Viani Bay, Vanua Levu, Fiji
06/17/2008 - 06/28/2008
Taryn on Waterdragon snapped this photo of Whisper on our way into Viani Bay.
In Fiji for over a month with nary a dive, we are anxious to get in the water to see what the Rainbow Reef and the Somosomo Strait have to offer. At one time, Fiji diving ranked some of the best in the world.
Unfortunately, powerful cyclone Ami hit in 2003 and many of the reefs suffered as a result of breaking waves and storm surge. Although our snorkeling experience has been good in a few areas, we've found a lot of broken and dead coral in many areas. Although the deeper coral is healthy, much of the light and color is filtered at the greater depths. In this log, we only show healthy bits of the reef. Because this area is primarily a diving destination for us, you'll find much of the photos are underwater subjects!
The Somosomo Strait lies between Taveuni Island and Vanua Levu islands along the southeast coast of Vanua Levu.
On the topic of underwater photos, the new Canon Digital Elph 870 IS camera and matching underwater housing are great! It turns out Duncan's new underwater photography hobby is great fun and anyone can do it with the new (relatively) inexpensive digital technology. Yes, you can still spend thousands if you want awesome quality, but even an inexpensive unit can produce some fairly nice shots.
Arriving in Viani Bay, we anchored away from the other boats in the anchorage. Not that we are unsociable, but the two main moorings near Jack Fischer's house were both taken. A better, more protected, and more picturesque area is across the bay, so that is where we ended up. Jack is the resident cruiser-guide and his services are available for a minimal charge (usually $10 FJD) for each service. Services include garbage disposal/burning, laundry, guided tramping, and guided snorkeling and diving tours on the reef ($10 FJD per person, using your boat/dinghy/fuel and gear).
Our primary objective in Viani Bay is diving. Although there are a few small settlements here, you do not have to do the sevusevu with a village chief, and it is fairly relaxed with the locals. It is okay to sit for weeks and no one will bother you. On the other hand, you are welcome ashore — especially if you bring some kava along. The nice island we anchored off is owned by Willie Smith. We took Willie some kava and he welcomed us to come ashore anytime, but in the first week we were there, Willie's father (in his 90's) died. The pre-funeral activities, feast, and funeral went on for five days. We did not go ashore to visit Willie during this family time.
We motorsailed around the outside of the reef to come into Viani Bay. Although there is an inside passage and it would knock an hour off the trip, the nerve-wracking nature of the inner passage influenced us to spend the extra hour. What, are we on a schedule?
We passed this impressive setting on the point near Viani Bay thinking this was a nice boutique resort. Later, we learned this was "Bob's house". This is the reportedly the Bob of Roberto's Jewelers (never heard of it) in the USA and this is his family retreat.
In addition to Bob's huge main house pictured here, each of Bob's kids (now adult) has their own beach bure and the beautiful chapel up the hill is for their wedding ceremonies. Sweet deal.
This nook in Viani Bay will be our base for the next two weeks.
Willie Smith's family lives on this island/peninsula in the middle of Viani Bay. It's a beautiful setting. Taveuni Island sits enshrouded in clouds in the distance.
Unfortunately, these giant mud wasps came out after the rain and tried to set up shop inside Whisper's mast and boom. Duncan and Robin are not good with giant insects. What a couple of wimps we are! It doesn't help when they dive-bomb our faces (while dangling their long hairy legs and aiming their huge venomous stingers right at our eyeballs). Okay, so maybe they're actually harmless.
The next week or so of diving will be made even easier with a morning shuttle to the dive shop. Captain Apex, the local Fijian dive boat skipper lives in Viani Bay and commutes daily (with the dive boat) to his job at the Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat. He picks up divers from their yachts in Viani Bay on any day we want to go diving (and there is room on the boat).
The Dolphin Bay Divers Retreat is tucked in behind this beach on Dolphin Bay -- two bays around to the east from Viani Bay. it's about a 10 minute boat ride from Viani Bay to the retreat, then only 3-10 minutes from the retreat to any point on the Rainbow Reef.
Robin is excited to be on her first dive in about three years. Duncan did some scallop diving near the Great Mercury Island, New Zealand 6 months ago, but the water was very cold and the fun factor was low because the dive was all about hunter-gathering.
The dive shop at the Dolphin Bay Dive Retreat. Small but functional. Rental gear available. We brought all our own gear with the exception of tanks. It is $130 FJD (~$80 USD) per person for a 2-tank dive including the filled tank rental. This is a great deal.
Although confident there is a $50 book out there on Fiji dive sites, this one was cheap-and-easy. Although we could use it for a reference for our own dives, it turns out local knowledge is critical for finding the best diving in the area. Currents, visibility, and swell/surge influence the best sites at any given time, but as we later learn, sometimes even the locals get it wrong.
This tiny compressor is called upon to fill about 20 tanks a day. It's not much bigger than most yacht dive compressors, but it does the job.
Our first dive on the "Fish Factory" dive site brings us to a colorful soft coral growing right on the mooring tire.
Since this is Robin's first dive in a while, the dive master Roland (right) takes Robin (left) as a buddy. When we say "takes" — he took her arm and dragged her along on the dive. Robin had trouble equalizing when descending, then was coughing at the end of the dive and during ascent. Unfortunate timing for a sinus infection to rear its phlegmy head.
Robin briefly escapes Roland's grasp to look around and enjoy the scenery.
Although there is a lot of dead coral in the shallows, the deeper coral heads looks very healthy.
Our first Lionfish generated lots of excitement. We would see a few more in subsequent dives.
