Waidroka Bay Resort, Viti Levu, Beqa and Kadavu

If you’d rather not travel too far then the main island of Viti Levu offers easy access to some of Fiji’s most exciting diving. These stunning reefs are home to spectacular soft corals, fabulous rock formations, and plenty of big animals - particularly sharks.

Beqa Island diving

Just off Viti Levu’s southern coast lies the beautiful Beqa Lagoon, where divers can explore spectacular reefs, passages and several wrecks. But, the real highlight is the Shark Reef Marine Reserve and surrounding Shark Corridor, located between Pacific Harbour and Beqa Lagoon itself, which deliver one of the best shark dives on the planet. The dive itself is limited to just 20 people a day and is led by experienced guides that manage the feed and ensure both divers and sharks are safe. As the food is released, big bull sharks, silvertips, reef sharks, tawny sharks and the occasional tiger shark all come in to feed, just metres away from divers.

Viti Levu diving

While much of the focus is on Beqa Lagoon to the south, one of Viti Levu’s best kept secrets is the exceptional diving to be had off the coast of Rakiraki, on the northern coast. Local sites are plentiful and offer a wide range of environments, from tunnels, swim-throughs and canyons, to thriving walls, pinnacles and reef flats. But one thing these sites all have in common, is their vibrant underwater vistas, with plenty of Fiji’s signature soft corals. Bigger marine life can also be spotted, with sites such as Breathtaker delivering encounters with blacktips, grey reef sharks and bronze whalers. And, of course, there’s always the option to venture further north into Bligh Water to explore yet more highly-rated sites.

Diving in Kadavu Island

Due south of Viti Levu lies Kadavu Island, home to the legendary dive sites of the Great Astrolabe Reef. This huge reef stretches over 100-kilometres along the southern and eastern coasts of Kadavu, creating one of the largest barrier reefs on the planet. Astrolabe’s shallow lagoon provides a perfect sanctuary for juveniles of many different species and it is thought that this area is a breeding ground for species such as sharks, tuna, trevally and marlin.

Kadavu offers a mix of dive sites including drop-offs, pinnacles and fringing reefs, with plenty of fish life including sharks and beautiful corals. Famous sites include the Naiqoro Channel with its strong currents and spectacular marine life, Seafan Alley where hammerheads are occasionally glimpsed, Alacrity Rocks which offers lots of swim-throughs and passages to explore, and Manta Reef where resident manta rays can be seen year round. But, Eagle Rock arguably offers the best single snapshot of what the Great Astrolabe Reef has to offer, with branching acropora, lettuce leaf, finger, and bottlebrush corals, displaying a vibrant spectrum of underwater hues including pale blue, violet, mustard, and lime.