Vatu Express - Kadavu & Great Astrolabe Reef
Vatu Express is a classic Kadavu drift, a good one for those who appreciate letting the reef come to them. We typically drop in and immediately feel that gentle push, gliding along a reef slope that holds plenty of the usual reef suspects – parrotfish picking at coral, groups of anthias shimmering near overhangs. The maximum depth of 23m means it’s a relaxed intermediate dive, good for getting comfortable with current. If you’re looking for a low-effort way to see a decent spread of Fiji’s reef fish, this drift does the job nicely.
- Location
- Kadavu & Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -17.298100, 178.457700
- Type
- drift
- Maximum Depth
- 23m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: Vanua Cokovata Nakorotubu
Nearby 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)
Nearest Dive Centres to Vatu Express
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 Species
- 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
- Banded-tail Coral-cod (Cephalopholis urodeta) - Reef Fish
- Batavian Parrotfish (Scarus psittacus) - Reef Fish
- Black-backed Wrasse (Anampses neoguinaicus) - Reef Fish
- Two-tone wrasse (Thalassoma amblycephalum) - Reef Fish
- Triangular Butterflyfish (Chaetodon baronessa) - Reef Fish
- Bandcheek wrasse (Oxycheilinus digramma) - Reef Fish
- Citron Butterfly (Chaetodon citrinellus) - Reef Fish
- Blunt-head Parrotfish (Chlorurus microrhinos) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Cheilinus trilobatus) - Reef Fish
- Filament-finned Parrotfish (Scarus altipinnis) - Reef Fish