Scuba Diving in Fiji
A complete guide
Fiji is one of the world’s great scuba diving destinations, famous for spectacular soft corals, thriving reefs, sharks, manta rays and an extraordinary diversity of marine life. But with so many islands and distinct diving regions, choosing where to dive isn’t always easy.
This guide draws on our first-hand experience of diving Fiji to help you find the reefs, dive sites and regions that are right for you.
Where is the best scuba diving in Fiji?
Fiji’s best scuba diving is found across several distinct reef regions. Rainbow Reef and Bligh Water are renowned for spectacular soft corals and current-fed reefs; Beqa Lagoon is famous for shark diving; Namena Marine Reserve offers exceptional biodiversity and pelagic encounters; while Kadavu and the Great Astrolabe Reef offer remote reef diving and manta encounters.
The best area for you depends on your diving experience, the marine life you want to see and the time of year you travel.
Best scuba diving in Fiji regions
Seeking the world’s best soft coral diving? Your search ends here. Fiji's best diving is focused on the spectacular soft coral covered sea mounts, walls and bommies found in Bligh Waters, Rainbow Reef, Namena Reserve and Beqa Lagoon.
Fiji’s warm, clear waters cradle unparalleled underwater magic - vast, swirling ecosystems draped in technicolour soft corals. From thrilling channels to these serene reefs, discover why Fiji's the ’Soft Coral Capital of the world’ .
At Waterlust Fiji our mission is to provide unparalleled Fiji scuba diving experiences on Fiji’s most vibrant and spectacular coral reefs. We guide divers, from all over the world, to the very best of Fiji diving whilst working with your budget, timing, logistics and experience level.
Map of Fiji's Best Scuba Diving Regions
Fiji's most spectacular scuba diving is concentrated around several distinct regions, each offering a different underwater experience. Rainbow Reef, Bligh Water and Namena Marine Reserve are renowned for current-fed reefs, spectacular soft corals and abundant marine life. Beqa Lagoon is best known for shark diving, while Kadavu's Great Astrolabe Reef offers remote reef diving and seasonal manta encounters.
The Yasawa Islands offer a different style of diving, with hard coral reefs, walls, swim-throughs and generally lighter currents. The calmer conditions can make the Yasawas a good choice for less experienced divers, although divers seeking Fiji's famous soft coral reefs should consider Rainbow Reef, Bligh Water or Namena.
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 Bligh Water |
|---|
 Namena Reserve & Savusavu |
 Rainbow Reef |
 Beqa Lagoon |
 The Great Astrolabe Reef |
 Yasawa Islands |
Fiji's diving regions at a glance
Bligh Water, off northern Viti Levu, is home to dramatic walls, arches and swim-throughs densely covered in soft corals, sea whips and schooling reef fish. Signature sites include E6 and Cat's Meow, with stronger currents also creating opportunities for pelagic encounters.
Rainbow Reef lies in the Somosomo Strait between Taveuni and Vanua Levu and is one of Fiji's most celebrated diving areas. Its current-fed reefs feature colourful soft corals, swim-throughs and abundant reef fish. The Great White Wall is its signature dive, famous for a steep wall covered in white soft corals. Dive timing is important because conditions vary with the tides and currents.
Beqa Lagoon, off southern Viti Levu, is Fiji's best-known destination for dedicated shark dives. Depending on the site and conditions, divers may encounter bull sharks alongside several other shark species. The lagoon also offers colourful coral reefs, wrecks and a variety of non-shark dives, making it possible to combine the signature shark experience with conventional reef diving.
Namena Marine Reserve lies in the Koro Sea and can be reached on dive excursions from Savusavu when weather and sea conditions permit. Its reefs are known for healthy coral ecosystems, large schools of fish and encounters with pelagic species. Some sites can experience significant currents, making Namena particularly rewarding for experienced divers.
Off the beaten path, Kadavu Island , is the push off point to dive the beautiful and unexplored Great Astrolabe Reef . A flight from Nadi International gets you this pristine area of some of the finest beaches in Fiji and the home of the pelagics - humpbacks are commonly sighted between July to October . Dolphins, manta rays, pilot whales and large fish schools dominate the thrills.
Whilst soft corals are rare in this part of the Fiji reef system there are hot spots at Barefoot Manta Resort and sister resort Barefoot Kuata which offer wonderful marine experiences. Manta Rays are common in the pass between two islands and a shallow bull shark dive at the Barefoot Kuara resort is a huge draw. Hard coral walls, fish schools and reef sharks can be seen. A popular area to learn to scuba dive as currents are generally light.
