Fiji

Two weeks dive safari on the boat NAI'A cruising around the islands of Fiji. The reefs around the main island Viti Levu are very fine. Wonderful reefs with many colourful hard and soft corals. We even saw humpback whales but they were not interested in diving with us. Have also a look at the pictures I shot above water. First we booked a ten day humpback whale safari in Tonga on this boat and planned the whole trip around it. But then the NA'A did not get a permission for 2010 from the government of Tonga. Instead they offered a two week explorer tour around the Lau group in the east of Fiji. Last year Humpback whale sightings were reported there. Not so long time ago there were a lot of humpback whales around Fiji. But then they got hunted and either extinct or moved to Tonga where they didn't get killed. In January 2010 a strong cyclone crossed the Lau group and destroyed a lot of reefs. We've seen the rubble. Other reefs are almost dead due to coral bleaching and covered with algae. There are also not many fish around Lau. The more distant from the main island, the more Korean and Japanese ships are fishing illegally there.