Beqa Lagoon is located off the southern side of the main Fijian
BAD operate two dive boats, ‘Hunter’ and Predator’ that are fast and comfortable for dive trips to Beqa Lagoon. The staff from BAD are well organised and very professional, once we gave them our dive gear we virtually didn’t touch it again for the rest of the week, it was set-up for us on the boat each day and washed and put away after the dives – great service.
Our first reef dives were at Combe Reef on the wonderful hard coral gardens at this site. Diving in October the water temperature was a lovely 26C degrees, while the visibility was superb, 30m plus. We descended to 15m, and slowly followed the guides from BAD as we encountered abundant reef fish, nudibranchs and other invertebrates. There was plenty to photograph, with two large moray eels holding our attention for a while. At the end of the dive we moved into shallow water to investigate a series of ledges and caves. These were lined with colourful sponges and soft corals, and home to squirrelfish and lionfish. This was not rushed diving, we were down for over an hour until our air supply got down to 50 bar.
The next day we were off to Shark Reef, which BAD dive three to four times a week. In 1998, local dive operators started dumping fish scraps on a reef to see if they could attract a few sharks. They got permission from the local villages to use Shark Reef for this experiment, as it had a lot of dead coral from coral bleaching. For several months they regularly dropped the fish scraps on the same site before they decided to have a look and see what they had attracted.
Chief shark feeders Manasa ‘Papa’ and Rusiate ‘Rusi’ told us about that first dive, and how they were amazed by the number of sharks swarming around, especially bull sharks. Over the next few months Papa and Rusi started to feed the sharks and teach them some manners. Three feeding platforms and viewing areas were built, so they could feed different sharks at each location. After several more months everything was ready to take paying customers to safely see the sharks being fed. It didn’t take long for word to get out and for Shark Reef to become the most popular shark dive in the world.
BAD have a perfect safety record with their shark feeds. They give a full briefing prior to the shark feed, on what will happen and what to expect, they also lay down a couple of simple rules. Everyone in full wetsuits, everyone wears black gloves, no snorkels, no hand waving and hang onto your camera - as they can quickly disappear if floating around, eaten by one of the giant trevally!
Our first dive at Shark Reef had outstanding conditions, flat seas and 30m plus visibility. The first feed is at 30m, and as soon as we entered the water we could see masses of fish swarming under the boat, plus several reef sharks below. We headed down to 30m to the viewing area and then watched one of the feeders bringing down a bin full of fish heads, tails and frames. You could hardly see him, or the bin, as he was being circled by a whirlpool of hundreds of giant trevally, red bass, fusiliers, rainbow runners and surgeonfish, plus one huge
With everyone in place and the bin o
n the bottom, the lid was
opened to feed this overwhelming mass of fish. The first to be fed was the
groper, who quickly swallowed several fish heads, taking off with one. Then the
giant trevally and red bass charged in for food, fighting with each other for
scraps.In the background we could see half a dozen bull sharks cruising about, occasionally one would charge in to pick up a scrap that escaped the fish. Tawny nurse sharks, lemon sharks and silvertip sharks regular appear at this feed, but we didn’t see any during our stay. After 17 minutes the food was gone and it was time to move up to 10m, where the reef sharks get fed.
Papa was up there waiting for us with several dozen grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks and black tip reef sharks milling around him. Papa informed us that this is the most difficult feed, as he can have a dozen sharks charging at the bait at one time. With everyone situated along the coral wall we watched Papa for 20 minutes as he hand fed the reef sharks.
This was spectacular shark action, but getting photos was a challenge, the sharks were performing well, but at times it was hard to see them with the schools of sergent majors milling about. The sharks were coming within inches of our heads. Papa had more of a handful with white tip reef sharks squirming between his legs and grey reef sharks zooming in from several directions at once. The black tip reef sharks were very shy and didn’t feed, but a large moray eel slipped in to take some food.
During the shark feed there are around a dozen BAD staff in the water, either feeding or as safety divers. At no time do you feel threatened by the sharks, which all know the routine, this is a very professional operation with safety the number one concern.
For the second dive it was down to 15m for the bull shark feed. We were diving Shark Reef in October, the end of the bull shark season when they depart for two to three months to breed, but we still had around a dozen bull sharks in attendance. After all the frenetic pace of the reef shark feed, the bull shark feed was more subdue, but no less exciting.
These bull sharks are huge, 2.5m to 3m long and stocky. However, the crew from BAD informed us that these were the small ones, and we should see the big ones that come in after the breeding season. Rusi was feeding the bull sharks, which are much more well-mannered than the reef sharks, coming in from the left as trained and then exiting on the right. It was an impress sight seeing these large sharks feed so gently from Rusi’s hand. The food and bottom time went all too quickly and we returned to the boat impressed with Shark Reef.
