Fiji Diving Sites from Matangi Island Resort

Here is just a sampling of some of the wonderful Fiji dive sites available right off Matangi's shores. Some of these sites are only visited by Matangi !

Matangi Island Dive Sites

1+ MILES WEST OF MATANGI ISLAND

NIGEL’S WRECK
Description: A great site for snorkelling or a shallow dive.

10+ MILES DUE EAST OF MATANGI ISLAND

MOTUI I AND II

Name of Dive Site: GREAT YELLOW WALL
Description: An atoll 10 miles off Matangi with a vertical wall drop off starting around 15 feet. Visibility can be 100+ feet. Famous for its abundance of yellow soft corals, also present a variety of hard corals, fans, whips and basket stars. Likely to see sharks, barracuda, blue-fin trevally, tuna and mackerel in the blue whilst on the reef you can see black spotted toad fish, Vlamings unicornfish, surgeonfish, fusiliers, butterflyfish and many species of damsel. Easy to find nudibranchs on the wall at any depth.
For photographers: Wide angle macro

Name of Dive Site: EDGE
Description: An atoll 10 miles off Matangi. A vertical drop off from about 30-1000+ feet. It has a combination of hard and soft coral, anemones, clown fish, unicorn fish, groupers, fusiliers and occasionally white tip sharks.
For photographers: Close-up macro

Name of Dive Site: GOLDEN DREAM
Description: A vertical drop off 15-1000+ feet with a mild current which opens up the Golden soft coral. Beautiful anemones and clown fish, occasionally schools of barracuda.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: NOELS WALL
Description: An atoll 10 miles off Matangi Island with a vertical drop off 30-1000 feet with cannons and swim-through’s at 30 feet. Spectacular colours with purple and white soft corals, red encrusting algae and bright yellow ascidians. Memorable site in that it offers the best of both worlds – a great detailed wall dive with nudibranchs, hard and soft corals, feather and sea stars and abundant reef fish as well as the pelagics swimming past throughout the dive, including trevally, barracuda and bronze whalers.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

8+ MILES DUE EAST OF MATANGI ISLAND

Name of Dive Site: FRANKS PLACE (aka – Corner)
Description: A short wall between 90-110 feet which gently slopes up to the reef crest at 25 ft. Great site for a diversity of hard corals in healthy condition. Striking abundance of fish, in particular damsel, surgeons, triggerfish and large schools of three-stripe fusiliers.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: MOTUI 1
Description: An atoll 8 miles off Matangi Island with wall dives, depths ranging from 15-1000 feet as well as shallower and current protected basins at around 30-45 feet. Soft corals, sea whips, gorgonians and basket stars off the wall whilst greater hard coral cover, feeding parrot fish and goat fish on top off the reef. Peacock grouper, big-eye bream and various species of squirrel fish hide amongst the ledges and ring-eyed hawkfish can readily be seen perched in branching Pocillopora coral heads.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

9+ MILES DUE EAST OF MATANGI ISLAND

Name of Dive Site: MOTUI II
Description: Approximately 500 feet in distance from Motui 1 with almost the same reef structure, whereas Motui II has more beautiful hard coral at the top of the wall. Abundant surgeon fish and schooling fusiliers. Long sea whips, nudibranchs and flatworms are often seen.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: CROSS CHANNEL
Description: Vertical wall from 15-150 feet then sloping off to 1000 feet. Around 100 feet predominantly black coral, sea whips, ascidians. Above 45 feet start to see hard corals (Pocillopora, Diploastrea and massive blue Porites). Fish most abundant shallower than 60 feet, including long-nose hawkfish in gorgonian fans. Common to see large schools of blue and gold fusiliers, yellow chromis, as well as the fire and two-tone dartfish. Mandarin goby also present. Variety of soft corals, often hosting brittle stars and keep an eye out for the giant clams in the shallows.
For photographers: Wide-angle video

