Blue Ribbon Taveuni – Taveuni and Somosomo Strait

Site Overview

Blue Ribbon Taveuni is a dramatic deep wall dive in the Somosomo Strait that offers the possibility of seasonal scalloped hammerhead shark encounters along with spectacular black coral and gorgonian sea fan gardens in the deeper sections. The wall drops vertically from approximately 8 metres depth to beyond 40 metres, its face covered in a rich tapestry of soft corals, gorgonians, and hard corals that transition to black coral and larger gorgonian fans in the deeper, lower-light sections. The hammerhead encounters, while not guaranteed, are the headline attraction, with schools of scalloped hammerheads occasionally patrolling the deeper sections of the wall from June to September. These distinctive sharks, with their wide hammer-shaped heads and schooling behaviour, create an unforgettable spectacle when they pass through the site. Grey reef sharks and barracuda are more consistently present, patrolling the wall face and the adjacent water column. The gorgonian sea fans on the deeper sections are among the largest in the Somosomo Strait, some exceeding two metres in diameter, their intricate lattice structures creating dramatic silhouettes against the blue water. Black coral colonies grow in the shaded sections of the wall, their dark branching structures providing habitat for small fish and invertebrates. The current in the strait brings nutrients that sustain the prolific coral growth and attract the pelagic species that make this site so exciting. The drift dive format carries divers along the wall at a controlled pace, with the guide managing the depth profile to balance pelagic viewing opportunities with safe diving practices.