Meeting the Fijian fishies (May 2/09 - Waya Lailai Island, Yasawa Islands, Fiji)

Fiji and diving go hand in hand, so we were understandably excited to get underwater. Jone, our Fijian divemaster, grabbed some gear for us and we headed out in their little open boat toward Kuata Island. We backrolled in at Check Point on the south side of the island, and looking over the side of the boat, you could easily see the bottom 50 feet below. The sandy bottom was dotted with corals and busy with reef fish, but once we rounded the corner onto the island's east side, the rugged volcanic rocks plunging into the ocean made for beautiful walls full of hard corals and sponges. We spotted some tiny nudibranchs, some new fish we'd never seen before like yellow lyre-tail blennies and a reticulated eyelash blenny. Several whitetip reef sharks made close passes to see what we were up to, one of which was about 6 feet long and mesmerizing to watch. We swam through some arches and tunnels carved out of the rock by the sea, ending our dive in the sparkling shallows right below the waiting boat. We might have to go elsewhere to see the soft coral Fiji is famous for, but this dive was certainly great and we wasted no time arranging an afternoon dive even before we reached the beach!

Between dives, Ken repaired the divemaster's computer for him so he wouldn't have to send it to Finland, we enjoyed some fresh trevally fillets for lunch, and we took the requisite swim, hammock, and nap before heading back to the dive boat. This time, we went around the corner east of our resort to Naquali Caves, where a twisting series of cracks and tunnels took us into the rock, with bright blue skylights and tunnels letting in plenty of daylight. After emerging back out into the open water, we made our way south, along a lava ridge that was covered in all sorts of corals and sponges. We found pipefish, pink anemonefish, hermit crabs, moray eels, and lots of the usual critters. Rumour has it that manta rays are back in the area early this season, so we're keeping our eyes peeled for a potential fly-by out in the blue.

After dinner, we were treated to some traditional Fijian dances performed by the staff, including war dances, spear dances, and lively harmonious songs done by the whole group of men and women. They're wonderful singers, and the energetic dances were fun to watch. The guys wore the traditional long grass skirts, patterned sashes, and vines wrapped around their ankles and wrists. Another beach bonfire followed the dancing, but we were tired and called it an early night.