Fiji’s reefs offer an amazing diving experience – from swimming alongside schooling fishes and large pelagics as they cruise along deep walls, to weaving among shallow soft coral laden bommies where cryptic macro critters lie, in wait for discovery – Fiji has it all… 

Photo: Brigitte Dewhirst

Spanning over 1.3 million square kilometers, the Fijian archipelago encompasses one of the most extensive reef systems in the world. Barrier reefs, atolls, patch reefs, channels, passages and fringing reefs offer everything from wild advanced current dives in shark infested passages, to calm and sheltered beginner dives along shallow, sandy bottomed patches.

Well known as the ‘Soft Coral Capital of the World’, Fiji’s magnificent soft corals (particularly Dendronephthya sp.) thrive in the nutrient rich waters, bringing an array colour and movement to the reef. With their sheer abundance they literally illuminate deep drop offs as they gently wave into the current. However, our underwater surroundings offer a whole lot more; from Mantas to Mantis Shrimps; Sharks to Shrimps; Crabs to Clams and many other undescribed species – the reefs are teeming with life.

A careful look and you will
find many interesting critters camouflaged against a kaleidoscope of colour. But don’t take your eye off the blue for too long as you may miss an unexpected visitor rising from the abyss, coming to investigate a bizarre neoprene clad bubble maker exploring his domain.

Photo: Brigitte Dewhirst

To experience the very best of Fiji’s diving sites, local knowledge is key. Some areas are current dependent and you must dive at the right tidal time to get the best out of a particular site. Knowing when and where to take the plunge can be the difference between a ‘nice’ dive that satisfies your craving and a ‘WOW!’ dive that blows your mind.

Local guides are not only able to offer such a service, but immediately recognize Fiji’s endemic marine species and can share a wealth of knowledge on their associated habitat and behavior with the interested diver. Whether you’re a visiting super yacht or cruising with the family, using a dive/video guide can enhance your experience of Fiji’s reefs.

Rebreather Diving Anyone?

Being completely integrated into the underwater social system and getting up close and personal with marine creatures is something that only a few ‘Disney Divers’ get the opportunity to do (think Snow White in SCUBA – you know, the ones that marine critters just love to be close to….)

Rebreather Diving

Rebreather diving makes it possible for even the burliest of man to make like a fish; stealthy maneuvering next to an oblivious octopus contemplating his next colour change. Why not give it a try?

With so many islands and dive sites to explore around Fiji it would be impossible to cover them all without writing an entire book (which to be honest – I don’t have the time to do – I’m too busy having fun diving!) Here is an overview, in my opinion of Fiji’s finest diving areas that incoming yachts can access:

Namena Marine Reserve

Declared a Marina Protected Area (MPA) in 1997 by the forward thinking Chiefs of the area, the Namena dive sites offer some serious world class diving. North Save-a-Tack passage must be dived on an incoming tide (recommended for advanced divers only). Huge schools of fish hang out on the drop off while grey reef sharks cruise in the current. You never know what will appear from the deep – from huge stingrays and massive dog toothed tuna to schooling hammerheads or sleek silver tip reef sharks. The bommies or pinnacles of South ‘Save-a-Tack’ are equally as breathtaking; covered in a myriad of reef fish. A keen macro spotter can find Pontohi pygmy seahorses defying the current, clinging to hydroids to evade predators.

Lomaiviti Group

Diving with Mantas at Wakaya Photo: Brigitte Dewhirst

Wakaya, Gau, Makogai and Naigani make up this Group of islands to the west of Viti Levu. They are home to many of Fiji’s best dive spots, offering a range of diving experiences for the novice to advanced level diver.

Wakaya is not just a picturesque island but also home to a resident Manta population. ‘Vatu Vai’ or ‘Manta Rock’ is a dive site where you can regularly encounter these majestic creatures somersaulting in the blue. The hard coral gardens on the fringing reef are teeming with reef fish including Garden Eels, Blennies, Turtles and Octopus.

