tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-352138742009-07-12T23:18:30.755+12:00A BLOG about scuba diving in the Fiji Islands by Allan & Terri Gortan, owners and operators of PARADISE Taveuni, the newest boutique island resort in the Fiji Islands.This will include everything we can find that we find interesting online about Fiji Diving, and also some inside news from PARADISE...Stuart in Fijihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05616942892213653449noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifFijiDivingInParadisehttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-32922711837675908022009-06-08T09:39:00.000+12:002009-06-08T09:39:36.067+12:002009-06-08T09:39:36.067+12:00

10,202 people attended THE Diving Event of the Year! in Long Beach, California this past weekend Even though the economy is rough, SCUBA Show 2009 managed to bring in impressive numbers to it’s 22nd annual show. With over 300 exhibitor booths, and over 10,000 people attending, the SCUBA Show was a success for everyone involved. Here’s what people have said: “The show was awesome. We measured

Stuart in Fijihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05616942892213653449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-49484789874578831542009-06-08T09:38:00.000+12:002009-06-08T09:38:55.458+12:002009-06-08T09:38:55.458+12:00

Important international standards help maintain quality and consistency. Two new ISO Standards have just been agreed for diving. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a global body with 161 member countries who aim to align their national business practices with those agreed in ISO standards for various fields. Six ISO standards for diving have been in place for several years

Stuart in Fijihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05616942892213653449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-76432522259435009092009-05-27T17:59:00.000+12:002009-05-27T17:59:25.856+12:002009-05-27T17:59:25.856+12:00

Sustainable Fijian Reef Resources Inc. (Sasalu Tawamudu) is a state-of-Georgia registered not-for-profit corporation with US IRS 501(c)3 status for tax deductible donations. It was founded by Dr. Bill Aalbersberg, the Director of Applied Sciences at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, Dr. Kirk Bowman, a professor of international affairs at Georgia Tech, and Dr. Terry Snell, a biology

Stuart in Fijihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05616942892213653449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-20078849950710887212009-04-22T10:53:00.000+12:002009-04-22T10:53:50.187+12:002009-04-22T10:53:50.187+12:00

Make a world of difference this Earth Day, 22 April 2009 Earth is a water planet and the planet needs our help. Why? Climate change is a major threat with increased ocean temperatures and ocean acidification impacting fragile underwater environments. Dive for Earth Day is an extraordinary opportunity to take action and help address the underwater issues that concern you most. How can you help?

Stuart in Fijihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05616942892213653449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-39683895776998507032008-10-12T17:31:00.004+12:002008-10-12T17:40:35.494+12:002008-10-12T17:40:35.494+12:00

Paradise recently had the pleasure of hosting 12 guests from the 'Just Add Water' Dive Club from Cleveland, Ohio.These keen divers spent several days with us out on the boats enjoying our fabulous dive sites and making friends with our Dive Crew.Favourite spots included the Great White Wall - which had most of the group totally lost for words - and Orgasm Reef.Though we were sad to say goodbye,

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-18386142336995964222008-09-09T11:25:00.009+12:002008-09-09T11:39:40.804+12:002008-09-09T11:39:40.804+12:00

Along with great dive sites, Vuna Reef also has an array of fabulous snorkelling.Thanks to its exposure to the food-rich currents, there is an explosion of hard corals and reef fish to be found here. The Reef is teeming with life - from thousands of tiny rainbow-coloured fish to slow-moving turtles and elegant banded sea snakes.Climb aboard the boat and get ready to be amazed by the underwater

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-26790920430365026132008-08-16T16:11:00.001+12:002008-08-16T16:15:53.704+12:002008-08-16T16:15:53.704+12:00

"Adi Vuki" has made a graceful retirement from service but Carl has brought with him 3 boats to make up the new Paradise fleet.All 3 are custom-made dive boats - "Divers Reef" is a 28ft fibreglass boat, "Unplugged" is a 25ft aluminium boat and "Underwater Connection" is a 25ft fibreglass boat.The boats all have large canopies and accommodate 6-8 divers - keeping our dive trips small and personal

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-74657058297788027472008-08-03T11:12:00.001+12:002008-08-03T11:17:11.702+12:002008-08-03T11:17:11.702+12:00

