We came on deck first thing this morning to a sparkling sea and a horizon decked with tropical islands. Since we arrived in Lautoka yesterday, the biggest port on the west side of Vitu Levu, we have been steaming east for the more remote, outer islands. We are in the narrows between Taveuni, “The Garden Island,” to starboard and a peninsula of Vanua Levu, the second largest to the north. Scattered seabirds were fishing over the current streams between the islands: tropicbirds, sooty terns, shearwaters, and both Tahiti and collared petrels. We are blessed today with lighter winds and a choice of sheltered bays, so we seek a haven among the maze of coral reefs in this far corner of Fiji.
By way of an introduction to the geography, culture and customs of Fiji, Mike gave an entertaining talk called “Bula!” (the emphatic greeting with which locals hail all visitors). Divers then met with Erin and Paul in the lounge to discuss safety procedures, followed mid-morning by a talk on protocols for Zodiac operations, kayaking and snorkeling. Straight after this our eager frogmen and frogwomen stormed Deck 6 to choose masks, snorkels, rash vests, flotation devices and wet suits in a quest for the perfect fit. Business was brisk, and we managed to satisfy most customers before an early lunch call.
No rest for the wicked! By 1330 the first Zodiacs were headed inshore packed with the vivid black, yellow, blue, and purple livery of committed snorkelers. Kayaks had been set up ashore under the tall coconut palms for paddlers, divers were soon no more than rising bubbles, folk enjoyed a swim in the shallows, and the GBZ (“glass bottomed Zodiac”) patrolled the reef edge with its blue window on the wonderful world of coral. Drifting with engines off, to the sounds of forest bird calls wafting over the water, we skirted mangroves, circled coral heads, and gazed in awe upon electric blue damselfish, darting surgeons, elegantly plumed Moorish Idols, the sluggish silhouettes of sea cucumbers, the dread crown-of-thorns starfish, the wavy smile of giant clams, and tall orange sponge chimneys. It was clear from coral debris that this reef has been pummeled by a cyclone in the last couple of years, but fresh coral growth shows that the reef is recovering well from the onslaught. We were delighted to see a young hawksbill turtle right beneath the Zodiac, a special treat capped only by the arrival (announced by the ringing of a Zodiac bell) of Magnum ice creams, probably one of the rarest species on any tropical reef, and unsurprisingly, rapidly extinct.