As you travel further south in the Lomaiviti chain, the island of Gau and the Nigali passage offer a truly unique experience. With no local dive operators able to access this area due to it’s remote location, it’s usually just you and your dive buddy! The Nigali Passage is a current swept channel where grey reef sharks convene to mate and hunt. Huge Malabar grouper, big-eyed barracuda, and banded sea snakes are some of the highlights that can be seen during dives on these reefs.

Vatu-i-Ra Passage

To the northeast of Viti Levu is the ascendency of Fiji’s colorful coral stacked reefs. The dive sites in this area can be challenging and strong currents are common. Currents however, bring food and nutrients up from the deep and so the area is brimming with life. The advanced level drift-diving here can be wild and fun. Vatu-i-Ra is home to some of Fiji’s favourite marine creatures; from leaf scorpion fish to blue ribbon eels.

Blue Ribbon Eel. Photo Brigitte Dewhirst

Kadavu

The Great Astrolabe Reef presents great diving for all skill levels. The area is best known for it’s resident Manta population, occasional whale shark encounter and large schools of fish.

The Great White Wall

The ‘Rainbow Reefs’ of Taveuni attract thousands of divers each year. Located in the Somosomo Straights, the Great White Wall is a unique and dramatic dive site. A dense blanket of luminous white soft corals cover the sheer wall as it plummets into the abyss. The island of Taveuni is lush and tropical. Guided hikes up to scenic waterfalls & stunning scenery make it one of Fiji’s most idyllic spots.

Beqa Shark Dive

Beqa Sharks. Photo: Mark Snyder

If adrenalin and BIG fish are your
‘things’ then the shark feeds of
 Beqa can be truly exhilarating.
Here you must dive with a local operator where all levels of diver are welcome. The feed can attract up to eight species of shark and luckier divers may even encounter the odd Tiger Shark. Beqa Lagoon also offers some beautiful soft coral pinnacles and good diving on the outer reef.

About Sam Campbell

Following a life spent running live-a-boards in the Red Sea, exploring the remote islands of Indonesia; captaining dive catamarans in the Caribbean and shark diving in South Africa – fifteen years later, Sam now finds himself in Fiji. The renowned live- a-board Naia brought him to Fiji and perfectly demonstrated why so many people fall in love with our friendly isles. The Fijian reefs and people have proved that it is still entirely possible to explore an ecological Utopia!

Today Sam operates as HD Expeditions Fiji, which includes HD underwater video production, cruise/ dive guiding and rebreather guide/instructor services for incoming vessels.

“Fiji is surprising – islands of great contradiction and contrast. Dense wet rain forests on one side and sunny sandy atolls on the other. Strong ocean currents through barrier reefs lead to calm and protected coral lagoons. Fiji’s diving is equally diverse and dynamic. Here you can swim the whole gamut of underwater experiences – and still never see it all.

If variety is the spice of life, then Fiji is diving’s red hot chilli pepper!”

Bligh Waters ©Lill HaugenThe Commanding Officer of the Bounty, William Bligh is today considered, by the Fijians at least, the principal European discoverer of Fiji.

The Commanding Officer of the Bounty, William Bligh is today considered, by the Fijians at least, the principal European discoverer of Fiji. Bligh Water, a sea area that separates Fiji’s two main Islands of Vanua Levu & Viti Levu is named in his honour.

After the famous mutiny on the Bounty, Bligh and his 18 loyalists set sail on a seven-meter open vessel. During this voyage the men in the Bounty’s launch were noted as being the first Europeans to sail through the Fiji Islands or, had Bligh had his way, the islands would now be known as the ‘Bligh Islands’.

It was here that ‘wild, cannibalistic’ Fijians in two fast sailing canoes pursued Bligh and his men. Bligh ordered his men to sail into a squall, knowing the canoes would not follow, thus enabling them to escape.

Grey Reef Shark – Brigitte Dewhirst

Even under such difficult circumstances Bligh still managed to mark all the islands, so well in fact, that his findings are still used for navigation today.

During Bligh’s previous trips sailing under Captain Cook, he had duly noted that the natives could be a little hostile and dared not set foot on land. If only he’d known of the enthusiastic and heartfelt welcome that is typical in Fiji today, who knows perhaps he would have stayed a while to discover the stunning scenery that lay below his typical blue horizon.

