The Fans

The Fans is an intermediate dive in the Somosomo Strait off Taveuni, Fiji, named for the extraordinary concentration of gorgonian sea fans that decorate this section of reef. Enormous fan corals, some exceeding two metres in span, grow perpendicular to the current to maximize plankton capture, creating a forest of delicate, lace-like structures. The fans provide habitat for longnose hawkfish, pygmy seahorses, and ornate ghost pipefish — prized macro subjects for underwater photographers. Between the fan forests, soft corals add their signature Fijian colour palette. Schools of fusiliers stream through the fan corridor, and turtles rest in the sheltered overhangs. A paradise for wide-angle and macro photography alike.