Diving
‘Coral Gardens’
from Paradise Taveuni
with
Pro Dive Taveuni
The coastline
around Paradise has several dive sites on offer that are sheltered from the
prevailing island winds.10 minutes scenic boat ride from the resort, divers
arrive at Coral Gardens.
This aptly
named dive site is formed by 3 streams, or “fingers”,
of lava that once flowed into the Ocean at this spot. The dive starts in the
shallow shelter at the top of the first finger and once settled, divers begin
their drift downwards. This is a site that can be dived at any depth and during
the descent the first glimpses of the many soft corals can be seen. This is a popular
feeding station for the larger reef fish and parrot fish. Trigger fish and
surgeon fish can be seen in abundant numbers. The first finger also provides a
home for the reef’s smaller residents with squirrel fish hiding beneath the
overhangs and anemone fish guarding their offspring.
In between
the lava fingers are large sandy areas, the first of which is dominated by
colonies of garden eels swaying in the current. Coming to rest on the sand in
front of the second finger, divers have the chance to pause and appreciate the
throngs of fish – anthias are present in their hundreds, schooling banner fish
swim past and box fish dart in and out of the hard corals. Hovering above the
lava finger also presents the opportunity to watch the schools of pelagic fish
that gather here - barracuda, snapper & yellow fin tuna are common
visitors. Hammerhead sharks and manta rays have also been spotted by resort
divers.
Heading up
the third & final lava finger the keen-eyed may spot juvenile blue ribbon
eels bobbing in the entrance of their homes, or trigger fish swimming past. As
divers reach the top of the finger and the 5m mark, they enter a labyrinth of
swim-throughs. Perfect for whiling away a safety stop, this maze of corridors
is a fascinating end to the dive.