Pseudanthias by Cat Halloway

The Bligh Water reef system is one of the reasons Fiji is known throughout the scuba diving community as the soft coral capital of the world. An amazing amalgamation of color – the abundance of ‘Dendronephytha’ in all the colors of the rainbow is truly mind blowing. The terrain encompasses a complex web of barrier reefs surrounding large lagoons and islands.

Holothurian crabby by Cat Halloway

The Bligh Water is a shallow marine area that acts as a large bottleneck between the two main islands. With the vast Pacific Ocean currents bringing upwelling and nutrients, it creates the perfect coral habitat.

Soft corals are only symbolic of Fiji’s complete story: the soft corals’ vibrant colours and giant size; the massive clouds of fish and clusters of invertebrates that live among their branches; the dramatic changes they undergo in an ancient rhythm of survival with the tides and currents; and the many types of underwater environments in which they thrive.

Coral & crinoids by Cat Halloway

Yes, Fiji’s remarkable soft corals embody all the elements that make Fiji’s reefs so exceptional. Drama and diversity, brilliant lavish panoramas, deep-water rich with food and shelter for the mysterious and rare. Fiji’s marine realm is as splendid and unpredictable as nature can be. But to dive Fiji is to indulge in much more than the planet’s prettiest soft coral and reef fish scenery.

The nation’s 300 plus islands and atolls are entwined in a complex system of barrier reefs so vast that an entire lifetime would not be enough to see them all. With about 1000 species of fish, several hundred types of corals and sponges, an infinite array of crustaceans, molluscs, anemones, – plus new animals still being discovered by divers and described by scientists the shallow coral garden and the deep sloping shelf can reveal something different on every single dive.

Emperor shrimp by Cat Halloway

But look away from the reef into the endless blue to encounter creatures of such size, grace and power as to take your breath away. Divers in Fiji commonly meet grey reef sharks and silvertips patrolling walls and congregating in reef passages. Hammerhead sharks cruise near seamounts and pinnacles. White tip reefs sharks, guitar sharks and leopard sharks are often found sleeping on sand or inside caves. Black tips scurry curiously along lagoon shores and even giant whale sharks are sometimes sighted feeding on the plankton and spawn from the coral reef.

Fiji is home to several pods of spinner dolphins and throughout the year migratory whales also visit Fiji waters. Large pods of pilot whales travel through deep channels accompanied by bottlenose dolphins. Humpback whales migrate here from Antarctica to mate and give birth. Orca, minke and sperm whales have passed through for centuries.

Grey Reef Sharks by Brigitte Dewhirst

Manta rays hover over reef-top cleaning stations or somersault in currents to feed. Barracuda swirl into sunbeams and trevally school tightly to guard against predators. Tangs and butterflyfish swarm at the mouth of channels where tuna squadrons compete with giant grouper as chief sentinels. Turtles, nest upon sand cays and graze on reef plants. Everything has its place and Fiji underwater is a place that has some of everything.

Fiji has kept pace with the latest developments in diving technology and many operators offer the training for and use of Nitrox and Rebreathers as an alternative to air and SCUBA tanks.

Fiji’s natural variety extends to practicalities. Some sites, with their  sheer deep walls and wild currents, are purely for the adventurous or experienced.

While the shallow  fringing reefs and protected  lagoons are ideal for the very first  SCUBA experience, snorkellers are  as at home in Fiji cruising on reef  flats as underwater photographers are exploring remote passages for undiscovered creatures. worms and other invertebrates

Although Fiji boasts many resorts on both the main islands and many of the outlying destinations, there are also several premier live-aboard diving vessels that are capable of reaching the furthest virgin territories of Fiji and exploring offshore reef systems and distant islands.

For you, our visiting yachtsmen and women, our reefs are your oyster, as it were. Being the architects of your own adventure, able to move freely and independently wherever the mood and winds take you; you are in the enviable situation of getting to explore some of the most pristine untouched reefs of Fiji!

While some such reefs, such as those in the Yasawas are relatively straight forward to find and easy to dive, others such as the Namena Marine Reserve and the Nigali passage are current and tide dependent and therefore, if you wish to see these reefs at their best, local knowledge for these dive areas is imperative.

