Purple Turtle - Kadavu & Great Astrolabe Reef
The team at Purple Turtle are what makes diving Kadavu truly special. They run a tight ship from their base, offering a refreshingly personal experience in a part of Fiji we think is often overlooked. You won’t find a website, just good old-fashioned word-of-mouth, which tells you a lot about their confidence in what they deliver. We’ve always been impressed by their local knowledge, navigating the Great Astrolabe Reef with an ease that comes from years on the water, finding those quiet corners and vibrant bommies. We love that they focus on smaller groups, meaning you actually get to spend time below the surface, rather than fighting for a view. Our favourite dives with them often involve drifting along the outer walls of the Astrolabe, feeling the gentle push of the current as schools of jacks shimmer past. Keep an eye out for the resident manta rays that frequent the channels, especially around high tide when they come in to feed. They’re excellent at finding the little stuff too, nudibranchs tucked into crevices and the flash of a pygmy seahorse if you’re lucky. If you’re after a genuine, unpretentious dive experience in Fiji, away from the bigger resort crowds, Purple Turtle is your spot. Just be prepared to unplug; it’s part of the charm.
- Location
- Kadavu & Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -18.233000, 178.050000
- Certification Agencies
- ["PADI"]
Dive Sites Near Purple Turtle
Purple Turtle provides access to 15 dive sites in Kadavu & Great Astrolabe Reef.
- 3 Sisters - 23m
- Always Cool - 19m
- Amazing Maze - 19m
- Annie’s Bommie - 20m (reef)
- Anytime - 22m
- ANZAC - 22m
- Aquarium - 17m
- Arch - 20m (cave)
- Backyard Beach - 13m
- Barracuda Drift - 18m (drift)
- Barracuda Hole
- Base Jump - 20m
- Bats Reef - 18m (reef)
- BAWAQA - 0m (wreck)
- Beqa Lagoon (reef)
Other Dive Centres in Kadavu & Great Astrolabe Reef
Marine Life in Kadavu & Great Astrolabe Reef
Home to 385 recorded species including 289 reef fish, 66 hard corals, 12 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 clams & mussels, 3 sharks & rays, 2 other.
Notable Marine Life
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma hardwicke) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma lutescens) - Reef Fish
- Roundhead Parrotfish (Scarus globiceps) - Reef Fish
- Dusky Parrotfish (Scarus niger) - Reef Fish
- Dot and dash Butterflyfish (Chaetodon pelewensis) - Reef Fish
- Bird wrasse (Gomphosus varius) - Reef Fish
- Schlegel's Parrotfish (Scarus schlegeli) - Reef Fish
- Lineated Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish