Diving Bligh Waters

Namena Island - Chimneys

As with many of the dive sites around Namena Island, Chimneys is found in an area where there isn't much natural protection so it may not be possible to dive if the conditions are not right. Currents can kick up here which make for exciting drift dives, and this of course means that there is an active and abundant sea life in this, the Namena Marine Protected Area.

Descending slowly on this dive in to the Bligh Waters, the shape of 3 bommies will appear from as shallow as 3 or 4 metres down to about 25 metres. The nutrient-rich currents that sweep in and around these 3 pillars mean that there is plenty of life gathered here. Regardless of your dive group size there is always enough room to find a quiet place to explore.

There are various ways to dive this site and in fact it could be possible to dive it several times over, each in a different way. A good way to start this dive is to drop down to the deep ridge where the rock is covered in a variety of soft corals and crinoids of black, orange, yellow and green. You are likely to see a couple of schools of fish lurking here such as humpback snappers and big-eyed bream, as well as the occasional white tip shark.

If you take your time investigating all the fissures and features of the bommies you will see among the hard corals, soft corals and anemones any number of interesting reef inhabitants such as black saddle coral groupers, nudibranchs, brown banded pipefish, hawkfish, scribbled filefish and swarms of anthias. In the trenches between the bommies look out for resident barracudas as well as maybe some dog-tooth tuna in addition to the grey reefs, white tips and silver-tip sharks! Below you on the ocean floor you can see the long flimsy bodies of dozens of garden eels rising up from their sandy burrows.

In the right conditions the the Bligh Waters' Chimneys are a smokin'!

Chimneys Reef Basics: Pinnacles
Depth: 5 - 35m
Visibility: 10 - 25m
Currents: Moderate but can be strong
Surface conditions: Can be choppy
Water temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: All year round
Distance: 24 km south west of Savusavu on Vanua Levu
Access: Fiji liveaboards

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