Taveuni Dive Sites

Taveuni is the Soft Coral capital of the world

With over 40 dive sites accessible from Paradise, you will find something for every type of diver – from beginner to advanced.

The following dive sites are visited on a regular basis by our Paradise divers and we are discovering more all the time.

For your convenience, we have classified our dive sites into levels of experience.

Level 1: Beginner diver. Maximum depth 18 metres, gentle with no current

Level 2: Intermediate diver, depths range from 20-25 metres, some current, some surface waves at times

Level 3: Advanced diver, depths up to 30 metres, expect current and exposed surface conditions at times

Our shore dives, directly off the Paradise oceanfront, are spectacular. Shore diving is FREE in Paradise when you take any Pro Dive Package.

Paradise Reef. (shore / house reef) Level 1
This is the reef located right in front of Paradise. In one direction, it is a labyrinth of lava flow covered in stunning hard and soft corals, swarming in tropical reef species, shallow and bright – a photographers dream! In the other is a fantastic training site with a variety of terrain to make the most of your learning experience. We utilise this site for our night diving and you can snorkel it any time during your stay. All our local species are represented here and the colours are stunning.

Dolphin Bay is a secluded and protected bay and just a 2 minute boat ride north of Paradise Taveuni resort.

Multitudes of tropical fish are found in Paradise

Dolphin Bay. Level 1

Located just a bay over, this drift dive is on the island wall. Resident Eels and lionfish make this a popular dive. Large fish like snapper and trevally make regular appearances adding spectacle to one of our favourite sites.

Coral Gardens. Level 1
Nicknamed Nirvana and only a few minutes by boat from the Resort, this is one of our best dive sites. Three fingers of lava once streamed into the ocean and are now covered with a variety of hard and soft coral species. Rays, sharks and big schools of barracuda are the keepers of the Coral Garden. Schools of trevally, snappers and tunas abound. It’s an overdose of everything!

Steve’s Corner Level 1
This dive site reveals a huge variety of soft corals feeding in the current. Turn the corner and come up shallow to enjoy a large archway swim-through guarded by the resident anemone fish and filled with Ghost Coral. Sharp-eyed divers will also spot the juvenile blue ribbon eels here.

Tomasi’s Delight. Level 1
This dive site is situated close to Paradise. A steep slope of hard corals hides many small treasures – dwarf lionfish, cowries and nudibranchs have all made their homes here, as well as an array of featherstars and sea cucumbers.

Vuna Reef, the pristine southern reef of Taveuni is only a 4 minute boat ride from Paradise Taveuni resort. No other dive operators dive these amazing dive sites. Many of the sites are comparable, and some say better than, the famous Rainbow Reef. We dive Vuna Reef on request and usually every second day. Other days are spent at Rainbow Reef. If you choose to experience a double dive on Vuna Reef,  you will enjoy your surface interval back at the resort.

Lion Fish

Orgasm (Vuna Reef). Level 2

Vuna Reef at its finest! This wall dive faces open ocean and it is here that we have seen some of our favourite regulars: sharks, rays and napoleon wrasse. Drift by schools of spanish mackerel or giant tuna from the deep. All this in only 60f /18m, a truly awe-inspiring dive site that never seems to disappoint us.

Tavoro Cave (Vuna Reef). Level 3
This deep wall dive has got it all. A spooky cave at 90f/27m, swim – throughs, and lots of life. The topography of this site is striking: a sheer wall with plenty of gullies.
Look up into clouds of reef fish, look down to reef sharks, and look out to barracuda, tuna and turtles. A dive not easily forgotten!

Yellow Fin Wall (Vuna Reef). Level 2
Drift along this section of Vuna Reef and enjoy a fabulous vista of soft corals. Keep a watch in the blue for the namesakes of this site – large yellow fin tuna that speed gracefully past in the company of other pelagic fish and turtles.

Amazing visibility in Paradise

Cabbage Patch (Vuna Reef). Level 1
Sheltered within Vuna Lagoon, dive down to an almost lunar landscape. A shallow dive perfect for novices, cruise around the huge cabbage-like corals that sit on brilliant white sand and marvel at the marine life that finds a home amongst them.

Incredible Reef (Vuna Reef). Level 3
On the inner side of Vuna Reef, this deep dive explores a large wedge-shaped area cutting into the Reef wall. Schools of pelagics glide past as smaller reef fish swarm in the shelter of the wedge. This site certainly lives up to its name!

