Pacific Islands · Fiji
Yasawa Islands
Uncrowded volcanic-island reefs with mantas from May to October
Photo: Rickard Törnblad · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Yasawa Islands are a chain of volcanic islands in western Fiji, dived from resort dive shops that each run their own boats to uncrowded reefs a short ride away. The ground is walls, coral gardens, swim-throughs and two scuttled longliners, the Glory and the Navigator, with reef sharks, turtles and eagle rays on the typical dives. Most dives sit between 3 and 28 m, and manta rays come through from May to October.
About diving in Yasawa Islands
Diving here is run from the island resorts themselves. Each dive shop keeps its own boats and guides, and the sites lie between 3 and 25 minutes out, so a day is built from short hops: one shop goes out at 9 am, 11 am and 3 pm, another runs single or two-tank trips each morning and afternoon, with night dives on request. Dives are guided and boat-based, though shore dives can be arranged and some house reefs start from the beach. All divers need travel insurance that covers scuba.
Under the water the islands give walls, coral gardens, swim-throughs and caves. Walls such as Garden of Eden slope from 3 m into the blue, and the gorgonian fans on them hold pulsing shoals of anthias and fusiliers. The two wrecks are Chinese longline fishing vessels that were waiting in Suva harbour to be scrapped in February 2016. Turtles and whitetip reef sharks are a good chance on the reefs, blacktips and grey reefs turn up on some sites and bull sharks come in at the shark feed.
The Yasawas suit divers who want reef diving without a crowd of boats, and those staying at one resort for several days, since a single resort can reach more than 40 sites. New divers have plenty to do, with shallow walls, the Glory and courses at the resorts. Currents run from mild to strong depending on the site, so divers comfortable drifting get more out of walls such as Sea Fan City, and the Navigator's 32 m depth keeps it for advanced divers. Mixed groups with snorkellers do well, as some islands have reef right off the beach.
Best time to dive Yasawa Islands
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
The resort boats run all year, and the year splits into two halves. From May to October the manta ray season is on, and June to August brings the clearest water of the year along with the coolest, around 23°C (73°F). November to March is the low season, with dives still going out three times a day; December to February is the warmest stretch, reaching about 30°C (86°F). Visibility ranges from 10 to 40 m across the year.
Dive types & marine life
Manta rays are seen from May to October. Whitetip reef sharks and turtles are a good chance on ordinary reef dives, with blacktips and grey reef sharks at some sites, and bull sharks are the point of the shark feed. Eagle rays and nudibranchs round out the reefs, and anthias and fusiliers shoal around the fans.
- Reef
- Wall
- Wreck
- Night
- Manta rays
- Bull sharks
- Reef sharks
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
- Nudibranchs
- Reef fish swarms
Best dive sites in Yasawa Islands
- 1
Glory wreck
Scuttled Chinese longliner to 24 m, ten minutes south of Barefoot Manta, suitable for all levels.
- 2
Sea Fan City
Drift along a wall from 3 to 28 m covered in sea fans, near Kuata.
- 3
The Awakening Bull Shark Dive
Shark feed on a reef from 3 to 22 m, with feeding stations at 12 m and 22 m.
- 4
Garden of Eden
Sloping wall from 3 to 18 m, dropping to 30 m in places.
- 5
Navigator wreck
The second longliner, ten minutes west of Barefoot Manta, at 32 m for advanced divers.
- 6
Pandora Reef
Reef from 3 to 15 m with swim-throughs and caves.
- 7
Mantaray House Reef
Shore dive straight off the beach at Mantaray Island Resort.
- 8
Caves of Babylon
Cave dive where light plays through the interior.
Site guides
Wall
A short-hop wall on the west side of Kuata Island
Coral garden
Coral bommies and a coral nursery off the resort beach
Wall
Swim-throughs and caves along a winding wall
Pinnacle
A lone coral tower rising from a sandy base at 30 m
Wall
A drift along a wall carpeted in sea fans
Wall
Reef sharks at cleaning stations on a fan-coral wall
How to get to Yasawa Islands
The Yasawa Flyer ferry runs from Port Denarau near Nadi up through the chain and is the main way in. Seaplanes make several flights a day to the Yasawa resorts, and charters are available. The dive shops are inside the resorts, so the resort chosen decides the dive base.
Photos from Yasawa Islands
Debra Baker · CC BY 4.0
Magpie372 · CC BY-SA 2.0
User:Doron · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Bull Shark in Fiji, The Awakening Shark Dive in the Yasawa · TheBarefootCollection on YouTube
Spectacular Diving at Barefoot Manta - Yasawa Islands, Fiji · Neil Carter on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When can manta rays be seen in the Yasawa Islands?+
The manta season runs from May to October. June to August, inside that window, also has the clearest water of the year.
How do divers get to the Yasawa Islands?+
The Yasawa Flyer ferry from Port Denarau near Nadi is the main route, and seaplanes make several flights a day to the resorts. The dive shops are part of the resorts, so divers book the resort and dive from it.
Can new divers dive the Yasawa wrecks?+
The Glory, at 24 m, is suitable for all levels. The Navigator lies at 32 m and is kept for advanced divers or those doing their advanced course.
Is dive insurance needed in the Yasawas?+
Yes. Resort dive shops require valid travel insurance that specifically covers scuba diving, so check the policy before arriving at the islands.
Sources
- Fiji Diving | Barefoot Manta Island Resort — Barefoot Manta Island Resort
- Diving In Fiji - Mantaray Island Resort — Mantaray Island Resort
- Dive | Blue Lagoon Beach Resort — Blue Lagoon Beach Resort
- Yasawa Islands — Wikipedia
- Yasawa Islands — Wikivoyage
- Sea Fan City — Scubago
- The Awakening Bull Shark Dive — Scubago
- Pandora Reef — Scubago
- Mantaray House Reef — Dive Planit
Photo credits
- A whitetip reef shark swims over a shallow reef of rounded boulder corals in clear blue water by Rickard Törnblad, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Three yellow fish with black vertical bars swim along a heavy algae-covered chain in open blue water by Debra Baker, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A small rocky islet topped with green scrub sits in calm blue sea under a partly cloudy sky by Magpie372, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- A steep rocky peak above a curving bay with a white sand beach, shallow turquoise reef and dry grass in front by User:Doron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
Run a dive centre, club or blog? Embed this map of 6 dive sites near Yasawa Islands on your own page.
Similar destinations
_-_August_2016.jpg){kind=link}
Wrecks from two wars touching in Apra Harbor, plus the Blue Hole sinkhole
Pacific Islands
Port Vila & Efate
Vanuatu
A tall, narrow cavern and several wrecks a short boat ride from the capital
Pacific Islands
Tahiti & Teahupo'o
French Polynesia
Grey, lemon and blacktip reef sharks at La Vallée Blanche
Pacific Islands
Majuro & Mili
Marshall Islands
Ride a channel that flushes a forty-kilometre lagoon on the tide