Action Asia - February-March 2018

March/April 2018 —

Levu, they are known locally as Vatu-I-Ra
passage, the first portion of the Bligh Waters – the
stretch of ocean traversed westwards in a lifeboat
by Lieutenant William Bligh, after the infamous
‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ in 1789.
Happily, we sailed these waters in more
comfortable circumstances, our ‘lifeboat’ the dive
tender from which we descended to evocatively
named sites such as Dream Maker, Golden Dream,
Mellow Yellow and Black Magic Mountain. Their
names allude to the underwater fantasies we
found there, soft corals in all imaginable colours
surrounded by clouds of reef fish. But the most
outstanding place was Breath Taker. The name
says it all – it was like diving into a kaleidoscope.
My gaze was led from massive fusiliers through
huge clouds of orange and purple anthias to the
healthy corals that supported them all. Then the
clouds would shift – the kaleidoscope shaken –
revealing fresh vistas of reef.

Gau – The island of sharks
I asked Veitch whether there has been one special
moment since he has been diving in Fiji. He raised

his eyebrows, cracked his mischievous smile

and replied in his Kiwi lilt: “One? I’ve stopped

counting. Every dive in Fiji can be more than

special. Sometimes, it is the incomprehensible

colours that fascinate me. Sometimes, it is an

encounter with big fish. And sometimes, I find a

snail that I have never seen before. But the island

of Gau and the nearby Nigali Passage have really

taken me by storm.”

Gau is located just under 50km east of the

mainland, is the fifth largest island of Fiji, and

houses two villages that have established a locally

managed marine sanctuary with the help of the

World Wildlife Foundation.

Little Ben, captain of one of the two dinghies,

throttled back the engine and looked down into

the sparkling turquoise of the Nigali. A brief nod

to us and he started to count down “3, 2, 1...”

We rolled backwards into the cooling embrace

of the Pacific. After a moment’s orientation we

descended to the point of the reef, noting along

the way, a huge swarm of mackerel. Individual

grey reef sharks glided serenely through the

huge swarm, as though intentionally rubbing up

against the teeming fish.

Closer to the reef, countless red snapper were

waiting. After all had taken their place in the

shadow of the current, the sharks swung in closer

to check them out. There was a constant bustle

of snapper and sharks yet it had a rhythm of its

own. Then suddenly the rhythm was interrupted.

The sharks backed off into the channel and

suddenly the curtain of red snappers peeled back

and Bill appeared. A huge Malabar grouper, he is

undoubtedly boss on this reef.

The longer we stayed down, the more sharks

congregated in the cannel. When Bill isn’t home,

apparently the sharks will come to within an

arm’s-length. At the end of the dive, we simply

drifted away with the current, still accompanied

by solitary sharks and fusiliers as well as black

snapper, densely packed in a defensive huddle.

Another breathtaking spectacle.

Taveuni – DIY time travel

Taveuni is green and wet. Very green and very

wet. With nutrient-laden soil and a humid

climate, it is nicknamed the Garden Island as all

ON PATROL

Grey reef sharks work the edge

of a reef in Nigali Passage.

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