Snorkeling
It’s not unusual for a diver to have a partner who isn’t quite so keen on diving, but still wants to see some of the fantastic marine life. Snorkeling in Fiji is a very rewarding experience and enables you to enjoy Fiji’s underwater world. You can swim over some of the world’s most abundant coral reefs, ranging from shallow reefs with spectacular plate corals, to coral pinnacles topped with clouds of purple anthias and damsel fish, to deeper reefs with steep walls dropping away to 200 feet where you may see some of the larger species.
The joy of Fiji lies in its clear, warm waters and the easy access to the sites. Around Savusavu Bay, most of them are 15 - 25 minutes in a boat. It’s no small wonder that the world famous Jean-Michel Cousteau has a dive base in Fiji. Here are a few that can be easily accessed from Daku Resort:
1. Split Rock
Split Rock is 150 metres off shore; a large coral head, it is named for the distinctive split down one side. At the bottom of the split you can see purple gorgonian fans and pale yellow soft corals. At the entrance to the split a fierce clown fish defends her anemone and the male takes refuge in its fronds. When a female clown fish dies, the male changes sex and becomes female, and he next male moves up the hierarchy. There’s a large school of inquisitive black and white sergeant fish nearby; they will come right up to you and often give your fingers a gentle nip. There is a glorious abundance of orange and purple anthias and golden damsels near the surface; a little deeper, parrotfish can be seen nibbling away at the coral, and a large brown spotted grouper glides shyly away. There are two large clams on the rock, and several small green fern corals. Split Rock is one of the most colourful and enchanting sites of the bay, and endlessly fascinating in visit after visit.
The top of the coral head is 3 foot deep, and the base is about 30 foot deep. You can get there either from the beach – it’s about 150 metres off shore – although you will need to be shown exactly where it is so either get a taxi driver to show you (they all know) or take a member of staff to show you. Alternatively, go by boat – approx 10 mins from Daku Resort.
:
2. Golden Nuggets
Giant Mooray
Some 700 metres past the point of the peninsula, the twin pinnacles of Golden Nuggets offer anther magnificent display of smaller fish. The first pinnacle has purple and orange anthias, the beautiful iridescent blue sapphire damsels, Moorish idols with their lazy grace, and the bluejewel damsel fish which guarding his garden against intruders – human or fish. On the second pinnacle you will see schools of surgeon fish and snapper fish. Quite often a white tipped shark is around, utterly arresting in its fearsome power – but not aggressive to humans and very well fed on the fish life. You will also see magic coral which turns from bluey-brown to white when threatened and is hardly known outside Fiji.
The top of the pinnacle head is 12 foot deep, and the base is about 70 foot deep. We get to the rock by boat – approx 30 mins from Daku Resort.
Hawksbill Turtle
3. Lighthouse
Further out towards the edge of the bay stands a lighthouse, warning ships and yachts of the edge of the reef. This site is named for the lighthouse, and offers an extraordinary growth of plate corals shimmering in the water. There are also soft spaghetti corals with their tentacles swaying in the currents, and you may see a trumpet fish going by, confusing you with the appearance of a face at its tail. Pale green damsel fish hover around coral growths, darting back into its forest to hide when you first approach but soon relaxing and coming back out. There are also humbacked wrasse and maori wrasse, and, if you are very lucky, a turtle.
The top of the coral head is 15 foot deep, and the base is about 120 foot deep. We get to the rock by boat – approx 35 mins from Daku.
4. Lesciaceva Lagoon
Sheltered behind the main reef wall is a lagoon; stingrays and garden eels burrow into the sandy bottom. The occasional group of trevally finds its way in, and there are cruising wrasse, damsel fish and parrotfish. Some larger starfish are to be seen, and frequent sea slugs as thick as a man’s forearm.
The lagoon is 5 foot deep. We get to the rock by boat – approx 30 mins from Daku.
And there are others – Chuck’s spot, Pete’s point, and across Savusavu Bay there’s Matuku Beach, all of them within easy reach by boat. We take people in groups of a maximum of 8; the boat has a ladder for getting in and out – and a very strong boatman to help!