Pearl Rock was our next reef dive and it was just magic. This site has several coral heads rising from 25m that swarm with fish life. Hunting fish with our cameras we had no shortage of subjects – parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, hawkfish, wrasse, hogfish, grubfish, rock cods, damsels, squirrelfish and the list could go on and on. The corals here were wonderful, sea whips, gorgonians and especially the array of soft corals. It is easy to see why Beqa Lagoon has been called ‘the soft coral capital of the world’.
As we slowly navigated the reef we found nudibranchs, sea stars, featherstars, lionfish, anemonefish and masses of fairy basslets. But the standout feature was two blue ribbon eels. Common in Bega Lagoon, these slender eels are fascinating to watch and tiny, you would probably swim straight passed them if not for the keen eyes of the BAD guides. Our second dive at Pearl Rock was just as good with juvenile white tip reef sharks and a cute leopard blenny performing for our cameras.
The next day the visibility was back to 20m, and we had a chance to explore a fascinating wreck. In the 1990s four 33m long Taiwanese long line fishing vessels were scuttled in Beqa Lagoon as artificial reefs. The Tasu II was the first of these ships that we explored. The ship sitting in 26m of water at a wonderful dive site called Seven Sisters.
The ship rests on a rubble bottom, which is where we headed first – finding a colony of garden eels, shrimp gobies, sea stars and nudies. But the best find was a tiny octopus strolling over the bottom. With paisley patterns on its skin, this unusual octopus was like nothing we had ever seen before and consulting cephalopod experts it appears to be a new species.
We then moved onto the ship, checking out the prop, cabins and holds. This is one colourful ship with a profusion of sea whips, gorgonians and soft corals adorning every fitting. Exploring the
wreck we encountered a
dragonet, nudies, a variety of reef fish and an elusive longnose hawkfish. After
20 minutes on the wreck we then moved on to explore the coral gardens at Seven
Sisters. This reef is exceptionally colourful with an abundance of gorgonians
and soft corals, and the usual population of reef fish.Another colourful ship sunk in Beqa Lagoon is the Achi Maru, which sits in 30m. While swimming around this ship we encountered trevally, fusiliers, garden eels and a range of reef fish. I would have loved to have the wide angle lens on for this colourful wreck, but had put on the macro lens as the wreck sits right next to Carpet Cove, the best critter site in Beqa Lagoon. In no time at all we had seen leaf scorpionfish, crinoid clingfish, shrimps, gobies, nudies, blennies and several blue ribbon eels. A second dive at this site was just as good with batfish, Spanish mackerel and a small green turtle.
Our final reef diving saw us exploring another great collection of bommies at a site known as ET. The main pinnacle rises from 20m to 2m and is decorated with exquisite corals – gorgonians, sea whips, sponges, ascidians and especially soft corals. Our BAD guides led us to a long cave that cuts right through the bommie and is packed full of wonderful corals. The fish life at this site was incredible; trevally, fusiliers, rainbow runners, fairy basslets, clown triggerfish, moray eels, lionfish, squirrelfish and hawkfish to name just a few. We found an octopus and several long-nose hawkfish, but the highlight was a flashing file shell hidden amongst the soft corals.
Our last Shark Reef day came all too quick. For the first dive Papa did a third feed for the black tip reef sharks at 4m on the top of the reef. It was great fun watching a dozen zippy black tips as they munched on the food, but hard to know which way to point the camera with so much action.
The final dive was the bull shark feed and again around a dozen bull sharks were coming in for the food. After ten minutes we heard a sound from a safety diver and turned to see a white shape behind all the fish. This white shape kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. It was Scarface, the resident 4.5m long tiger shark, and was she an amazing sight!
Scarface makes an appearance about once a week and when she comes into feed the bull sharks hang in the background, you couldn’t blame them as was twice as big. Scarface slowly swam straight up to Rusi and opened her giant mouth, allowing him to drop in the food. After getting a piece of food she then slowly cruised over the watching divers, the first time just a foot above our heads!
It was quite a sight to see this huge tiger shark slowly cruising around like a submarine, either coming in for food or checking out the divers. At one stage she did a drive by, coasting by all the assembled divers. For close to 30 minutes we watched this massive shark feed with awe. We surfaced with a huge smile, what a way to end a week of great diving.
With its fabulous reefs, wrecks, marine life and sharks, Beqa Lagoon is not only the best all round dive destination in Fiji, but one of the best in the world.