Discover Fiji's Best Diving Regions
BLIGH WATER & VATU MARINE RESERVE
- Mellow Yellow, Instant Replay, Cat's Meow, E6 and Black Magic Mountain
- Medium to Strong Currents
- Large fish schools, reef sharks, turtles
- Alison "absolutely spectacular and a photographer's favourite spot"
The stretch of water between the two main islands of Fiji has been unevenly carved out by volcanic activity. The upwellings and currents sustain the technicolour soft coral pinnacles, walls and sea mounts. All of the above makes for some of the best diving in Fiji.
Bligh Water dive resorts are based in Rakiraki - a convenient 3 hour picturesque drive from Nadi International Airport.
RAINBOW REEF
- The world famous Great White Wall, Jerry's Jelly, The Zoo, Purple Wall
- Medium to Strong Currents
- Fussilier schools, manta rays (May to Oct), reef sharks, vibrant fish
- Alison "a firm popular dive area with plenty to explore in year round sheltered conditions"
Scuba diving on Rainbow Reef offers an unparalleled experience blending soft corals, hard corals, fish schools and macro life. With over 20 dive sites, including the world famous Great White Wall just a short distance from resorts the reef system is characterised by thriving soft coral reefs and current. The island of Taveuni is noteworthy for its lush and tropical rainforests, volcano lakes, waterfalls and slow paced Fijian culture.
It is possible to dive in Beqa Lagoon from Waidroka Bay Resort or with Beqa Lagoon Resort. Beqa Lagoon Resort has possibly the best tiger shark dive in the world known as the ‘Cathedral’. There are also soft coral swim throughs, small wrecks and bommies to explore.
Beqa Lagoon is an area of reef to the south side of Viti Levu. These dive sites, including the shark reef reserve, can be dived from Pacific Harbour or from Beqa Island - a tropical paradise located half an our from shore. This is the shark lover’s Mecca. The shark feeds in the marine reserve entice 8 species of shark including tigers and bulls.
NAMENA RESERVE
- Grand Central, School House, Kansas, Magic Mountain, Chimneys - you can dive anywhere basically!
- Light to moderate currents
- hammerheads, marlin, grey reef sharks, marble rays, white tip sharks, barracuda schools, trevally, turtles, Spanish mackerel, tuna
- Alison "Hard to get to but jaw dropping - summer months allow better diving here in calmer weather"
Namena Island is a protected bird colony - home to frigates, boobies and tropic birds.
Namena is accessible on calm days only. Savusavu local reefs are also very high quality in particularly, Dream House, which is home to batfish, leaf scorpionfish as well as school of scalloped hammerhead sharks.
Namena Reserve, a fringing atoll around an hour’s boat journey from Savusavu, is the jewel in the crown of the South Pacific. Only reachable from Savusavu, the main town on Vanua Levu, this reef system contains dives worth of being described as Fiji’s ‘Galapagos’. Think hammerheads, dolphins, trevally schools, tuna, grey reefs in abundance and barracuda.
The Great Astrolabe is one of the largest barrier reefs in the world with much of it totally unexplored. There are hard coral walls, ‘Vuro’ manta ray cleaning station, caves and swim throughs as well as frequent encounters with humpbacks in season (July to November) and resident dolphin schools.
Desolate and pristine, Kadavu, the island at the centre of the Great Astrolabe Reef in Fiji. is very much the road less travelled!
The ‘Naiqoro’ passage is a thoroughfare for large fish entering into the lagoon and a breeding ground for sharks, tuna and mahi mahi (dolphin fish)
YASAWA ISLANDS
- The Super Market, Pinnacle, Barefoot Kuata Resort 'The Awakening' shark dive, Manta Pass at Barefoot Manta Resort
- Light to no currents
- hard coral reefs, turtles, fish schools, reef sharks
- Alison "a good learn to dive choice - doesn't offer the soft corals for which Fiji is famous but still lovely "
The Yasawa Islands are accessible by fast ferry from Port Denarau - an hour’s drive from Nadi International airport.
These islands form a 100 km archipelago enswathing the western side of Fiji. This is the driest area of Fiji and boasts picture perfect beaches. The currents are generally mild. The reefs are characterised by hard corals and some shark feeds. Manta rays visit the Yasawa Islands between May to November.
Many of the passages around the Yasawa Islands offer great swim throughs and walls. The Yasawa Islands are the perfect place for learner divers and snorkelers
10 of the best dive sites in Fiji
From the soft coral walls of Rainbow Reef and Bligh Water to the pelagic action of Namena Marine Reserve, Fiji has an extraordinary variety of world-class dive sites. We've selected ten of our favourites, based on the diving experiences, marine life and underwater scenery that make each one distinctive.
Fiji Scuba Diving - Complete Guide