A school of Schooling Bannerfish. That's really what they're called!
Another pretty coral head on the "Jerry's Jelly" dive site.
These soft corals under the ledge on "The Ledge" dive site were nice and worth a photo.
This lumbering sea cucumber doesn't look like an Asian delicacy.
The steep slope of healthy coral on Jerry's Jelly.
Lots of fish.
A Titan Triggerfish. This monster one was almost 2 feet long.
This Whitetip Reef Shark had little interest in a batch of divers. Later speculation was she was pregnant. So much for the old-wive's tale that sharks must always keep swimming, this one is enjoying a nice nap.
This mini wall on Jerry's Jelly is very nice.
Good color and soft corals on the reef.
This Lionfish isn't interested in smiling for the camera. Maybe they point their tails at possible threats (and photographers), knowing the poisonous fin spines will deter anyone from touching them.
The boat on the surface 40 feet above gives an idea of the visibility. It's a little murky, but we get anywhere from 40 to 100 feet of visibility depending on the site.
Barb and Robin take a stroll down the beach at Dolphin Bay looking for shells.
At the end of a diving day, we head back to the boats in Viani Bay.
Duncan's second diving day and first dive of the day on "The Ledge" dive site. Robin is aggressively treating a sinus infection and unfortunately does not make the next several dives.
Found Nemo! Love those Anemonefish.
The coral slope on The Ledge dive.
A nice coral head on The Ledge dive.
Pretty colors and decent visibility.
Near the end of the dive, a squall hit the boats above. They powered into the building wind and three foot waves while we looked around and waited in the tranquility below.
The afternoon dive on the second day took us to the "Coral Garden" dive site. Visibility was a bit disappointing, but there was lots of interesting smaller stuff to see.
Like this Featherduster on a coral head.
And a mushroom-like soft coral and anemone.
And this cool looking soft coral ball.
And these cute little "Humbug Dacyllus". Please note, we only know the fish names because of the excellent new book, "Reef Fish Identification - Tropical Pacific" (www.fishid.com). Duncan's one college semester as a Marine Bio major was insufficient to impart this knowledge.
If you look carefully for the crescent buried in the middle of this colorful live rock, you can see a scallop.
The soft corals in the Coral Garden were nice.
This Basketstar got passed around. Hope we didn't stress him out too much.
More colorful stuff.
This variety of soft coral turns color if you touch it. Here is the "before touch" photo.
And here is the "after touch" photo. One small tickle and the whole organism turns white — probably a defensive reaction to a predator.
More soft corals in the Coral Garden.
This pink finger of soft coral was interesting.
For a shallower dive site, much of the coral is still in fairly good condition. Only some of the surface coral was broken by the 2003 cyclone Ami.
Although we tried to convince this Octopus to come out to play, he was too shy. or he thought he might end up as dinner.
Our last view of the Coral Garden. We tried to dive this site alone from the dinghy, but Robin's sinuses still proved troublesome and we ended the dive after 20 minutes. The remainder of Duncan's tank was used to clean Whisper's hull and replace her prop zinc.
On the second dive on The Ledge, the visibility was even better, but the current was MUCH stronger. Fighting the surge and current, Duncan went through his entire tank of air in about 38 minutes.
This mini starfish was kinda cute.
Decent visibility, but everyone is working hard against the current.
This is a coral head on "Annie's Bommies", the afternoon dive site.
More Ledge.
More Annie's Bommies.
And another Common Lionfish. Again, he wasn't interested in facing the camera.
Duncan's first sea snake sighting since Niue.
This soft coral bouquet on Annie's Bommies is a good example of why they call it "Rainbow Reef". All the colors of the rainbow might be in this one clump of soft coral.
We took a nice walk after lunch at Dolphin Bay until the beach ended at a rocky point.
Robin finds some cool shells.
As we strolled back to the retreat at low tide.
This is the main building (office, restaurant, and bar at the Dolphin Bay Dive Retreat.
And this is one of the bures to stay in at the resort.
The beds look comfy in their bedroom nook and have a mosquito screen over them.
Here is a new bure under construction. The floors are just vinyl-covered hard-packed sand.
This tent cabin is another accommodation option, but the new bures will replace the tent cabins.
Two of the four+ resident kittens. There are just as many dogs as well. All seem well spoiled and most are very friendly.
On the lot next door, you have the horses (for carting copra) and the pig sty too. No worries, it is well away from the retreat.
Since Robin did not get to do much diving, she still took it as an opportunity to relax, kick back, have a latte, and do some reading while Duncan went diving.
Jack Fischer, the local yacht-friendly guide, has seven yacht logs of boats that have visited over the last 40+ years. This log from 2001 onward has logged many yachts we have known over the last several years. We found several friends entries including this entry by friends Scott and Nancy formerly owners of the yacht Apsara.
With all this relaxing, reading, diving, snorkeling, and a few lazy days to spare, it's time for a comprehensive website update.
It's now Saturday the 28th of June and we are wrapping up the website update as well as our time in Viani Bay. The plan is to head back to Savusavu in the next couple of days (weather permitting) to get ourselves organized. This will mean provisioning, laundry, internet, a bit of "civilization", socializing with friends, picking up mail and boat parts, boat repairs, and general sorting out.
After Savusavu, we plan to make our way back down to the Mamanuca group including the Musket Cove area. There are 44 dive sites in that area and by then, Robin's sinus and ear issues should be cured. In addition, Duncan's windsurfing needs some serious improvement. We will stay in the Mamanuca area until early September, then move on toward Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and eventually Australia, ending this great cruising adventure in November 2008.