Fiji Underwater Photo Workshop October 2023

Join Bluewater Dive Travel at the soft coral capital of the world! Dive 10 nights on the Nai'a, the top liveaboard in Fiji! With awesome visibility and breath-taking soft corals, Fiji is a must-visit for all scuba divers.

Trip Overview

In Fiji, it’s all about the corals. The colors are so incredibly vibrant and the anthias so plentiful that it’s hard to ever look away. Around every corner is the next world-class image. Remember to get in the current. One of the main draws of diving Fiji is the reef scenes - they are quite spectacular!

The gorgeous, lush, color-splashed images of Fiji that you see in dive publications are courtesy of a soft coral called dendronephthya. Few other places in the world offer such an abundance of this coral, nor the wide spectrum of colors ranging from pink and purple to orange, yellow and fiery red. Dendronephthya soft coral needs current; with little current present, the soft corals are muted, but as the current increases, they inflate with water and their color really begins to glow. As the current picks up, planktivores such as beautifully colored scalefin anthias spring up off the reef in polarized schools. Together, this forms a rich pageantry of color. Underwater photographers will want to shoot when some current is present, making a dramatic difference in the color of underwater imagery.

The best places for soft coral in Fiji are the Bligh Waters between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu where there are numerous reefs and pinnacles, the Somosomo Strait between Taveuni and Vanua Levu, and Namena Island, with its marine protected area. The 10-night trip includes a visit to Fiji's Rainbow Reef, one of the area's best-known dive sites which gets its name from the spectacular array of colors because of the abundance of soft corals, leather corals, sea fans and sea anemones - not to mention the fish!

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Fiji Marine Life to Photograph

Fiji is home to an amazing variety of fish life, including colorful angelfish, anemone fish, anthias, frogfish, hawkfish, moray eels, ghost pipefish, and countless other photogenic species.

Blue Ribbon Eels are also fantastic subjects. The yellow and blue males are full of personality and if you search hard, you can find the female (all yellow) and juvenile (black with a yellow stripe). The black juveniles are notoriously difficult to photograph.

There are sharks in Fiji, though they are generally not found on every dive. Beqa Island is the one exception to this rule, as sharks are seen there daily. The most common species of sharks in Fiji are grey reef, white tip reef, silvertip, and hammerhead. Sharks always make great subjects, but reef sharks are difficult to get close to. For real shark action, do the shark dive in Beqa Lagoon, where you’ll see up to 8 different species of sharks numbering in the dozens, including very large bull sharks and a massive tiger shark that makes semi-regular appearances.

Other fun subjects include banded sea snakes, several species of turtles, and pelagics like tuna, barracuda, and occasionally manta rays.

There are also plenty of macro opportunities. While diversity is not as great as Southeast Asia's coral triangle, there is still a wide range of species here, including mantis shrimp, decorator crabs, bobtail squid, and many different nudibranchs.

Camera and lens tips: You’ll definitely want two strobes to get full light coverage in your frame. Use as much strobe power as possible to illuminate the soft corals and really make them shine. Fortunately, soft corals don’t move, so you can get as close as you want. Bracket and really work on your blue backgrounds. Get close to the soft coral with a fisheye lens. Fiji is a great place to get close to the coral and practice your wide-angle technique. Take your time, put your strobes on manual, and get your exposures right.

Experience level needed for this trip: Most of the divers who come onboard a very experienced diver but they do take all levels of experience, but all levels are welcome and accommodated. Their friendly and experienced Fijian crew will look after you if you’re a beginner.

Read the reviews on diving Fiji here.

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Inclusions

The charter cost includes tax, transfers to the boat from Nadi Airport (NAN) as well as transfers from local hotels within the Nadi area (starting at 1 pm on the day the charter starts) and back, all meals and accommodation on board, all non-alcoholic beverages, complimentary wine served with dinner, tanks, weights, nitrox (only free on a full boat charter) and unlimited diving.

Exclusions

The charter cost does not include fuel surcharge or any other onboard purchases. Travel insurance is also not included, click here to learn more about our preferred plan.

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Itinerary Overview

Please see the map below to get an idea of the place you'll visit on the trip.