Pinnacles (Vuna Reef). Level 3
This deep seamount stands a little off Vuna Reef and attracts Manta Rays in season and other large visitors as well as smaller schooling species. Soft corals are abundant and bright thanks to the sea current passing by.

The Stairs (Vuna Reef). Level 2
On the top of the reef, you are greeted by hard plate corals of all colours, and clouds of fish, including titan trigger fish, parrot fish and wrasse. From here, dive down through a swim through covered in soft corals and out onto an inverted wall swathed in pure white soft coral. Back up the stairway, under the arches enveloped in white and purple soft corals. All types of reef sharks and barracuda often visit this site. A favourite amongst our Dive Team!

Fish Factory (Vuna Reef). Level 2
Stunning hard plate corals, lots of ambient light, multicoloured patches of soft coral, giant clams and swarms of reef fish at a depth of less than 60f/18m make this a popular site for photographers, beginners and experienced divers.

The Rainbow Reef is a 20 minute boat ride from Paradise Taveuni resort. It is in the Somosomo Strait located between the 2 islands of Taveuni and Vanua Levu. It is considered one of the most famous dive sites in the South Pacific. The Great White Wall is a popular scuba diving site. It is named because of the white coral inhabiting the area between 15 and 65 meters.

The Great White Wall - one of the Top 10 dive sites in the world

The Great White Wall (Rainbow Reef site). Level 3
The soft coral capital of the world’s signature dive offers an astounding wall of pure white soft coral. This site is definitely the world famous Rainbow Reef’s top draw. A coral encrusted swim – through leads onto the wall from the reef top. A dazzling myriad of colour and life inhabits the reef top. Manta rays glide past with ethereal grace. On exiting the water from this site an awed silence lasts for a while before an excited chatter that lasts for days starts among divers. Not to be missed!

Purple Wall (Rainbow Reef site). Level 3
This is one of the truly stunning sites on the Rainbow Reef. It deserves its billing as one of the worlds top dive sites. A solid wall of purple soft coral and more species than can be counted. You will not want to leave!

Jack’s Place (Rainbow Reef site). Level 2

Situated on the Rainbow Reef, this dive site offers an immense coral bommie covered with vibrant colours of soft coral and fish. The site is a haven for spanish dancers, box fish and white tipped reef sharks.

Rainbow Passage (Rainbow Reef site). Level 2
In terms of fish life and soft corals, the sheer abundance on this Rainbow Reef site is incredible. The top of the reef starts at 40ft/12m and gradually slopes to 70ft/21m. Covered by some very unique soft corals not found in similar form or in this abundance anywhere else in Fiji. Well, the name speaks for itself!

Annies Bombie (Rainbow Reef). Level 2
A submerged reef with many big coral bommies including the large ‘Annies Bombie’. Weave through the coral and enjoy the schools of fusillias, bandits and anthias – and the occasional leopard shark

Clarity and colours in our underwater Paradise

The Zoo (Rainbow Reef). Level 3
An extreme marine experience! Schools of barracuda are common here, swimming above the white tip reef sharks resting on the sand. Moral eels, groupers and small reef fish are plentiful and lucky divers will glimpse the graceful bronze whaler sharks patrolling the deep blue waters.

Nuku Reef (Rainbow Reef). Level 2
Drift dive along this gently sloping reef and marvel at the small critters that reside here – Christmas tree worms, clams and sea anemones are all in abundance, along with their resident clown fish and trigger fish.

Fish Factory (Rainbow Reef). Level 2
Dive along this steep wall and meet many fish feeding in the current – parrot fish, spanish mackerel and angle fish are all resident here. The sharp-eyed can also spot stone fish and leaf scorpion fish hiding in the wall crevices.

Rainbows End (Rainbow Reef). Level 3
Soft coral heaven! Beautiful purple, yellow and red soft corals make sure Rainbow’s End lives up to it’s name. Add in lionfish, Moorish Idols and hundreds of anthias and this is a true explosion of colour.

The Paradise Dive Shop displays information on tides, conditions and dives chosen for the day and the next day.

Please don’t hesitate to suggest a dive site to visit. Our Dive Team will happy to oblige if conditions are right.

Our friendly & experienced Dive Crew will be happy to offer you further information on diving in Paradise!

Fascinating Christmas Tree Worms