Dive at Fiji's Shark Reef Marine Reserve

Shark Reef Marine Reserve

Within Fiji’s pristine waters, is one of the most unique shark conservation setups in the world. The site is Shark Reef, located off the southern coast of Viti Levu, about a 15-minute boat ride from Pacific Harbour. 

The Reserve is a shark sanctuary, where the ocean is pure magic and what lies beneath the waves will take your breath away. Whether you are a shark lover, obsessed with the ocean or a self-confessed thrill seeker, diving with these incredible creatures in the Shark Reef Marine Reserve is a dream come true. 
 

Photo credit: Daniel Norwood

The Shark Reef Marine Reserve (SRMR) - Fiji’s First National Marine Park – is a special place where diving with 8 different species of sharks is epic, inspirational and the experience of a lifetime. Shark Reef also has the largest aggregation of Bull Sharks anywhere in the world!  

The Reserve was established in 2004 as a Marine Area by Beqa Adventure Divers (BAD) in sweet symphony with the Fiji Department of Fisheries and Galoa village; the traditional owners of the reef. The village gave up their rights to fish here in exchange for an ‘SRMR Levy’ which every diver pays when they dive the Reserve. 

This means that every time you dive the Reserve, a portion of the cost provides a vital cash flow to the local community to help fund education and infrastructure projects.   

The Reserve has benefitted with increases in both abundance of fish and the variety fish species. And even though the villagers do not fish in the marine reserve itself, the abundant fish populations have spilled over into neighbouring reefs, giving the village a bountiful fish harvest for themselves. 
 

Photo credit: Jayne Jenkins

Shark Reef was officially designated Fiji’s first National Marine Park in 2014 and Beqa Adventure Divers (BAD) given stewardship for its day-to-day management.   

Poaching poses the biggest threat to the Reserve so BAD conducts poaching patrols with the support of the Ministry of Fisheries to protect the area from illegal fishing activities. 

Meet Fiji's Reef Sharks 

Shark Reef 2021 from Beqa Adventure Divers on Vimeo.

Who Are Beqa Adventure Divers? 

Beqa Adventure Divers (BAD) style themselves as a conservation group running a dive shop. With their hands in many conservation pies, the passion this team has for Fiji’s shark populations and their ocean ecosystems is infectious. 

If you want to know more about their fantastic conservation work, read some of their work here and scientific publications here. And if you happen to fall in love with one of the sharks you meet, you can adopt and become a bonafide shark parent to support shark conservation in Fiji. 
 

Photo credit: Natasha Marosi
 

Diving with Sharks on the Fiji Shark Dive 

BAD run morning shark dives 5 days a week (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat) on the Shark Reef Marine Reserve. The dive is a 2 tank, multi-level dive. On Shark Reef, Bull sharks are the stars with notable supporting cast members of Sicklefin Lemon, Tawny Nurse, Silvertip, Grey Reef, Blacktip and Whitetip reef sharks and exciting guest appearances by Tiger sharks. To dive the Reserve you must have a scuba certification. If you don’t, the BAD team is happy to train you or level up your dive skills with advanced courses.

See you in the water!