Some of the most mind-blowing reefs are kept a closely guarded secret by those dive enthusiasts that revel in the untouched underwater world. Luckily, some of these fanatics are keen to share knowledge of such places, and can even jump onboard to be your local dive guide, certify you to the next level, video your experience, or take rookies on an introductory dive to erm…quite literally, test the water.

Just imagine being one of the few people to dive on a reef that even local fishermen cannot easily find, abundant with many wild and wonderful ocean creatures and perhaps the odd new species waiting to be discovered!

The behaviour of the fish on these reefs is remarkably different; inquisitive grouper swim right by as if to ask ‘what the heck are you?’, usually skittish turtles continue grazing on delicious sponges, oblivious to your presence and if you pause for a moment, a cleaner wrasse may start cleaning your fins assuming you are one of their usual customers. The experience is unreal.

What are you waiting for? Jump in!

About Sam Campbell

Following a life spent running live-a-boards in the Red Sea, exploring the remote islands of Indonesia; captaining dive catamarans in the Caribbean and shark diving in South Africa – fifteen years later, Sam now finds himself in Fiji. The renowned live- a-board Naia brought him to Fiji and perfectly demonstrated why so many people fall in love with our friendly isles. The Fijian reefs and people have proved that it is still entirely possible to explore an ecological Utopia!

Today Sam operates as HD Expeditions Fiji, which includes HD underwater video production, cruise/ dive guiding and rebreather guide/instructor services for incoming vessels.

Divers are some of the strongest and most effective advocates for coral reef conservation.

As a responsible diver, consider our comprehensive list below when choosing which operator to dive with.

Find out whether the operator:

•  Respects local guidelines, laws, regulations and customs;
• Hires local dive guides and masters when possible;
• Seeks local perspectives in planning interpretive programs;
• Actively supports local marine parks;
• Uses moorings instead of anchoring. If anchoring is necessary, it should never be done on a coral reef;
• Participates in local conservation projects – or has one of their own;
• Offers pre-dive talks by knowledgeable dive masters that educate and reinforce rules for divers, such as:
  • Maintaining neutral buoyancy
  • Maintaining control of fins, gauges, and accessories
  • No touching, standing on, or collecting corals
  • No feeing or handling fish and other living organisms
• Offers buoyancy control training/practice;
• Limits the group size and frequency of dives to any one dive site;
• Verifies the proficiency of dive guests before allowing them to dive at fragile or tricky sites;
• Has well-maintained engines to avoid release of petroleum products into the ocean;
• Disposes of sewage in a way that does not affect the nutrient balance of the reef ecosystem;
• Disposes of trash in an environmentally sound way – and recycles if the local area provides such a service;
• Informs guests about how they can donate or support local coral reef conservation initiatives;
• Supports local businesses and service providers as much as possible;\
• Encourages the purchase of authentic art and crafts made by locals and other products that benefit the local economy;
• Actively discourages the purchase of souvenirs made from coral, shells, turtles, and other threatened wildlife.

Things that YOU can do

It is not just the responsibility of the dive operator to take care of our reefs, there are some best practice guidelines to help you make sure you have a safe and enjoyable, yet environmentally aware experience on our beautiful reefs.

Be a Responsible Diver in The Water

IN THE WATER

• Never touch corals; even slight contact can harm them. Some corals can sting or cut you.
•  Carefully select points of entry and exit to avoid walking on corals
• Maintain a comfortable distance from the reef, so as to avoid contact.
• Make sure all your equipment is well-secured
• Make sure you are neutrally buoyant at all times.
• Take extra care in underwater caves and remain only for a limited time as air bubbles can damage the eco-system
• Practice good fining and body control to avoid accidental contact with the reef or stirring up the sediment.
• Stay off the bottom and never stand or rest on corals.
• Take nothing living or dead out of the water except recent trash that does not have living organisms on, or inside it.
• Move slowly and deliberately in the water—relax as you swim and take your time.
• Avoid using gloves in coral environments.
• Remember, look but don’t touch.
• Minimize Contact with Marine Life
• Never chase, harass or try to ride marine life.
• Never touch or handle marine life.

