As Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu is at the center of action for this exotic island country. It is also home to some of the area’s best resorts and scuba diving sites. Most dive sites in the area feature hard coral walls and channels, which are home to a large number of pelagics, including bull and tiger sharks. If you enjoy dives to view large animals, the Viti Levu will offer you that and more. But you’ll also enjoy the sites’ challenging underwater rock formations, including pinnacles and soft coral bommies. Cap off your visit with some quality time in a bright blue ocean lagoon teeming with colorful marine life.
There are a total of over 40 dive sites in the area, ranging from very shallow dives to deep wall dives; offering something to satisfy every diver. Come along as we plunge into the top dive spots in Viti Levu:
Shark Reef
You don’t come to Shark Reef to admire the nudibranchs and coral, although they’re both perfectly lovely. You come here to swim with the sharks. At least 8 different types of sharks are known to frequent the reef at Pacific Harbour. These include bull or Zambezi sharks, white tip, black tip, silver tip, and grey reef sharks; tawny nurse sharks, sicklefin lemon sharks, and huge tiger sharks. The Shark Reef Marine Reserve here prohibits fishing boats, and shark feeding has been prevalent here for several years, so it’s never a matter of whether you’ll spot a shark – you’ll only pause to wonder how many you’ve seen so far. It’s not difficult to lose count! Features here range from 5 to 30 meters, and the site is for intermediate divers and above. Surface conditions can be a little choppy, but there’s no current to speak of, most of the time, and visibility is good.
Vitawatawa Channel
Running along the south coast of Viti Levu, this channel leads you through the outside edge of a lagoon that forms a wall to the open ocean. On this amazing dive, you’ll descend through pore coral ledges to a series of underwater rock protrusions. Lionfish, blue goldbelly damselfish, and speckled angelfish will cross your path as you descend. At the deepest part of the dive, allow the current to carry you along the wall. Watch for 3-striped fusiliers and schools of yellow spotted, striped large-eyed bream. Near the sandy bottom, you’ll discover unusual guitar sharks moving in and out of the lagoon. Just inside the lagoon entrance, boulder formations will allow you to enjoy swim-throughs and watch the grey reef sharks that gather to hunt for food on the boulder surfaces. Maximum depth is 35 meters, with plenty to enjoy in as little as five meters of water. Currents can be quite strong, and the water surface choppy.
Gunbarrel
An invigorating dive for the experienced diver, you begin with a dive that takes you through an underwater canyon. Schools of snapper and surgeon fish will lead your way through the narrow gorge, while grey reef and white tip sharks cruise around the canyon walls. Once the canyon opens up, you’ll come upon an underwater beach with no currents. A brief swim will carry you out into the bright blue waters of the Pacific. To complete the dive, take a leisurely dive over colorful hard coral gardens. You’ll follow a sunlit tunnel back to the surface. The varying underwater topography is really breathtaking and can be a diving challenge. Average depth here is 15 meters, with a maximum depth of 30 meters.
For most divers who visit for the first time, the main attraction at the Viti Levu area is the opportunity to be up close and personal with such large numbers and varieties of sharks. That alone makes the area worth a visit. But you’ll also appreciate the area’s lovely scenery and underwater landscapes, as well as its other reef life. Whether you’re looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush or a balmy and relaxing afternoon in your own blue lagoon, Fiji’s Viti Levu will fulfill your diving fantasy.