Rainbow Reef

Rainbow Reef lies in the Somosomo Strait between Taveuni and Vanua Levu, and it is one of the great soft coral diving destinations in the world. The reef is renowned for the density and variety of its soft corals — fans, whips, and encrusting corals in vivid reds, purples, yellows, and oranges — along with the diverse reef fish and pelagic species that come with a healthy coral ecosystem. Visibility is typically excellent.

The signature site is the Great White Wall: a vertical coral wall that drops from about 15 metres into the blue, covered in white soft coral that seems to glow in the clear water. Current can be strong here, so it is recommended for experienced divers. Other sites on the reef — White Wall, Purple Wall, the Cabbage Patch — are accessible at various skill levels. Several dive operators based on Taveuni offer guided trips.

things to do sight swimming
A story
The Great White Wall, one of Rainbow Reef's signature dive sites, is a vertical drop covered in white soft coral from 15 to 65 metres depth. The white colour comes from the absence of symbiotic algae in the coral — when divers descend into the cooler, darker water below the thermocline, the coral appears to glow against the deep blue. It is one of the few places in the world where this phenomenon occurs on such a scale.