Here is the daily onboard routine:

* This schedule may vary at several loca­tions where tighter coordination of dive times is required due to the site, tide and/or weather. Additional dives are generally available in between scheduled dives. 

Experience level needed for this trip: Most of the divers that come onboard a very experienced diver but they do take all levels of experience. Their friendly and experienced Fijian crew will look after you if you’re a beginner.

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About the Nai'a

Nai'a is setting a new standard in world-class liveaboard scuba diving expeditions. The ship is beautifully appointed, incredibly spacious and boasts a dive-savvy Fijian crew famous for their dedicated service. Nai'a has accommodation for 18 passengers in 9 air-conditioned staterooms with private ensuite heads. All the staterooms are larger than those on most dive vessels, with plenty of storage for gear, and they are bright, airy, and comfortable. 

Read the reviews of the Nai'a here.

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Flight Information

You will have to fly in and out of Nadi international airport (NAN). Pick up will start at 1 pm on Oct 28 from Nadi airport and hotels within the Nadi area for transfer to the boat. The Nai’a is scheduled to depart at 2 pm if all goes well with the transfer. After the charter, transport is arranged to pick everyone up from the boat at 8 am on Nov 7 and transfer back to Nadi airport and hotels within the Nadi area.

The Nai'a can help arrange a 2nd checked bag with Fiji Airways for only $75 each way; e-mail us for details.

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 ABOUT THE TRIP LEADER

Mark Strickland’s life-long interest in the sea has included over 10,000 dives and careers as a lifeguard, boat captain, and scuba instructor. His passion for underwater photography has led him to many top dive locales, including Virgin Islands, Australia, and Thailand, where he spent 17 years as Cruise Director on a series of liveaboards. Mark now resides in Ventura county, California.

An avid marine naturalist, Mark has discovered several nudibranch species. He is the co-author and principal photographer for Lonely Planet’s award-winning book, “Diving and Snorkeling Thailand”, and his work appears in many magazines, books and displays around the world. Currently, Mark leads several dive trips each year to his favorite destinations, while working on a career-spanning large-format pictorial book.

Read more about Mark here.

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Payment Schedule  

Deposit: $2000 

Payment 2: $2,800 - due on April 10, 2023

Balance due on July 1, 2023

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WANT TO EXTEND YOUR TRIP?

We can help with that! See more of Fiji before or after your workshop with Bluewater by staying at the Volivoli Beach Resort, one of our Preferred Partners. Learn more about the packages below.

*Rates are subject to change at any time; please contact us for the most updated pricing.  

Optional Land Extension at Volivoli Beach Resort

Rates are per person and in USD. These rates are only applicable to those participating in the BWT Photo Workshop aboard the N'aia from October 28 to November 7, 2023. 

Standard Ocean View Room (L) & Deluxe Ocean View Room (R)

Premium Ocean View Villa (L) & 2 Bedroom Family Villa (R)

Inclusions

• Round trip Nadi airport/resort transfers
• Accommodations
• Welcome drink on arrival
• Full meal plan – 3 meals daily with juice, milk, rain water, coffee, and tea at breakfast.
• Beach BBQ
• Free use of kayaks and participation in a variety of complimentary resort activities
• Resort and Government taxes
• 3 Night Diver Package also includes: 1 days of 2 tank boat diving & 1 days of 3 tank boat diving– includes tanks, weights, and dive guide (Free day of 3 tank diving), Unlimited shore diving on dive days (reserve tanks 24 hours prior)
• 5 Night Diver Package also includes: 2 days of 2 tank boat diving & 2 days of 3 tank boat diving– includes tanks, weights, and dive guide (Free day of 3 tank diving), Unlimited shore diving on dive days (reserve tanks 24 hours prior)

Exclusions

• Nitrox ($50 for 3 day trip; $80 for 5 day trip)
• Beverages other than tea, coffee, and rain water
• Lobster and Crab menu items (Market price)
• Personal dive equipment
• Dive Courses
• Excursions
• Dive and Travel Insurance (diving insurance is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED)

Payment Schedule

$100 per person deposit to confirm at the time of booking

 100% Payment due 45 days prior to arrival date

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Photo Gallery 

Underwater Photos from Previous Trips  

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