Gau Island Liveaboard Diving

Liveaboard Diving in Gau Island

What To Expect On A Gau Island Liveaboard

Liveaboards to Gau Island, the fifth largest island of the Fijian archipelago, will usually visit here as part of a multi-stop Fijian itinerary. It is located 90 kilometers east of Fiji's largest island Viti Levu. It covers an area of 136,1 square kilometers with a total shoreline of 66,3 kilometers. Gau Island has a fringing reef on its north and east coasts with a barrier reef off its west and south coasts creating a large lagoon. On Naviavia beach, on the western coast of Gau you'll find a marine research facility which was established in 2005 by the United Kingdom.

Gau Island Underwater

Gau Island liveaboards will provide divers with an abundant amount of marine life to be discovered. A giant moray eel guards a coral bommie surrounded by schools of chromis, also a couple of spine, regal and lemon peel angelfish, some small groupers, schools of fusiliers and jackfish, napoleon wrasse, nudibranchs and Hawksbill turtles. Outside the reef you can sometimes see dolphins feeding occasionally joined by whales passing by.

Dive Sites Of Gau Island

There are lots of dive sites to be explored on a Fiji liveaboard,  a selection of some that may be visited near to Gau Island are below;

Koro Gardens - Diving here is spectacular. The many beautiful hard corals cover everything and the abundance of reef fish are crowding the waters. This dive site is marked by a single large bommie that comes to within 4,5 meters of the surface. The bommie is surrounded by 14 meters depth and in some places by 29 meters.

Shark Fin Point - This dive site is located on the north east point of Koro Island. When the tide is running this can become a drift dive and with little effort you can enjoy all the marine life swimming by you. On most dives you'll see a large school of 500 barracudas, eagle rays, many white tips, grey reef sharks, lobsters, eels and even whale sharks. This reef is totally covered with beautiful hard and soft corals.

Jim's Alley - This dive site models the 'Soft Coral Capital of the World' for which Fiji is known for. This soft coral garden consisting of three bommies, in shallow water, holds a large amount of reef fish, nearly every kind existing, and is cluttered with soft and hard corals, whips and anemones. Extra bonus points for visiting this dive site consists of the beautiful sight of five visiting manta rays who can frequently be found 'flying' through the waters of the channel close to the reef. In between the hard corals, soft corals and sea fans you can find also beautiful macro creatures, a real pleasure to underwater photographers.

Nigali Passage - is a small cut in de barrier reef with an optimum three-hour window of opportunity; you can only dive 1,5 hours before low water to 1,5 hours after low water. Outside this window the visibility gets poor and the current can exceed 4 knots. The incoming current makes this dive a drift dive. Nigali is home to grey reef sharks, large groupers, big eyed jackfish, occasionally a sea snake, schools of trevally, barracuda, big flowery cod, an enormous amount of snappers and sometimes manta rays, eagle rays and hammerhead sharks.

Top Tips For Divers

Currents can be strong and sudden, so keep an eye on your depth gauge and you might want to use a depth alarm on your computer, good to keep in mind when diving with Nitrox.

Where currents are strong and diving in areas with deep waters surrounding, it is highly recommended to make safety stops.

Keep good buoyancy to prevent yourself from getting in contact with hard corals and sharp rocks, to both protect your own body and the marine life.

Be very careful when diving in swim-throughs as there is hard coral and sharp rocks around these small spaces.

Getting To Gau Island

Our Fiji liveaboard vessels either sail or cruise from Suva to Bligh Water via Wakaya to Gau Island after which will headed towards the Namena Reserve or from Suva to Gau Island heading to Makongi, Namena Island and Wakaya Island.