We were really itching to see some of Fji’s coral reefs before we have to move on, so with our chore list whittled down we set out for Namena Island, located within a barrier reef about 25 nm southwest of Savusavu.   There’s a resort on the north end of the island, but the south end is left largely as nature intended – except for a single mooring ball, which we gladly tied onto. Namena Island is part of a marine conservation area and the fish seem to know it.  Even the little honeycomb groupers are relaxed.

The big resident barracuda is excessively friendly and may have been previously handfed. We work hard not to feed our hands to anyone and had to poke this big guy with a stick to get our message across.

But the little guys are also out in force.

Clouds of anthias coat the upstream side of each reef wall.

Choice corals are heavily colonized.

 

We spend hours holding our breath for the instant when the wiggling chaos resolves into a group photo.

Herding anthias and sardinyweenies is fun but it’s easier to work with fewer subjects..

 

Clownfish are born performers who can’t get enough attention, even though they try to pretend they’re bashful.

They’ll stare at the camera for hours,

unless they live in a rare purple anemone which makes them strangely shy.

 

The toughest subjects are small and fast,

or big, lurky and delicious.

But even the lurky and delicious can be found in a moment of quiet personal hygiene, like this grouper at the cleaner wrasse salon.

Sedate bottom-sitters make the easiest portraits.

We have our favorites and they are not always easy targets.

“The brighter the better” is our motto.

 

The top performers in the coloration and cuteness categories are these tiny fellows we call “Dr. Seuss Fish” (otherwise known as longnose filefish).

but we also give points for underwater industry to the stately triggerfish who spend their days industriously turning over bottom chunks with their lips in search of treats.