September 19 – 23, 2013
Between our anchorage in Fiji’s Bay of Islands and the Deep Blue Lake was a very pretty pass . . .
But we also had the option of cutting through one of our favorite spots in the area: the Jade Pool. (Just a reminder: I’m making these names up, but here’s a map showing where this stuff is.)
The Jade Pool was only a stone’s throw from our boat, but a group of motus (rock islands) separated it so completely from our anchorage that it seemed like a separate place.
We had to pass between motus to enter, but inside was a large shallow pool with celadon green water. That combined with the vegetation on the islets made it feel like a magical green world. I’d love to have spent more time there just basking in the color green. We did visit a few times and, sunny or cloudy, it was always beautiful.
Below, some photos showing the motus and the jade pool inside of them. (You can click to enlarge and scroll through galleries that follow.)
One time we came here to swim and snorkel. I was happy just swimming, but Rich told me to get my mask and head over towards him. There, he’d found some colorful small fish, exotic and beautiful. We continued on around some of the motus finding baby Picasso triggerfish and lots of damselfish. It seems our Jade Pool was a nursery for a variety of fish species.
Unfortunately I didn’t have the underwater camera, but below are some photos showing the Jade Pool under a cloudy sky and in bright sunlight. –Cyndi
