Great Astrolabe Reef

Location

The Great Astrolabe Reef is located in Fiji and surrounds the fourth largest island, Kadavu Island which is approximately 65 km in length.

Description

The Great Astrolabe Reef is one of the largest barrier reefs in the world and encompasses Kadavu Island, Ono Island and other small islands within a natural protective lagoon.

The reef itself is predominantly located along the southern coast of Kadavu Island and arks north around Ono Island and further north to Buliya.

Highlights

Buliya is famous for it's Manta Ray snorkelling and is very much a highlight of travelling to Kadavu Island and Ono Island.

Importance

This reef is very important in that due to it having many channels leading from extremely deep water into shallow lagoons it is a breeding ground for many of the large billfish (marlin) species, Sharks, Tuna, Giant Trevally, Mahi-Mahi (dolphinfish) and Snapper.

Water Temperature

The temperature of the water on the Great Astrolabe Reef varies from approximately 25 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius making it an ideal place for snorkelling and diving.

Scuba Diving

The Great Astrolabe Reef is one of the greatest locations in the world to experience marine life and coral diversity in that it is relatively unspoilt due to its distance from dense population.

Accommodation

There are quite a few resorts on Kadavu Island and a few on Ono Island that offer reasonably priced accommodation. Some of these are Waisalima Beach Resort & Dive Centre, Kenia Beach Resort, Tiliva Resort, Mai Dive, Matana Beach Resort (Dive Kadavu), Matava Eco-Resort, Papageno and Nagigia.