Scuba Diving in Fiji: The Top 5 Dive Regions & Best Wreck Dives

White-sand beaches and warm waters. Manta rays and whales. A rainbow of corals - Fiji really is a diver's dream.

Wherever you are in Fiji, you'll be close to a world-class dive spot, each with its own flavour, from wreck dives to manta rays or fluttering, snow-white soft corals.

Back on land - all Fiji's 333 islands - you're guaranteed a warm welcome from Fijians, with plenty of infrastructure to support experienced divers and those wanting to learn how to scuba, with dive schools for kids as young as eight.

Read on for our guide to the best scuba diving sites in Fiji.

Located in the south of the main island, Beqa Lagoon is offshore from Pacific Harbour, an hour's drive from Suva, or 2.5 hours drive from Nadi. Beqa is best known for its shark dives and wrecks; the 30 dive sites within the lagoon include the seven pinnacles that make up the Seven Sisters, Caesar's Rock, Turtle Head - a favourite hang for turtles - and sheltered Swim-Through City.

Offshore from Rakiraki, 2.5 hours' drive north of Nadi, there are more than 50 dive sites where you can swim with schools of glittering reef fish, past vibrantly coloured corals and dive with sharks and eagle rays. Beginners can test the waters at Neptune's Wedding chapel, while whaler sharks are found at Breathtaker.

The Great Sea Reef and Namena Marine Park are found off the coast of Savusavu, on Fiji's second largest island, Vanua Levu. This region in the north of the country is beloved by Jean-Michel Cousteau, and for good reason; dive site Dreamhouse is renowned for its hammerhead sharks, while the Great White Wall's incredible snow-white soft corals are world class.

There's great variety in these western islands, with wreck diving, shark dives, and terrain for experienced divers. You'll find turtles all year round, and bull sharks visit between March and October, while manta rays drop in from May to October. Full-day dive trips are available from hotels in Nadi.

The world’s fourth-largest reef is found off the island of Kadavu, in southern Fiji. There are more than 60 dive sites, most in pristine condition, with incredible drop-offs at the outer reefs. You're in big-fish central, with mantas, hammerheads, marlin and tuna. Not big enough? Humpback whales and whale sharks are spotted at differing times of the year.

Whether you're into wreck diving or love skimming drop-offs, you'll find a diving site in Fiji that'll take your breath away. Breathe in, breathe out... and prepare to be dazzled at Fiji's wreck diving sites.

Beqa is a wreck diving hotspot, and the many sunken ships include the former fishing vessel the MV Raiyawa, the 40-metre cruise ship the Salamanda - popular with underwater photographers - and also the Tasu II, a fishing vessel at the Seven Sisters dive site. Off the coast at Pacific Harbour, between Suva and Nadi on the south coast, the wrecks are now rich artificial reefs, at around 27 and 30 metres deep, respectively. The sheltered Beqa Lagoon's also a haven for angelfish, nudibranch, and lionfish.

In another life, the Satitoa was a Samoan ferry until it sank in a storm off the coast of Kadavu, Fiji's third largest island, in 2000. While the wreck's covered in corals and sponges, you'll also spy barracuda and trevally around the site, and - selfie alert - divers love exploring its cabins and bridge.

You don't have to go far to find wreck sites from Suva - the Nagali is a 40-metre cargo vessel scuttled just off the coast of the Fijian capital. With calm waters and great visibility, you'll find plenty of soft and hard corals, as well as its resident lionfish and eels.

The island of Ovalau is off the western coast of Vitu Levu, and here you'll find the MV Ovalau, a sunken inter-island ferry that you can swim through; keep your eyes out for reef sharks and octopuses. The wreck's found at a depth of 30 metres.

There are more than 1200 species of fish in Fiji, but let's be honest - you really want to dive with the big boys, don't you?

• Manta Rays: Fiji's stars of the underwater world like to holiday here between May and October. There are several sites where you'll find these giant rays, including Manta Ray Passage, a channel in the Yasawa Islands (the name's a dead giveaway, right?), as well as in the Lomaiviti Islands off the coast of Suva and in the Kadavu archipelago. How big are we talking here? Mantas here are usually around 3.5 metres wide, though some of Fiji's most famous tourists have wingspans up to an incredible 5 metres, and are either black or chevron-morphed (darker on the back with a white belly).

• Giant Groupers: Gentle and ginormous, giant groupers can grow up to 2.7 metres long, and tip the scales at up to 400 kilograms. They're renowned for being curious and calm towards divers, and they don't stray far from home. They're often found in the Beqa Lagoon off Pacific Harbour.

• Sharks: Sharks love Fiji, and range from playful grey reef and sicklefin lemon sharks, right up to the nocturnal tawny nurse and tiger sharks - and the headliners, bull sharks. Sharks are most active in Fiji's waters in the winter months, and The Colosseum is a private marine reserve and shark sanctuary in the Beqa Lagoon, especially beloved by bull sharks.

• Know before you go: dive operators will know the tides, depths, currents, marine animals, and dangers of any dive sites.
• Always dive with a buddy who's also certified, and watch out for each other.
• Test your gear and do a safety check at 5 metres, and be prepared to call off the dive if there are any queries or concerns about the equipment or your ability to dive in current conditions.
• Touch nothing and take nothing: leave Fiji and its animals as perfect as you found them.
• Diving is thirsty work; stay hydrated with water or go local and drink fresh coconut water.
• Remember to pack sunscreen and a wet bag to hold your valuables.
• Pack reef shoes.