Acclaimed by many as the location of some of the world's best diving.
	Beqa Lagoon's diving is universally accepted as some of the best in the world. The fact that this superb diving is quite simply a geographic accident is amazing but true. The Pacific Ocean covers a staggering 103 million square miles and is the world's largest geographical feature, occupying one third of the globe. Fiji's 300-plus islands, scattered over 250,000 square miles of the Pacific, are located in the centre of this vast oceanic habitat. And Beqa Lagoon is located roughly in the centre of the group of islands.
	Now, it is also a fact that there is good diving, and there is average diving throughout Fiji. What makes some diving better than the rest? One word: Nutrients. And you can add one more factor: Protection from the elements. Coral reef life requires a constant supply of nutrients to stay alive and healthy. These nutrients are brought to the reef by winds and ocean currents. The problem is this: The very wind and wave action that brings the nutrients also brings, in Fiji, the great ocean swells - some without interruption from as far away as the Antarctic. Which is why some windward reefs in Fiji are in the right place to pick up all the nutrients, but still do not support the prolific growths of hard corals, soft corals and gorgonias (sea fans). If the reef IS open to the south-easterly trades, it's also open to the destructive swells. If the reef is in the protective "shadow" (i.e. the western or north-western side) of a large island, such as Viti Levu or Vanua Levu, however, the area in the lee of the island does not receive the nutrients, nor does it therefore support the prolific underwater life found in Beqa Lagoon.
	Beqa Lagoon's secret is its "accidental" location - and its shape. The lagoon is actually an extinct volcano crater, and the 40-mile ring reef has formed on the lip of the old crater. Click here to see map of Beqa Lagoon. The formation is located on the windward side of the main island of Viti Levu, and therefore receives the south-easterly trades and the nutrients the trades bring. But the windward side of the main, southern reef of the Lagoon is barren - just like much of the main reef running along the south side of Viti Levu - and for the same reason: Giant swells. A true Catch-22 situation. But Beqa Lagoon has an edge - it's a volcano crater, so it's a circle! While the southerly reef receives the constant battering of the prevailing swell, the NORTH-WESTERN side of the circle - adjacent not to Beqa Island but to Yanuca Island which is well to the west of Beqa - is well protected by the great southern reef, by the Lagoon itself, and by the islands in the Lagoon. Result? An area, albeit quite a small area, that is regarded as one of the greatest displays of soft corals and sea fans in the world. Fiji is called the "Soft Coral Capital of the World" mainly because of the corals of Beqa Lagoon. "The absolute diving Mecca. The richest coral growth I've ever seen" ... Michael Cufer
	The great Pacific Ocean directly to the south of the Beqa Barrier Reef is over 6,000 feet deep just a half mile off the reef. There is an average tidal set from east to west of 1/2 knot in this open ocean, and this tidal run constantly bathes the prolific reef growth in billions of tons of new seawater every day of the year. And the nutrients in this seawater wash over the Beqa Lagoon area creating and supporting the magnificent underwater life that is at its very best in a smallish area to the northwest of Yanuca Island, Beqa Divers' home! We know the fish by name - and there are so many of them, and so many coral heads, that you simply can't see it all. But Beqa Divers' experienced dive staff can make sure that you see the best of it - no matter what time you have available to explore. Jay, our legendary Divemaster, has over 9,000 dives in Beqa Lagoon. This means Jay and our experienced dive staff know the conditions; they know exactly where to find all the best underwater sites. Apart from its great underwater scenery, Beqa Lagoon has one other great attribute - easy access. Beqa Lagoon is situated off the South Coast of Fiji's Main Island (Viti Levu) at Pacific Harbour, just 150km by road from Nadi International Airport. It is also just 50km from Suva's airport at Nausori, into which international flights now arrive from Australia and New Zealand. This means that you do not have to lose a day at the start and end of your holiday "island hopping". Instead of arriving at Nadi at 9pm, overnighting at Nadi, then travelling on to another island the next day, you just motor on down to Pacific Harbour, and two hours later you reach your destination. And you're diving the next morning, instead of travelling! The combination of grandeur and convenience is unbeatable in the diving world. Enjoy!
	Home | Diving | Beqa Lagoon | Scuba School | Special Events | Where to Stay | Rates Scubahire Ltd/Beqa Divers Fiji GPO Box 777, Suva, Fiji Islands. Phone (679) 336 l088. Fax (679) 336 l047. Dave Evans 9969-246 Lorraine Evans 9927-770 e-mail: divefiji@connect.com.fj FIRST IN FIJI DIVING - ESTABLISHED 1970