14+ MILES DUE EAST OF MATANGI ISLAND

Name of Dive Site: MOTUI LAILAI
Description: An atoll 14 miles off Matangi with depths ranging from 10-200ft plus. Has a gradual slope with tunnels penetrating into the reef. The top of the reef has a wide variety of hard corals and fish including sweetlips, eagle rays and clown triggerfish.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

14+ MILES DUE NORTH OF MATANGI ISLAND – DAY TRIP ONLY

LOCATION: RINGGOLD GROUP OF ISLANDS

Name of Dive Site: RINGGOLDS
Description: Vertical wall on the Ringgold’s atoll to depths over 200ft. Great dive to see schools of pelagic fish; tuna, mackerel, white tip sharks and barracuda.
For photographers: Video

Name of Dive Site: RARANITIGA
Description: A shallow and sheltered dive behind Raranitiga Island. Great for macro, many different nudibranch species, also memorable for the stone fish and shrimp gobies.
For photographers: Wide angle macro

Name of Dive Site: RARANITIGA PASSAGE
Description: A steep slope to depths of about 100 feet. A combination of hard and soft corals, sea fans, feather stars and anemones. Lots of nudibranchs, triggerfish and surgeon fish. Look out for the painted rock lobster, schooling batfish and scorpion fish also have been seen at this site.
For photographers: Wide angle and macro.

Name of Dive Site: CINDIES
Description: This site is also part of the Ringgold’s atoll. Best to dive from 80ft and shallower. The huge schools of fusiliers are simply spectacular. Likely to see large groupers, sweetlips and clown triggerfish. A mixture of plate, branching and massive coral formations.
For photographers: Wide angle

Name of Dive Site: JO’S REEF
Description: Vertical wall on the Ringgold’s atoll. Great diversity of hard corals and in healthy condition. Titan and clown triggerfish are common, rabbit fish and parrotfish also abundant.
For photographers: Wide angle macro

QAMEA 5 MILES+ DUE WESTALONG QAMEA COAST – BETWEEN TAVEUNI/QAMEA

Name of Dive Site: STILL WATERS
Description: A submerged reef off the coast of Qamea with depth range of 15-100 ft. Predominantly a soft coral dive and beautiful structural architecture of the reef with arches and overhangs. Common fish are damsels, anthias, dottybacks, fusiliers, anemone fish, squirrelfish and big-eye bream. May also see corris, boxfish, nudibranchs and schooling barracuda.
For photographers: Mainly wide angle, also good close up and macro.

Name of Dive Site: ELBOW
Description: Drop in behind the shelter of the headland then as you swim around “the elbow” let the current drift you along the gentle slope which extends to 120+ feet. Combination of reef fish and pelagics. Abundant titan trigger, schooling pyramid butterfly fish and fusiliers with the occasional mackerel and spotted eagle ray. The shallows are teaming with different species of anthias, chromis and damsel fish, including the particularly attractive Johnston damsel (Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus).
For photographers: Wide angle macro and video

Name of Dive Site: HALF-WAY REEF (fish patch)
Description: A submerged reef exactly half way between the two islands Qamea and Taveuni. Beautiful hard and soft corals and a good variety of reef fish including trumpetfish and different species of squirrelfish.
For photographers: Wide angle and video.

Name of Dive Site: GORGONIAN GARDEN
Description: This reef has a vertical drop off with depths ranging 15-200 ft, it has a variety of sea fans and soft coral, anthias, basslets, damselfish, sweetlips and the occasional trevally.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: SEVEN PEAKS
Description: Named after the seven coral peaks between which the dive is navigated. A stunning and exciting dive for the diversity of topography and marine life. A huge variety of fish species, notably the titan triggerfish, brushtail tangs, princess damsel, blue-lined surgeonfish, and the peacock grouper. Three spot dascyllus can be found amongst the Acropora heads. Patches of spectacular soft corals saturated by anthias and basslets. In the channels between the peaks, sightings of white tips, bronze whaler sharks, mackerel, banded sea snake, blue-spotted ray, giant clams and beautiful cowries.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: FISH PATCH (Barracuda)
Description: Great hard and soft corals and teaming with fish life. All families of reef fish, lots of feeding parrotfish and goatfish, flagtail grouper, unicorn fish, wrasse and white tip sharks are very common. The occasional barracuda and trevally.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: VATUIRI
Description: A gentle slope to about 70-80 feet. A nice variety of hard and soft corals and sea fans. Lots of surgeon fish and snapper. Nudibranchs are also common.
For photographers: Wide angle and macro

