Fiji surf

Story 3/21: Fijian reef break dive

Surf and dive – reef break in Fiji

June, 2003

What a majestic sound! Few meters high wall of water is crushing down for some hundred meters length. At the moment we are in a safe distance on a half-covered boat, just marvelling the might of Mother Nature. Close, there is an open boat pushing closer to the reef break to let a surfer out. 

Our attention however is concentrated in to getting the first two divers down. The departure has been bit delayed as we tried to “wear out” our one-year-nine-months-old daughter so, that she would fall asleep. 

Even though she is already an experienced Globetrotter, and it is just five of us in the boat – our family of three, boat driver and dive master – there seems to be too many interesting things around. Despite the evident tiredness she is tuck on mother’s lap, sucking her right thumb.

Drawing lots, mother gets to dive first. So, I take the baby to my arms and direct her attention to the huge wave breaking bit further away, so that my wife can do the final gear check and put them on. She does not protest on mum jumping to water, but once she puts on the regulator, she gets alarmed.

I calm the little one down swaying her gently and asking my spouse to remove the mouthpiece for a brief while and to say something reassuring. That done the awe of mummy turning into a robot is washed away and the two divers do the last check that all is OK and start to let the air out to get below.

Being just three on the boat I concentrate on making the petite to feel safe, so we play some simple games and get finally towards the afternoon nap routines. Once she nods off, I place her on a towel to boat floor and take some photos of the magnificent long surge elevated by the coral cliff below.

Soon it is my turn to sink into the weightlessness with our dive guide. As often with such underwater wall there is a reasonable current also below surface. The soft and hard corals of the reef alone would provide a safe haven for abundant marine life, but the stream feeds in some extra life. In this case it is a sea turtle – first one I see alive in the wilderness.

This was our first dive since we became parents. I’d say we did well. Considering also our experience on diving compared to surfing, I am most confident we also chose the right sport for having the baby aboard this beautiful reef break.

Epilogue: Next month in Moorea, French Polynesia we did even more spectacular reef break dive. I wrote then to the dive log: “One of the best dives ever”. Looking back to the site now – twenty years later, I visually combine it with the shot from 2015 Pointbreak -film. Waves rising suddenly in the middle of the ocean and boats and surfers buzzing around like bees around honeypot. Of course, our setting in many ways was LOT lower key, but the sensation to me is similar.

Some background data:

Fiji: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji

Coral reefs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef

Sea turtle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle

Diving: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_diving_(sport)

Reef protection: https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/oceans-seas/what-we-do/protecting-coral-reefs/why-protecting-coral-reefs-matters

Questions:

1. Coral reefs themselves are alive and they provide shelter to many kinds of marine life. Maybe you have seen documents or movies from coral reefs – like Disney-animation “Finding Nemo”. Can you list some animals, that live in coral reefs?
2. Ecosystems are delicate constructions – and in interaction with the climate. Coral reefs have suffered, too. Can you give some reasons, why? Use the links above, if in doubt.
3. Conservation. People in different countries have begun to protect the reefs. Can you give some examples?
4. Discuss. Your view: What thoughts did rise in your mind having read the story? Discuss with your pair.

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