Astrolabe Reef

Our number one activity in Kadavu has been diving various sections of the Astrolabe Reef. We have visited a few famous hotspots (the Alacrity Rocks, the Naigoro Pass), but most frequently find ourselves jumping in and exploring whatever coral we find near Helios. 

Fiji is famous for her sea fans. We didn't find many while we were cruising through the Yasawas or Viani Bay; we wondered if they weren't able to stand up to the turbulence caused by Cyclone Winston. We found some lovely orange and purple fans in the Lau, but they're tricky to photograph! They seem to enjoy deep water and growing upside down under large coral formations. I spotted the lime green beauties below in 30 feet of water when we were diving near the Namalata Reef on Kadavu's northern edge.

And another baby fan, growing off the the shell of a giant clam underneath an overhang. 

These are two of my favorite underwater sights: above, a small piece of coral is a rookery for bicolored damselfsh; below, a school of bait fish cruising just above the coral.