Bligh Water & Vatu-i-Ra · Fiji · Seamount · Wall · Pelagic & blue water
Mount Mutiny
A Chironephthya soft-coral wall on a 2,000 m seamount
Mount Mutiny, also indexed as Hi8, is a seamount four miles from E-6 and a good deal smaller, rising from over 2,000 m to within a metre of the surface — parts of the top break the surface at low tide. Its south flank is blanketed in thin-stalked Chironephthya soft coral in a broad range of colours, and the rainbow wall, on the western side, is what most divers come for.
Also known as Mt Mutiny, Hi8.
Where it is and how deep
17.3445° S, 178.5292° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Everything here happens on an isolated mount in open water: the boat sits over a summit that comes to within a metre of the surface, and the dive starts on top of the rock rather than on a reef. How much of that shallow top is usable depends on the tide, since parts of the summit break the surface on a low. Below you the wall drops past anything recreational — the mount rises from over 2,000 m — so a dive here works its upper reaches rather than descending it.
The dive is about the coral. A wall of unusual thin-stalked Chironephthya in a broad range of colours blankets the south flank of the pinnacle, and the rainbow wall, the face the site is known for, is on the western side. NAI'A, which found the seamount, rates it as one of the single prettiest soft-coral dives anywhere, and the wall is the reason the boat comes back rather than any one animal.
Fish life is much like E-6's, by the account of the operator that dives both: barracuda and trevally schooling over the mount, with hammerheads and eagle rays occasional. Because the shallowest ground is the summit itself, the last part of the dive is spent on top of the pinnacle rather than in open water, which is also where the light is best on the coral.
Background
The name carries two mutinies. Captain Bligh charted the seamount as he passed nearby shortly after the mutiny on the Bounty, and the passengers on a NAI'A charter threatened a mutiny of their own unless they were allowed to dive it again and again. Rob, of NAI'A, had found both Mount Mutiny and E-6 from the air, chartering a private plane to scout potentially good dive areas in waters not normally frequented by boats.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Hammerheads
- Eagle rays
- Pristine corals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Bligh Water & Vatu-i-Ra: Apr–Oct is the dry season with the best visibility; Nov–Mar is warmer but brings cyclone risk and rougher crossings.
Know before you go
- Parts of the summit break the surface at low tide, so the shallow top is awash rock in surge — surface well clear of the pinnacle and work the top to the briefing.
- The mount stands alone with its base beyond 2,000 m; there is no bottom reference off the wall, so keep the rock in sight for the whole dive.
Dive videos
Blacktip Reef Shark at Mount Mutiny - Fiji · deslyn7 on YouTube
Mount Mutiny · DiveLegendsFiji on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Mount Mutiny?+
The pinnacle rises from over 2,000 m to 1 m below the surface, with parts of the top breaking the surface at low tide, so the dive works the upper part of the mount.
What is the rainbow wall?+
It is the western side of Mount Mutiny and the highlight of the site. The south flank of the same pinnacle carries a wall of thin-stalked Chironephthya soft coral in a broad range of colours.
Sources
- Mount Mutiny (Hi8) — Scubago
- Where are Fiji's Best Dive Sites? — NAI'A Liveaboard
- Bligh Water Dive Sites — Volivoli Beach Resort / Ra Divers
In The Logbook
- When and where to dive with hammerheadsBig animals · 16 min read
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