Report from Fiji's Namena Reserve October 2025!

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Alison in Fiji

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Fiji
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I'm a Fish!
Scuba Diving Namena Reserve this week in crystal clear 27 degree waters, strong trade winds and amid sightings of a great white shark!

Report from Namena Reserve by Alison Smith - https://www.waterlustfiji.com/

The South Easterly trade wind season has been very pronounced this year with much of the season in Fiji characterised by winds of over 20 knots as a series of low pressure systems have headed east south of the Fiji Islands. The lulls between the winds have meant time at the incredible Namena Reserve - which no doubt is probably Fiji's best diving. This large horse shoe shape reef in the Koro Sea boasts the 'North Save a Tack' passage with schools of hammerheads, large tuna, huge barracuda and trevally school and more soft coral bommies that you can shake a macro stick at. 'Chimneys' at the faux 'South Save a tack' passage on the other side of the reef is also incredible with a series of tall thin pinnacles decorated in soft corals that buzz with lyre tail anthias and larger reef fish. Giant hammerheads can be seen in the deep. Macro can't be forgotten here too. My first ever Fiji frog fish put in an appearance!

Rumours of a great white shark are circling in the nearby town of Savusavu after a group of Fijian spear fishermen were circled in the day by a large shark (which was then identified from pictures) which declined to take the walu (Spanish mackerel) from their spear gun and instead continued to harass them until they hastily scrambled into a rescuing long boat. The tale is that the shark had a pre caudal pit with a girth of a wooden telegraph pole.

The week coming up (other than drinks and dancing for Fiji Independence day on the 10th of October) means Palolo worm rising ( a polychaete worm which releases its gonads into the water column during October and November) and possibly the beginning of the coral spawn after the full moon.



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F
 
Until the resort reopens the options are stay in Savusavu and head out with dive operators when they go - there are many more days spent at Namena Reserve during cyclone season (summer in Fiji) when the weather is hot with showers but the seas are flat. Or... arrange a catmaran charter with friends with a dive guide so you can stay onboard at Namena. Both are quite a bit cheaper than a liveaboard.
 
Thank you! Do you have a favorite resort on savusavu
Hi Luca
I work with this one but I also really like Savasi Resort and Namale. Savusavu has a lot of independent accommodations too and its one of the easiest places to dive with a local operator without the resorts. I'd also suggest twinning Savusavu with Rainbow Reef diving for a short period of time - there are excellent resorts in the bays of Vanua Levu from which you can dive the Great White Wall and the other iconic sites if Rainbow Reef. https://www.waterlustfiji.com/fiji-dive-resorts/koro-sun-resort. What time of year are you visiting? There are 20% - 40% off discounts for November to March months at some places now in Fiji as we are heading into the low season. Pop me a message through my site if you'd like more help in planning a dive trip.
 

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