Fiji and coral bleaching

[tarzana]

Good day all! I am considering a first time trip to Fiji with a friend at the beginning of June. We would like to stay in one dive resort/operation for a week then do about 3 days of land/cultural tours afterwards. So I have a couple of questions.

Can you recommend a resort that offers both very good diving and tours of their area? ( We like hiking if possible if not cultural tours.)

Also for those of you have recently been to Fiji, how have the corals been affected by the global heating of the Pacific?

Thanks ahead of time for your answers!

 

[TostitoBandito]

Was just in the Taveuni and Rainbow Reef area in the northeast, and there wasn't really any recent evidence of bleaching events. The reefs are still largely in very good shape, with many varieties of hard and soft corals and plentiful fish and invertebrate life. I'm sure there have been events in the past that have killed some coral, just like almost everywhere else in the world.

If you also want spend some time hiking I'd recommend Taveuni. There's mountain peaks and lakes up high with flowers and wildlife that only exist up there. Also lots of park area and waterfalls. I've been to Taveuni Dive Resort twice and would highly recommend it. Small 8 room resort with a great operation. The first time we went in 2022 I recall there were one or two people there who were just there for the hiking/nature and weren't even diving.

 

[tarzana]

Was just in the Taveuni and Rainbow Reef area in the northeast, and there wasn't really any recent evidence of bleaching events. The reefs are still largely in very good shape, with many varieties of hard and soft corals and plentiful fish and invertebrate life. I'm sure there have been events in the past that have killed some coral, just like almost everywhere else in the world.

If you also want spend some time hiking I'd recommend Taveuni. There's mountain peaks and lakes up high with flowers and wildlife that only exist up there. Also lots of park area and waterfalls. I've been to Taveuni Dive Resort twice and would highly recommend it. Small 8 room resort with a great operation. The first time we went in 2022 I recall there were one or two people there who were just there for the hiking/nature and weren't even diving.

This sounds wonderful...We will look into this more for June! Thank you kindly for your answer!

 

[Jonathan Rowe]

Hey Tarzana. The coral diving in Fiji is in some of the best shape in the world. As the previous poster recommended, the Rainbow Reef area is certainly a very good option for coral diving. Another option which you may consider would be to go to the Pacific Harbour region. There is some great coral in the Beqa Lagoon as well, and if you're up for it, there is also the incredible Fiji Shark Dive. You can see up to 8 species of shark on a given dive. Pacific Harbour also has some other great activities. White water rafting, village tours, zip lining. All kinds of stuff. There's a few pretty reasonable resorts in the area as well.

 

[Alison in Fiji]

Good day all! I am considering a first time trip to Fiji with a friend at the beginning of June. We would like to stay in one dive resort/operation for a week then do about 3 days of land/cultural tours afterwards. So I have a couple of questions.

Can you recommend a resort that offers both very good diving and tours of their area? ( We like hiking if possible if not cultural tours.)

Also for those of you have recently been to Fiji, how have the corals been affected by the global heating of the Pacific?

Thanks ahead of time for your answers!

I am an underwater photographer working in Fiji and the South Pacific. There has been bleaching in some areas where the cooler currents haven't protected the hard corals. In 2023 there was damage around the North East to some of the hard corals on Rainbow Reef, around Savusavu when the ocean temperatures remained very high over cyclone season. They have since recovered to a great extent. The azooxanthellae soft corals are obviously unaffected. Some of the leather corals and sinularia was lost but is now returning. Take a look at this complete guide to Fiji diving @waterlustfiji.com - with lots of islands in the Fiji archipelago the corals are very different in terms of their tolerance.

 

[tarzana]

Hey Tarzana. The coral diving in Fiji is in some of the best shape in the world. As the previous poster recommended, the Rainbow Reef area is certainly a very good option for coral diving. Another option which you may consider would be to go to the Pacific Harbour region. There is some great coral in the Beqa Lagoon as well, and if you're up for it, there is also the incredible Fiji Shark Dive. You can see up to 8 species of shark on a given dive. Pacific Harbour also has some other great activities. White water rafting, village tours, zip lining. All kinds of stuff. There's a few pretty reasonable resorts in the area as well.

Thanks for the info... sorry for the delay in writing back. Did not know you did!

 

[tarzana]

I am an underwater photographer working in Fiji and the South Pacific. There has been bleaching in some areas where the cooler currents haven't protected the hard corals. In 2023 there was damage around the North East to some of the hard corals on Rainbow Reef, around Savusavu when the ocean temperatures remained very high over cyclone season. They have since recovered to a great extent. The azooxanthellae soft corals are obviously unaffected. Some of the leather corals and sinularia was lost but is now returning. Take a look at this complete guide to Fiji diving @waterlustfiji.com - with lots of islands in the Fiji archipelago the corals are very different in terms of their tolerance.
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[tarzana]

Thank you for the report Alison in Fiji. What a beautiful shot! At this point I am going to have to postpone Fiji as I cannot find a dive buddy. Most already have plans or it is too expensive for them. I hope to go one day!