ONSHORE

• Support coral parks and other conservation projects
• Visit established coral parks and pay applicable user fees that support marine conservation.
• Encourage and support the use of boat moorings.
• Participate in local initiatives to monitor the marine environment
• Participate in cleanups.
• Make a donation or volunteer your skills to support a coral park. For example, you can participate in a reef survey, conduct outreach, or help educate others about reef conservation.
• Donate used equipment such as cameras, dive gear or reef identification books to local conservation groups
• Avoid purchasing souvenirs made from coral, turtles or other marine life—this is often illegal, and it’s never environmentally wise.

Be a Responsible Photographer

Photography and Videography

Divers need advanced diving skills to take pictures and video underwater.

Cameras and lights are cumbersome and affect a diver’s buoyancy and mobility in the water.

It is all too easy to touch and damage delicate marine life when concentrating on “the perfect shot”, so think before you take your camera.

Some conservation organizations (such as the Coral Reef Alliance) have photo banks of donated images from professional photographers that you can use to show your friends back home what you saw underwater.

Most importantly, speak up

Make sure your snorkeling/ diving buddies understand these simple but important practices.

Tell your chosen operator what they can do to improve if they are behaving in an environmentally unfriendly manner. It is up to us to spread the coral reef love!

For more information on responsible diving, or to download some beautiful underwater images, check out Coral Reef Alliance .

Illustrations courtesy of Grupo Intersectoriat Isla Cozumel

Here is a generalised account of diving character in the main areas that divers usually visit. 

Fiji Character Dive Map

By Helen Sykes

Pick your area…

North & West of Viti Levu

The Coral Coast, Mamanuca & Yasawa Islands

The best for casual and relatively new divers: easy diving, very few currents, schools of small colourful fish, most sites are relatively shallow (best diving generally in less than 50 feet/ 15 metres of water).

The Bigger Small Islands

Recommended for the more experienced divers who can handle currents and deeper diving at least some of the time: spectacular soft corals, pristine reef systems, and larger fish life.

• Taveuni for soft corals, swarming fish, rare critters, and intact ecosystems.
• Beqa for soft corals, rare critters, wrecks and shark feeding.
• Kadavu for walls and passages, healthy hard corals, manta rays and sharks.

Coral & crinoids by Cat Halloway

Central Waters

Some of the best and most varied diving in Fiji – most of these sites are quite far off shore. Mostly easy diving but many sites require careful planning due to tide dependent currents and depth.

Vatu-i-Ra Passage for spectacular walls, soft corals, schooling fish. Lomaiviti islands for passages with sharks, manta rays, and rare critters.

Southern Vanua Levu for walls and soft corals. Namena for absolutely everything concentrated into one package.

Northern Vanua Levu

Cakaulevu (The Great Sea Reef –the third longest barrier reef in the world!)

Dramatic outer walls and passages.

Limited fish life in some areas, and outer waters can be rough. Inner reef mangrove islands have poor visibility but extensive fish life of interest to specialists and ecologists.

Kia Island provides a good and sheltered bay to base while exploring.

The Eastern Archipelago

Lau Islands

Scattered islands with varied diving. Relatively easy conditions, but there are fewer well-known dive sites, so most is exploratory diving with some areas better than others.

Some areas are overfished while others are pristine.

Helen Sykes is a marine ecologist and dive instructor who has dived extensively across the Fiji islands for over 15 years. For more information see Marine Ecology.

Occasionally however, you may find yourself a little too close to an otherwise docile marine critter who may decide to launch a defensive attack, in which case, you might take a little wound away with you too!

The following are some of the potentially dangerous critters most commonly found in the waters around Fiji, how to avoid annoying them, and how to treat any injury they may inflict.

Some unlucky souls can have the misfortune of being highly allergic to the toxins that some of these wounds will contain, and reactions can be severe and sometimes life threatening, so it is always a good idea to carry a shot of epinephrine (adrenaline) and an oral antihistamine onboard.

