Exploring Fiji's reefs

Today was so aweosme. It did start slowly as we had to wait for 5 more people to show up that were meant to be on our tour today. We'd been picked up and checked in before being asked to wait at a cafe on the harbour front. The bad thing about the snorkelling and island tour we did today was that you don't have to pay upfront when you book, instead you pay when you check in on the day so this does mean you don't have to actually show up and this was clearly how these 5 people felt. After almost an hour and half of waiting and I went to the desk and spoke to the lady who was very understanding and told me they wouldn't be waiting any longer to set sail. We were on the boat and on our way only 15 minutes behind the original departure time so luckily those people didn't impact us too much. There was only 5 of us in the group so we were able to lie out on bean bags at the front and just enjoy the ride to our first reef spot. Nick was rather happy when we were offered a huge platter of fruit to share on the way. After an hour and a half of cruising along it was time to get on our fins and jump into the beautifully warm water. We were instantly surrounded by tropical fish and as we swam even closer to the reef the numbers only increased. We followed a guide who pointed out all the unusual creatures, sometimes picking them up which we didn't agree with though. Both of us wore trousers to protect the sunburn on our legs and to stop it getting any worse. We spent a good amount of time in water before it was time to make our way back to the boat. As we swam into open water away from the reef both Nick and I felt like we were getting stung a lot. We noticed hundreds of little jellyfish which we were told were harmless but around them as well were lots of tiny ones you would barely see. These and what the crew called sea lice can give little stings so I think this is what was getting us. Before we got back on the boat one of the crew spotted a turtle swimming below us. He was diving down after getting air and soon disappeared into the darkness but it was quite exciting to see it still. Back on board we headed to a nearby island to have a bbq buffet lunch. The food was very welcoming after so much swimming and the scenery couldn't have been more perfect with it's white sand beaches, turquoise waters and palm trees. After we ate Nick and I went for a wander around the area and beach before it was time to get back on the boat. We headed off again to another snorkelling spot which was much shallower in depth so it was easier to see all the coral without diving too much. Here we saw many sea cucumbers and seahorses which looked nothing like the seahorses you see in an aquarium. Luckily there wasn't anything stinging us in this new area. After another great time exploring we were on the boat and on the way back to where we started. Two of the guys spent time making amazing creatures out of coconut palm leaves and we were given a fish, a bird and a cricket. It's a shame we won't be able to keep them seeing as they are made from a plant but it was good to watch the process. After another fruit platter we were back on shore and thanking our crew for a wonderful day out. We rounded our day off with watching the sunset followed by a dance/sword throwing/fire show on the beach put on by the hotel. Not a bad day at all really.Read more