Our destination for the day was Kadavu Island in Fiji. Our expedition leader and the ship’s captain found a great location north of Kadavu, close to the smaller, neighboring island of Ono. As is customary in Fiji, expedition leader Alex went over to the local village and asked for permission to visit the region. After the customary greeting was finished, we were granted permission to visit a small island. We couldn’t get off our Zodiacs since it’s a conservation reserve, but we drove very close to the island to observe the resident red-footed boobies. In another area, we went snorkeling off the reef. Our first visit certainly did not disappoint. For many of us, seeing red-footed boobies was a first. The different plant life and the fringing coral reef were stunning.
We returned to the ship for lunch and a short rest. Before long, we headed out to get in the water. The expedition team scouted the area and found a reef teeming with life. We entered and exited the water from the snorkel platform, and we found an array of coral and reef fish.
Our fantastic day ended with a beautiful dinner.