Fire Coral

Fire Coral

Fire Coral is easily identifiable by its tan, mustard or brown color and finger-like columns with whitish tips that are covered by fine, hair-like spikes. Contact with Fire coral causes a burning sensation that lasts for several minutes and may produce red welts on the skin. But as we all take such great care while swimming near the reef, and of course, we NEVER touch the reef, we should all be fine!

Treatment

Do not rub the area, as you will spread the stinging particles. Cortisone cream can reduce the inflammation, and antihistamine cream is good for killing the pain. A doctor should treat serious stings.

Fiji’s Banded Sea Krait

Sea Snakes

Three species of sea snakes reside along Fiji’s rugged coastlines, where they come to the shore to rest. The highly venomous black and white banded sea snakes are often found along Fiji’s shores or in lagoons. They are usually docile and will not attack people unless they are severely provoked.

While their venom is 20 times stronger than any land snake, it is reported that that their little mouths are so small, they can only open wide enough to bite the webbing between a baby’ingers – not that we are game enough to test that theory mind you – so best s fjust to admire from a distance!

You may not know this, but a tiny mouth is also the reason one of the world’s deadliest spiders is so harmless to humans. Can you guess what it is? Yep, it’s the regular household daddy long legs!

Treatment

If you find your buddy in the predicament of having been nibbled by one of these slithery suckers, use a pressure bandage and immobilize the victim. Try to identify the snake, be prepared to administer CPR, and seek URGENT medical aid.

Lionfish

Stonefish, Lionfish & Scorpionfish

Stonefish, as well as scorpion fish and lionfish, can inject venom through their dorsal spines (the pointy spikes along their backs). Be careful, as these spines can penetrate booties, wetsuits and gloves, so to avoid injury, simply watch your step, and steer clear of these docile creatures.

Do not grab at the reef, even in strong current before having ‘wafted’ over the rock or dead coral you intend to touch (although we all know you should NEVER touch the reef – right!?!?!) as there may be a cunning little stonefish in camouflage!

Treatment

Soak the wound in non-scalding hot water (as hot as you can tolerate) as the heat should inactivate some of the venom. Administer pain medication if necessary and treat the wound with an antiseptic cream. Allergic victims who experience more serious problems such as convulsions or cardio respiratory failure should be transported to a hospital immediately. There is an antivenom available to help manage the sting of the dreaded stonefish. A scorpionfish sting can take months to heal and therefore should be attended to by a medical professional.

Moray Eel

Have you ever wondered what on earth the characters ‘Flotsum’ and ‘Jetsom’ from the popular Disney cartoon ‘The Little Mermaid’ were supposed to be?? Well, they were good old crevice loving Moray Eels! Distinguished by their long, thick, snake-like bodies and tapered heads, moray eels come in a variety of colors and patterns. Don’t feed them or put your hand in any dark holes along the reef – eels have the unfortunate combination of sharp teeth and poor eyesight and will bite if they feel threatened!

Treatment

If you’re bitten, don’t try to pull your hand away suddenly – the teeth slant backwards and are extraordinarily sharp. Let the eel release your hand and then surface slowly. Treat with antiseptics. Check your tetanus status (you never know who’s grotty little hand this sucker bit before you!) and if the wound gets red and angry looking, go visit a doctor as anti-biotics may be required.

Cone shell

Cone Shells

NEVER touch or pick up cone shells, no matter how pretty they are!

The little critter inside some of beautifully patterned shell can deliver a venomous sting that will cause numbness and can be followed by muscular paralysis or even respiratory paralysis and heart failure!

Tricky little thing!

Treatment

Immobilize the victim, apply a pressure bandage, be prepared to use CPR, and seek urgent medical aid.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish

Jellyfish sting by releasing stinging cells contained in their trailing tentacles. Stings are often just irritating, not too painful, but should be treated immediately with vinegar (as a general rule, the longer the jellyfish tentacles, the more painful the sting).

Although only occasionally encountered, the ‘Blue Bottle’, also known as the ‘Portuguese man-o-war’ can be found in the waters of Fiji and washed up along the beach just before Christmas. This beautiful blue critter likes to blend in with the blue of the ocean and bob along at the surface. Trailing along behind are very long (up to 10 meters!) tentacles that sting.