 

SOMOSOMO (TAVEUNI/VANUA LEVU 25+ MILES DUE WEST – DAY TRIP ONLY

Name of Dive Site: RAINBOW PASSAGE
Description: A submerged reef with depths ranging from 15-120 feet, it has a variety of soft corals with large bommies at the end of the dive. Fish life include a variety of pelagics including barracuda, travally, mackerel, white tip sharks, occasional leopard sharks. Also stone fish, clown fish, long-nose hawkfish, damselfish and a variety of butterfly fish.
For photographers: Wide angle, macro and video

Name of Dive Site: RAINBOW PASSAGE II
Description: A submerged reef with depths ranging from 25-120 feet on a gradual slope. Mainly a soft coral dive with sweetlips, butterfly fish, angelfish and squirrel fish.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: RAINBOWS END
Description: A submerged reef on a gentle slope with depths ranging from 35ft to 90ft. A soft coral dive teaming with anthias, basslets and butterflyfish. Moray, garden and blue ribbon eels can be found here. Look out for the potato cod, schools of giant trevally and sharks.
For photographers: Wide angle, macro and video

Name of Dive Site: WHITE WALL
Description: The tunnel from 30-60 feet leads you to the outer reef wall which drops to over 240 feet. Below 70 feet the wall is covered with white soft coral giving it a completely white appearance. Long sea whips extend out from the wall, longnose hawkfish sit amongst the soft coral heads. On top of the reef there are spectacular overhangs, a number of tunnels to swim through and beautiful soft corals. A very exciting dive.
For photographers: Wide angle, macro and video

Name of Dive Site: MINI WHITE WALL
Description: A submerged reef with a mini wall with a depth range 30-100 feet covered with mostly white soft coral. There is also a large variety of other soft corals. Leopard sharks, barracudas and trevally often seen. Also look for stone fish, nudibranchs including the Spanish dancers.

Name of Dive Site: PURPLE WALL
Description: It has an outer wall with the reef top at 20 feet dropping to over 200 feet. The wall is covered with purple soft corals, sea whips and large gorgonian fans. Trevally, mackerel, barracuda and white tips are quite common, manta rays less frequent. Also a variety of nudibranchs, anthias and fusilers.
For photographers: Wide angle and video

Name of Dive Site: ANNIE’S BOMMIES
Description: A submerged reef with large bommies allowing divers to weave between them with depths ranging from 15-70 feet. The site has a variety of both soft and hard corals, anthias, fusiliers, moray eels, leopard sharks, stingrays and pipefish.
For photographers: Video

Name of Dive Site: ZOO
Description: Depths ranging 30-300 feet with an average visibility of 70-80 feet. Moray eels, manta rays, potato cod, trevally, mackerel and sharks present. Nudibranchs and flatworms are quite common.
For photographers: Wide angle macro and video

Name of Dive Site: YELLOW TUNNEL
Description: A narrow vertical tunnel you enter at 75ft which rises up to 45ft and is lined with yellow soft corals. An amazing experience to swim through, great photographic opportunities and finish the dive on the top of the atoll with trumpet fish, clown triggerfish and butterfly fishes.
For photographers: Wide angle and macro

Name of Dive Site: CABBAGE PATCH
Description: A single large patch of cabbage coral over 50 feet across at 30-60 feet. Squirrelfish and damsel fish swim amongst the coral. Surrounding the coral patch, there is plenty of active life on the sandy bottom with shrimp and gobies, pipefish, lizardfish and sanddivers.
For photographers: Wide angle macro