Fiji’s Premier Dive Resort
Discovering and exploring new dive sites
With over 80-worldclass dive sites in Fiji’s famous Bligh Water, the ‘soft coral capital of the world’ already in our portfolio you may think that would be enough. Of course for us at Volivoli beach Resort, Fiji’s Premier Dive Resort enough is never enough!
Keeping positive and always on the look out to improve our product for our clients, be it on land or sea, we have taken the opportunity during the COVID-19 ‘quiet-time’ to drop in and check out a few marks we have had on our plotters over time and see first-hand what the diving potential actually is. Today we headed out in picture perfect conditions and with a strong incoming tide bringing with it excellent visibility – great for us, and strong currents – excellent for fish life and feeding action.
Reaching our destination which looked on the sounder like a pinnacle or sea mound coming up from around 65-meters to 30-meters we readied ourselves and prepared a shot line to drop on the site as our eagerness grew as each and every moment went by. ‘Drop-the-shot’ came the yell from Captain Seci as he confirmed the location. Last minute buddy checks and we came alongside just up current to our temporary float then in we stepped to be immediately surrounded by schools of flashing silver Chevron Barracuda as we descended down using the line as a visual to ensure we hit the top of the pinnacle and not ‘blown-away’ by the blue water current.
We were right, strong current with masses of fish action and plenty of healthy hard coral and anemone’s with their inquisitive Anemone Fish residents darting in every direction – these little guys may never have seen these weird looking ‘bubble-blowing-creatures’ before. The top of the pinnacle was probably around 20-meters across with a handful of Green Sea Turtles lazily hanging out, and then just like an upside down funnel the coral encrusted edges sloped down to far deeper depths and a much wider circumference with gardens of wire coral spiraling upwards seeking sunlight. The deeper water appeared favorable to a good number of Grey Reef Sharks gracefully gliding around and minding their own business, sleek and effortlessly like nature intended.
Before long our dive time was closing in on us as we made our way back to the top of the pinnacle before ascending into the blue water under our SMB’s as we glided with the current with grins from ear to ear doing our safety stop.
Great dive, lots of current and we will certainly be back to explore some more as we have only touched the tip of the iceberg – I think we’ll call this site ‘ROOT CANAL’
Click here for Scuba Diver ANZ issue 32