Sting symptoms range from a mild itch to intense pain, blistering, skin discoloration, shock, breathing difficulties and even unconsciousness. They are able to sting even when lying dead on the beach, so watch where you step if strolling along barefoot!

Treatment

Remove the tentacles with anything but your bare hands – preferably with tweezers. Do not rub the skin (even after tentacles have been removed) as more poison will be released. Rinse the area with sea water. Apply a decontaminant such as vinegar and seek immediate medical aid

Crown of Thorns

Crown-of-Thorns

This large sea star may have up to 23 arms, although 13 to 18 are more commonly observed. Body coloration can be blue, green or grayish with the spines tinted red or orange. The spines are venomous and can deliver a painful sting even if the animal has been dead for two or three days.

Also beware the toxic pincers between the spines, which can also cause severe pain upon contact.

Treatment

To treat stings, remove any loose spines, soak stung area in non-scalding hot vinegar or water for 30 to 90 minutes and seek medical aid. Neglected wounds may produce serious injury. If you’ve been stung before, your reaction to another sting may be worse than the first.

Triggerfish

Triggerfish

The ‘Titan’ triggerfish will usually swim along minding its own business, however, when building or guarding an egg nest, they can be extremely territorial and quite aggressive. If you get too close to the nest, you may get a warning nip!

A good warning sign for an imminent attack is the fish going on its side readying itself for the charge. Get your snorkel, dive gauge or something else pokey ready to wave in self-defense, and fin out of its space backwards watching the fish as you do.

Be careful as Triggerfish normally hit you once and then do a loop to come back at you again.

Treatment

Treatment If you do receive a nip from one of our toothy friends, scrub the cut clean with soap and water, and then flush the wound with large amounts of water. Apply antiseptic cream. If the would shows any sign of infection, seek medical assistance.

Shark

Sharks

Tropical shark attacks are VERY rare, we are not on their preferred food list and in fact, they don’t really like the taste of us at all – nevertheless, they do occasionally occur.

Sharks will generally not attack unless provoked, so don’t taunt, tease or feed them. Avoid spear fishing, carrying fish baits or mimicking a wounded fish(!?) and your likelihood of being attacked will generally diminish.

If you encounter a shark that seems a little too inquisitive, or aggressive, stay calm and still, face the shark until he leaves, but be prepared to push it away with your camera, snorkel, dive knife or tank – or if you are feeling really brave – your fist!

Treatment

If a shark does bite a fellow ocean goer, stop the bleeding and apply pressure to the wound while reassuring the patient, treat for shock and send for immediate medical help.

Sea urchin

Sea Urchin

There are a variety of sea urchins in Fiji. The type divers should especially avoid is the venomous spiny urchin. These are generally black and white or all black and have very long, brittle spines. The spines are the urchin’s most dangerous weapon, easily able to penetrate neoprene wetsuits, booties and gloves. Puncture wounds immediately cause throbbing pain.

Treatment

Carefully remove any visible spines – but since the spines may break off in the flesh, the wound should be monitored for infection. Treat minor punctures by soaking the wound in non-scalding hot water (as hot as you can tolerate) until the pain subsides. If the wound shows signs of infection, or for more serious injuries, seek medical attention.

Stingray

Stingray

The pain from a stingray wound can be excruciating, most wounds involve the feet and legs as ocean lovers wade barefoot in the shallows. Stingrays submerge themselves in the sand of the shallows and it is easy to accidentally tread on one who is just chillin’ out, minding it’s own business. It’s a good idea to shuffle your feet when wading along sandy shorelines to avoid such an encounter. A stingray does its damage by lashing upward in defense with its ‘tail’, which carries up to four sharp, sword like stingers. The stingers are venomous so the injury inflicted can be both deep and injected with venom.

Treatment

by Heidi Williams

Rinse the wound with clean water and immerse in non-scalding hot water (as hot as you can tolerate) for 30 to 90 minutes.

Extract any visible piece of stinger and scrub the wound with soap and water.

Administer pain medication (ask the stingray if he would like some too, as your foot stomping on his head may have given him a nasty headache!), apply a dressing and seek medical help.

by Heidi Williams-Moy | llustrations by James Keiaho