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Located in the South Pacific, the archipelago of Fiji is part of remote and rarely visited Oceania. The Republic of Fiji's 300-plus islands are of volcanic origin. Join our team armed with still and video cameras determined to document the reefs by day and engage in lively conversation at night. The rugged terrain of the islands includes towering peaks as high as 4,000 feet / 1,200 meters. Lushly forested, the islands are blessed with great natural beauty. Offshore, Fiji is ringed with brilliant soft corals of unprecedented beauty and has great diversity of marine organisms. Divers are likely to encounter sea snakes, stonefish, clown fish, sponges, reef fish, rays, sharks, whales and dolphins. The climate is mild, with daytime temperatures varying from 68 to 86 degrees F (20 to 30 Celsius). Water temperatures vary by season from an average of 83 degrees F to 78 F, so plan on packing a wetsuit for diving and a sweater for evenings. So why are the reefs here so significant? Well, there are five key ingredients in the perfect coral reef recipe -- all of them found in central Fiji region: - Temperature & Climate - coral reefs require warm tropical water and sunlight.
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Salinity, Nutrients & Food - Central Fiji's reefs benefit from the combined effect of nutrient-rich run-off and deep-ocean upwelling. Encouraged by prevailing southeast trade winds, the clean food-laden ocean water is funneled into and along the deep channel between Fiji's two main islands, Viti Levi and Vanua Levu. And a balancing nutrient load comes down from those two high islands out onto the barrier reefs and into the same central channel.
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Circulation - tidal and wind-driven currents are intensified through Fiji's center. They play a crucially important role in circulating cleansing water flow, removing sediment and moving food back and forth throughout the reef system. These same currents aid in the daily mixing of broadcast spawn from fish and invertebrates.
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Protection - coral reefs need shelter to truly thrive. Open ocean atolls are usually not so luxuriant and abundant as they must develop amid the constant pounding of ocean swells and storm surf. Central Fiji's maze of barrier reefs provides ideal protection without compromising the important water movement.
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New Recruits - Central Fiji is a nexus for spawn from coral reef animals that have traveled thousands of miles looking for a place to mingle and colonize. This spawn, carried over the open sea surface from all over the Tropical Pacific, finds in Fiji a perfect stop-off point at which to stop, settle and grow. Fiji is the first major barrier for spawn that has traveled across the Pacific with the southeast trades. Like other food and nutrients, this spawn is concentrated in Central Fiji waters, by the topography of the barrier reefs, the deep Bligh Water channel and the life-breathing currents. View Map | | **UPDATE-EXPEDITION VESSEL WILL NOT BE NAI'A - PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL FOR DETAILS** | Expedition Cost and Logistics | Standard Fee | Discounted Fee* | | | | $4585 | $4485 | (10-day trip) | Feb 27 - March 9 | | $3212 | $3140 | (7-day trip) | March 13 - March 20th | Liveaboard costs include Fiji government tax, Park Fees, Nitrox, and transportation to the boat. Not Included in above: Deposit required to reserve a spot. Payment Options are as Follows : -
Pay by phone (360-570-3453) using credit card : VISA or MC - $1500.00 deposit. The remainder will be charged to the same credit card on a payment schedule with the balance due 90 days prior to the expedition. -
Pay by check, minimum $1500.00 deposit, to receive the cash discount*. The balance will be due on a set payment schedule. There will be a $25.00 late payment fee charged on all payments not made on time. -
Pay by wire transfer, $1500.00 minimum to be eligible for cash discount*, plus wire transfer fee ($15.00). Call or e-mail to obtain wiring instructions Please send check payments, in US dollars, made out to: "Imaging Foundation" To: Ana Martin
Imaging Foundation
908 East Bay Dr. NE, #E102
Olympia, WA 98506 Call or email us with any questions. .Trip insurance may be found at Divers Alert Network (DAN) and we strongly recommend it. The Imaging Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to image based natural history education. Each project has a specific focus. While no prior experience is required to become an Imaging Foundation volunteer, our volunteers need to be adaptable, energetic, and be willing to work as part of an expedition team. Volunteers become vital team members in the development of fresh, new, cutting edge classroom uploads. Employing the Internet and pod casting, Imaging Foundation teams are reaching kids in novel, innovative ways. Who taught you about the ocean? Isn’t it time you gave back? Join an Imaging Foundation expedition, make a difference and enjoy the best dive trip you have ever had. Most foreign destinations require US citizens to carry a valid US passport. Please visit The Bureau of Consular Affairs website to check the trip destination requirements regarding passport and visa. If you are a non-US citizen please check the website of your country of citizenship regarding the trip destination requirements for entry. It is the responsibility of all passengers to obtain the appropriate visas for their expedition. If you have any questions please contact the Imaging Foundation. | | Recommended Reading, Great Reference!
AND - your purchase helps to fund the Mission of the Imaging Foundation.
Reef Fish Identification - Tropical Pacific
(Paperback)
by Gerald Allen, Roger Steene, Paul Humann, Ned Deloach | | Lonely Planet Fiji
(Lonely Planet Fiji) (Paperback)
by Korina Miller, Robyn Jones, Leonardo Pinheiro "The name Fiji comes from the Tongan name for the islands and was given to the archipelago after the arrival of the Europeans. | | | Insight Pocket Guide Fiji Islands
(Insight Pocket Guide Fiji) (Paperback)
There is no finer introduction to Fiji than a cruise from Nadi to the scattered island jewels of the nearby Mamanutha group | | Moon Handbooks Fiji
(Paperback)
by David Stanley
If you want to travel to any of the 322 islands in the Fiji archipelago, this guidebook includes vivid descriptions of the islands' dazzling beaches, rainforests, and reefs, with a special focus on scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing. | | | Life in Feejee: Five Years Among the Cannibals: A Woman's Account of Voyaging the Fiji Islands Aboard the "Zotoff" (1844-49)
(Paperback) | Reference Map of Oceania:
The Pacific Islands of Micronesia, Polynesia, Melanesia
(Map) | |
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