Diving in Fiji

The soft coral capital of the world, the Beqa Lagoon shark dive and the mantas of the Yasawa Islands

1 yacht for liveaboard diving, 6 resorts

Fiji — the Rainbow Reef and the Great White Wall in Somosomo Strait, eight shark species in Beqa Lagoon, Yasawa mantas. Dive resorts and liveaboards, schedules and prices.

Why divers come here

The Rainbow Reef and the Great White Wall in Somosomo Strait — a solid carpet of white soft coral on a wall from fifteen metres down
Beqa Lagoon — a feeding dive where up to eight shark species pass in a single morning, bull sharks and a tiger among them
Vatu-i-Ra and Bligh Water — a chain of sea mounts in the centre of the archipelago with the densest pelagic action in the country
Namena Marine Reserve — coral gardens and the Grand Central Station sea mount
Mantas in the Yasawa passages from May to October — snorkelling in the current alongside the school
Fiji's soft corals bloom all year because the currents feed them without a break

What you'll meet underwater

Soft corals in every colour — the country's signature

Bull sharks and a tiger shark (Beqa Lagoon)

Grey, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks

Reef mantas (Yasawa, Namena)

Green and hawksbill turtles

Schools of trevally, barracuda and snapper

Napoleon wrasse and groupers

Humpback whales pass through from July to September

Photos: credits and licences

Practical information

Best season: May to October is the dry season, with the clearest water and the calmest sea.
November to April is warmer and greener but brings rain and cyclones
the Yasawa mantas are around from May to October
Water temperature: 25–29 °C
Visibility: 15–40 m
Wetsuit: 3 mm year-round, 5 mm in July and August and for three or four dives a day
Experience level: Open Water for the reefs and soft corals
Advanced and drift experience for the straits and for the Beqa Lagoon shark dive
Getting there: There are no direct flights from Russia.
Fly to Nadi (NAN) via Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney or Auckland
from Moscow the journey takes 25–35 hours.
From there Fiji Link domestic flights reach Taveuni (TVU) or Savusavu (SVU) in about an hour, or a boat transfer runs to the Coral Coast resorts and the Yasawa Islands.
Airports: Nadi (NAN) — international, Suva (SUV), Taveuni, Matei (TVU), Savusavu (SVU)
Visa: Russian citizens need no visa: a visitor permit for up to four months is issued on arrival.
A return ticket and a passport valid for six months are required.
Check the transit visas of your connection — the route almost always runs through Australia, New Zealand, South Korea or the USA.
Climate: Tropical maritime, air 24–31 °C year-round, wet season November to April
Currency: Fijian dollar (FJD)
Language: English, Fijian, Fiji Hindi
Time zone: UTC+12