As winter approaches, so do the best times for diving and sites like Fish Factory are proving to be spectacular.Although the water temperature drops slightly, it will remain around a balmy 26 degrees celsius - perfect for donning a wetsuit and taking the plunge. And with the algal blooms of summer gone, the visibility is superb and the water crystal clear.Recent guests Suzi and Paula were amazed

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-130726627223515272008-07-24T10:23:00.001+12:002008-07-24T10:27:37.266+12:002008-07-24T10:27:37.266+12:00

Paradise and Pro Dive Taveuni have been joined by 2 new faces - Carl and Muriel Fox.Carl and Muriel have been living on Taveuni and running a dive operation on the island for several years. They have recently joined forces with Paradise - bringing with them a wealth of experience and passion for Taveuni's reefs.Carl's specialty is the Rainbow Reef dive sites while Muriel directs operations with

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-67117934318115749522008-07-13T11:00:00.000+12:002008-07-13T11:00:00.962+12:002008-07-13T11:00:00.962+12:00

What better way to enjoy your diving than on an early morning trip to Orgasm Reef?Our most “pleasurable” dive site is located on the outer wall of Vuna Reef and is named after the breeding habits of the reef sharks that we see there.This is usually a big fish encounter dive – large schools of barracuda are common, along with whitetip reef sharks and turtles. Toutou has even seen a silvertip reef

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-21014834526967792312008-06-30T16:43:00.000+12:002008-06-30T16:47:29.954+12:002008-06-30T16:47:29.954+12:00

With such fabulous snorkelling around the Resort, why not make the most of it and go on a “snorkel safari”?Paradise’s local guides – Wilson and Toutou – are expert snorkellers and have sharp eyes for spotting all those little critters. Hop on the transport to neighbouring Dolphin Bay or Vatuwiri, then jump in the water and let the gentle current drift you back to Paradise.Having grown up here,

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-50724625866125110052008-06-24T16:24:00.000+12:002008-06-24T16:29:13.715+12:002008-06-24T16:29:13.715+12:00

What does it feel like the first time? How do you know what to do?If you’ve always wanted to breathe underwater, Paradise is the perfect place to Discover Scuba. Spend some time with one of our expert instructors before taking the plunge and going diving with them on our House Reef.Experience weightlessness as you glide effortlessly over hard and soft corals and meet some of our favourite

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-1405461361352742562008-06-06T15:39:00.000+12:002008-06-06T15:39:56.777+12:002008-06-06T15:39:56.777+12:00

With its swimthroughs and archways, ‘The Stairs’ is undoubtedly the favourite site of the Dive Team – and we’ve been having some great conditions for diving it in!Soft white corals are abundant here and are becoming ever more prolific. We’ve also been lucky enough to see two whitetip reef sharks patrolling the entrances to the swimthroughs as we spiral up and down the ‘staircase’.One guest

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-58667283188296581992008-05-28T09:15:00.000+12:002008-05-28T09:21:34.233+12:002008-05-28T09:21:34.233+12:00

One of our favourite underwater encounters is with the many different lionfish that inhabit our waters.Coming in all sizes, these beautiful fish are a highlight on any dive or snorkel – and we’ve been lucky enough to spot several recently.As they waltz gracefully around the coral bommies, it almost looks as though they’re posing for photos!

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-5931795420346373422008-05-21T15:50:00.002+12:002008-05-21T15:53:53.635+12:002008-05-21T15:53:53.635+12:00

Why not see a totally different side to Paradise Reef during your stay and take the plunge on a night dive?Watch the nocturnal residents come out to play and be amazed by the differences on the Reef. Hundreds of featherstars appear from every crevice hungry for food, while torchlight reveals the gleam of many pairs of eyes – banded shrimps and hermit crabs ready to make their nighttime

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-71177222334133526032008-04-30T16:15:00.000+12:002008-04-30T16:24:29.575+12:002008-04-30T16:24:29.575+12:00

Named after our resident Marine Manager, this dive site hides many small treasures. Dwarf lionfish, leopard cowries and nudibranches all make their homes here, while the hard corals are covered in a profusion of featherstars.Zoe’s Delight is situated just a couple of minutes from the Paradise marina and, with its gentle current, is a big favouite with underwater photographers. Add in the resident

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-20096944812502175482008-04-17T15:51:00.001+12:002008-04-17T16:33:21.036+12:002008-04-17T16:33:21.036+12:00

