Fiji's Coral Reefs & Marine Life           

We dive to experience the wonders of the deep. The tidal current and constant year–round water temperature of the Somosomo Strait create an ideal environment for hard and soft corals and marine creatures such as reef fish, turtles, eels and anemones with their brilliant pairs of clown fish. The reefs along the Somosomo Strait are among the best in the South Pacific – and rated by Scuba Diver magazine as the soft coral capital of the world! Fiji's nearly pristine marine environment is only a short boat ride from our base at Nakia Resort & Dive.

We look forward to introducing new and experienced divers to the amazing waters surrounding Taveuni, with over 1500 species of fish and 390 species of corals – many unique to Fiji. You'll see many endemic species and an incredibly varied underwater world. We'd love to hear from you to help you plan the diving vacation of a lifetime!

Soft Coral

is why divers come to Fiji. The reliable tidal flow from the depths of the Koro Sea through the shallow waters of the strait provide a free lunch for the energetic polyps of soft coral (order: Alcyonacea), which lack the symbiotic algae that feed hard corals. The local reefs are home to hundreds of species of soft coral. They are composed of a flexible protein called horn, so cannot build reefs. The majority are filter-feeding hunter gathers, not farmers, although a few, such as sea fans, do photosynthesize.

Hard Corals

are the engineers and farmers of the sea. Polyps of hard coral (order: Scleractinia) secrete a stoney calcium carbonate skeleton and then gang up to form colonies with a large stoney structure. Each animal is small, but given time and favorable conditions, they build amazingly large structures – the shallow water coral reefs. The stoney corals use a different feeding strategy. Most contain a symbiotic algae that turns sunlight into food for both the algae and polyp, so they need clear shallow water and sunlight to survive.

Reef Fish

Coral reefs cover about 1% of the world's oceans but about a quarter of all fish species are reef fish. The complex environment of the coral reef provides many specialized niches for enterprising species. None is more amazing than the anemone fish (think Nemo). This little clown fish guards its home anemone and in turn is protected by the anemone's sting from its own enemies. Over 1500 species of fish, some unique to Fiji, form a colorful and constantly changing foreground to the background of corals on every Fiji Dive.

Pelagic Fish

 are attracted to the buffet of nutrients that are funneled through the Rainbow Reef which feeds the small fish, jumpstarting the entire food chain.  This creates a delicious smorgasbord for pelagic fish such as Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), Dogtooth Tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor) and Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis).

Eels, octopi, snakes, squid, turtles, whales — Oh My!

So many creatures – diverse, strange and symbiotic, waiting for your visit.