August 12, 2013
We’d been hearing about a little island offshore called Namena (Formally: Namena Lala). It’s a marine reserve reputed to have some of the best diving in Fiji. Since there are many great dive areas in Fiji, that’s saying a lot.
After our scary close encounter with the Cousteau Resort people, we called Koro Sun Dive, who had been recommended to us by other cruisers. At last, nice, normal people! They dive at Namena Island all the time, and while their dive shop is a few miles away, they’re happy to provide transportation to and from their shop.
This morning, we were booked for a dive with our new friends from the boats Navara and Boundless, plus a nice lady staying at a resort nearby. The Koro Sun guys came by in two trucks to get all of us and our gear. I was thrilled to find out we’d be diving the Chimneys (aka the Pinnacles) and Grand Central Station (aka Grand Canyon), two places we’d heard lots of good things about.
The drive to the shop took us several miles out of town, down to the pretty Hibiscus Highway which runs along the south side of Vanua Levu. On the way we had a bit of a Tony Robbins Country Safari as we got a look at his exclusive Namale Resort, and then, across the street, his other “resort” (which looked suspiciously like dormitories) where the seminar guests often stay. (Note to anyone coming to one of his events: try to stay at the Namale.) Later from the dive boat we could see his house, which hangs on a hill and is pretty spectacular.
Once at the dive shop, we all signed in and picked out any extra gear we needed while the dive boat was loaded up. We had one more couple join us from the Koro Sun Resort across the street, then we all headed off to Namena Island, about 23 miles away.
It had been a cloudy morning, but it was lightening up some by the time we got to Namena. It’s a small island but strikingly pretty, especially with the white birds that flew alongside its green hills. We weren’t here for the island, though, and it was time to get into the water.
I was nervous as this was my first time on a professional dive boat, and all the other divers were way more experienced than I was. I just focused on descending, getting used to my rented gear, and keeping up with the group.
My nerves were forgotten as soon as we descended to, then down alongside, the wall at Grand Central Station (aka Grand Canyon). What an amazing sight! The vertical wall went down as far as the eye could see. The light gray cloud cover outside resulted in a blueish light down here, giving the scene a mystical feeling. We started to swim along the wall, which was covered with coral and fish of all kinds. Off to our right, away from the wall, swam bigger fish in the endless blue. It was a fantastic world, its beauty at times overwhelming.
We continued along the wall for a time, marveling at an astonishing number and variety of fish, some familiar to us; some not. After the wall, we crossed a large patch of sand, over a school barracuda; and through a school of redtooth triggerfish swimming dreamily through the water. We finished by swimming through an arch, then around and over a large mount covered with brightly-colored fish and coral. We shot some video with our GoPro. It doesn’t do the place justice, but it does seem to convey the dreamlike feeling of this dive.
Our previous post with a video of Grand Central Station is here.
After taking a break to enjoy the lunches we’d brought, it was time for our next dive. We’d be diving at the Chimneys, which our dive leader, Colin, said would be even better than the last dive. I couldn’t imagine any dive better than the one we’d just been on–I’m not sure my heart could take it!
By the time did the Chimneys dive, the sun had come out. This dramatically lit up the endless numbers of small colorful fish, hard and soft corals, and sea fans that covered the surface of this underwater hill. Many larger fish hovered nearby. After getting near the bottom, we swam among several mounts to another “chimney.” This one was even more dramatic with more fish and a multitude of sea fans. We spiraled up around the pinnacle, making our way to the top. Up there was the grand finale, an explosion of color and life. Once again, we used our Gopro, and once again it doesn’t begin to do the dive justice. I understand now why some of the divers are willing to carry bulky camera equipment as it’s nice to have your pictures match your experience.
After all the divers were back aboard the boat, it was quiet for awhile as everyone seemed a bit dazed. I’ve noticed people often need some re-entry time after a dive, especially when it’s been like the dives we had today. Soon, everyone was talking again and comparing their experiences. I asked Rich, who’s been diving all over the world, how he would rate Namena. He said this is second only to Palau, which he considers the best diving he’s seen. Maybe we’ll take Legacy to Palau someday, but for now I’d be thrilled just to get back here.–Cyndi
