqa Island and the Matava Resort on Kadavu.

Northern Islands

In the Northern Islands, you can also find a world-renowned diving area between the islands of Taveuni and Vanua Levu called the Rainbow Reef, where you can find a beautiful variety of colorful corals. In this area, you can also find other dive sites including the Great White Wall, which is covered by a stunning display of slightly luminescent white coral combined with a light lavender hue. You can find numerous smaller but scenic reefs as well around Taveuni, Vanua Levu, Matangi, Qamea and Laucala. A few resorts on these islands that offer excellent scuba diving include the Taveuni Island Resort on Taveuni, Qamea Island Resort on Qamea Island and Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort on Vanua Levu.

Lomaiviti Islands

Off the Lomaiviti island group located in the central area of Fiji, you can find two separate barrier reefs between the main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Within these reefs you will see a wide array of marine life, including manta rays and hammerheads, while bommies and pinnacles make their homes in the islands’ lagoons. You can also take a tour on a charter dive boat to explore some of the less known and visited areas of these spectacular reefs.

While staying at the dive resorts in this area, you can experience gorgeous tropical beach scenery and excellent scuba diving offshore. Some of these resorts include the Toberua Island Resort and Naigani Island Resort, both located off Ovalau Island.