Maximise your Paradise diving experience by booking one of our 10 dive packages – it includes a totally free dive!Packages are available both with and without gear and allow guests to concentrate on enjoying the fabulous Fijian marine life.Not sure how many dives you’ll do? No problem. Our dive team will keep a tally of the number of dives you’ve completed and willupgrade you to the package as

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-45694270501528566582008-04-03T10:45:00.000+12:002008-04-03T10:47:49.923+12:002008-04-03T10:47:49.923+12:00

If you fancy yourself to have a sharp pair of eyes, spend some time at the Paradise dive sites and find out how many different nudibranchs you can spot.These slugs of the ocean come in a whole rainbow of colours and can range in size from very tiny to as big as your thumb.Our favourite sites for nudi-spotting are Dolphin Bay and Coral Gardens. The record stands at 14 different types of

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-62991346503279102202008-03-09T13:17:00.000+12:002008-03-09T12:33:43.085+12:002008-03-09T12:33:43.085+12:00

As one of our Divemasters says – this is the place where fish are made!Situated on the inner side of Vuna Reef, Fish Factory can be dived on rising and falling tides, and is also great for snorkellers.When we dived it yesterday, we saw two turtles and six whitetip reef sharks – plus a wealth of beautiful soft corals and hundreds of smaller reef fish. With something for everybody, this is a diving

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-66820962650044521922008-02-18T15:51:00.009+12:002008-02-25T16:50:56.350+12:002008-02-25T16:50:56.350+12:00

You never know what you might see on a Paradise snorkel safari…Imagine looking down through the clear blue waters to see a magnificent manta ray swimming past you. That’s exactly what happened to our guest, Giovanni, during his snorkel trip to ‘Steve’s Corner’. The ray circled him several times before gliding away into the distance. Lucky Giovanni!Pictured is one of Giovanni’s fantastic shots of

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-72414155110154500752008-02-18T15:21:00.007+12:002008-03-04T11:30:21.403+12:002008-03-04T11:30:21.403+12:00

A new addition to our Marine Activities is Night Snorkelling – and our guests have been having some great trips.The snorkel adventure leaves from our marina and our experienced guide leads guests around the House Reef – complete with torches of course!Featherstars, crabs and lionfish have all been common night-time sights, and some lucky snorkellers have even seen parrotfish hidden in the coral

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-88774584904768086342008-02-17T10:04:00.008+12:002008-02-17T10:28:19.108+12:002008-02-17T10:28:19.108+12:00

Paradise divers have been heading underwater with Pro Dive Taveuni and their cameras, taking advantage of the incredible visability.Recently, Italian snorkeller Giovanni Fossati stayed in Paradise Taveuni in Fiji, with his partner Cecilia Clementi.Giovanni took numerous photos of the underwater wonders around Paradise.To see his photos, visit the gallery page on the Paradise Taveuni

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-51081852108076064342008-01-19T15:49:00.000+12:002008-01-19T16:05:44.405+12:002008-01-19T16:05:44.405+12:00

The next generation of Paradise divers have begun their diving careers - Litea, Laite and Aporosa (our fabulous meke dancers) all successfully completed their PADI Junior Open Water courses last week. Congratulations!The kids coped admirably with the heavy gear and technical terms and proved themselves totally at ease in the water. Even the dreaded mask clearing was no problem!The highlight for

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-83453626405440540412007-12-13T15:03:00.000+12:002007-12-13T15:11:22.445+12:002007-12-13T15:11:22.445+12:00

New PADI Divemasters Wilson and Ilisoni had an unexpected visitor during their DM training dives – a Manta Ray!The rest of the Pro Dive Taveuni team – Allan, Zoe and Manasa – were putting the boys through their paces on the House Reef when the graceful ray cruised past.Manta rays are sometimes seen on our dive sites but to see one just 20m from our marina and in a depth of only 5m was an amazing

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35213874.post-63922464358525924372007-12-08T11:20:00.000+12:002007-12-08T11:41:12.879+12:002007-12-08T11:41:12.879+12:00

Cyclone Daman has tried to get to Paradise - but NO GO!The tropical cyclone is now north north east of the Fiji islands and is travelling out to sea. Taveuni has experience little wind and some rain over the last 2 days and therefore no damage to our garden island has occured.This morning our dive boat took divers out to Vuna Reef to the Fish Factory. All resort activities and adventures are on

Allan in Paradisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17734242796900634458noreply@blogger.com0