419 Dive Log Australasia AUGUST 2026

Four reef Manta Rays, Manta alfredi

Black Mantas at Manta Bommie

a dozen lanterns waiting outside the dining area before following winding jungle paths back through the darkness. The dive shop disappeared behind me. The sounds of conversation faded. Only the chorus of insects remained. Inside my bure I lowered the mosquito net around the bed, listened to the forest breathing outside the windows, and fell asleep wondering what waited beneath Fiji’s reefs the following morning. Morning arrives early at Matava. Not because of an alarm clock. Because the jungle wakes first. Birds begin calling just before sunrise. The breeze carries the smell of salt and damp earth through the louvered windows, and somewhere below the hillside the dive

crew is already preparing tanks while the first coffee is being poured. By breakfast everyone has one thing in common. We’re eager to get underwater.

Astrolabe Reef One of Matava’s greatest advantages is its location. Astrolabe Reef lies directly offshore. Stretching more than seventy-five miles, it is the fourth-largest barrier reef in the world and one of Fiji’s great diving treasures. More than twenty established dive sites lie within five to thirty minutes of the resort, making long boat rides unnecessary. Every morning felt as though another section of an

Clown Trigger fish

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Dive Log Australasia #419 August’26

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