Introduction

Kadavu is the fourth largest island in Fiji (411 km²), and part of the, a volcanic archipelago consisting of Kadavu, Ono, Galoa and other smaller islands, lying 88 km south of Fiji's capital Suva. The main administrative centre of Kadavu is Vunisea (with an airport, a high school and a hospital). Kadavu is 93 kilometers long, and almost cut in two by the narrow Namalata Isthmus. The island is mountainous (maximum altitude of 822 meters) and still covered at 75% by its original rainforest. Kadavu is partially surrounded on the south, east and north by the Great Astrolabe Reef, a large barrier reef that is one of Fiji's premier scuba diving resorts.

Travel facts

Diving type

Destination

easily accessible

bargain destination

Diving level & type

for beginners

for advanced divers

shore diving

liveaboard

Diving Characteristics

pelagics

lots of fish

lots of corals

interesting underwater scenery

Other activities

attractive natural spots

gastronomy

night life

beach

snorkeling

Diving Sites

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  3 Ellis

  rating : 4.0

  level : for advanced divers

  depth : deep !
  description :
  
  We descended on a wall to 35 meters, then skirted a sandy bottom to reach another drop-off with a tunnel descending to 53 meters!The colors and visibility were fantastic, with a large school of barracuda, parrotfish, napoleon wrasse and lionfish.The dive ended in a magnificent coral garden on a 12-metre seabed.
  
  
• 

  Aquarium

  rating : 4.0

  depth : 15 m
  description :
  
  Very nice shallow dive, over two drop-offs. Lots of dead corals on the sand, but interesting variety on the walls themselves.Lots of fish, including several nasons, boxfish, a trumpetfish and a blue-ribbon eel. Coral garden at 3 meters to end the dive.
  
  
• 

  Bure's Jewel

  rating : 4.0

  depth : 20 m
  description :
  
  Potato and coral garden between 2 and 25 meters, forming tunnels and canyons.Nice relief, pretty colors. A large triggerfish, two nudibranchs, lots of fish (many clownfish, groupers, parrotfish, trumpetfish and surgeonfish): you'd think you were in an aquarium. Beautiful relief: drop-off, wall, tunnel, potato and coral plateau to finish the dive.Two scorpions, a nudibranch, clownfish, trumpetfish and surgeonfish.In the tunnels, magnificent soft corals (yellow and purple) in the tunnels.
  
  
• 

  Canyon

  rating : 4.0

  depth : 25 m
  description :
  
  Beautiful relief: drop-off, wall, tunnel, potato and coral plateau to finish the dive. Two scorpions, a nudibranch, clownfish, trumpetfish and surgeonfish. In the tunnels, magnificent soft corals (yellow and purple) in the tunnels.
  
  
• 

  Moray Reef

  rating : 4.0

  type of diving : feeding

  depth : 15 m
  description :
  
  A shark feeding dive, requested by divers staying at the resort. With all the resort's divers filling the two available boats, around 20 divers found themselves underwater at the same spot. The two divemasters then lowered a crate of dead barracudas, and began throwing the food to the dozen or so grey reef sharks - and jackfish - that immediately approached. This dive is obviously very impressive, especially given the size of the sharks which reach 3 meters. The whole dive, almost 1 hour, is spent observing this feeding at a depth of 15 meters. Visibility was limited due to the presence of suspended plankton, and quite a lot of dead coral. 1 large green moray.
  
  
• 

  Butterfly

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 15 m
  description :
  
  Drift dive, somewhat monotonous relief. Beautiful soft corals, but also lots of dead corals on the bottom. Other divers in the group saw a grey reef shark and a sea snake. Large triggerfish, schools of barracuda, butterflyfish and a beautiful dive garden to finish the dive.
  
  
• 

  Coral Village

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 15 m
  description :
  
  Coral garden, with several spuds sometimes forming canyons. Magnificent soft corals and beautiful colors. Schools of trevally, a grey reef shark (seen from a distance) and lots of coral fish.
  
  
• 

  Three Brothers

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 15 m
  description :
  
  Thila between 1 and 30 meters, a popular snorkeling site. Same style of diving as Bure's Jewel, but less color and coral. A turtle, on this very fishy site.
  
  
• 

  Peter's Place

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 15 m
  description :
  
  3 coral spots between 2 and 15 meters. The coral is pretty, but there's also a lot of damaged coral. Visibility is limited, and the colors a bit faded. A few schools of fish, but relatively little fauna. Snakes and turtles are occasionally seen here, but not on our dives.
  
  
• 

  Shore Dive Kadavu Dive

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 3 m
  description :
  
  It's not really a diving site, but tanks are available for divers. We set off from the hotel beach, skirted the sandy bottom before finding a few small reefs with anemones and clownfish. Not very interesting. Note, however, that it is possible to borrow a canoe and go diving further out.
  
  
• 

  Soft Coral Corner

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 20 m
  description :
  
  Several potatoes on a sandy bottom, but far less interesting than Coral Village: less coral, fewer fish and less color. Really not great, not much to see and the relief is not very attractive.