Fiji, Molokai, Little Corn Island, St. Eustatius: Undercurrent 11/2019

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When I read reports from our readers, I'm always interested in their dive trips to those operators that advertise little and remain undiscovered in the mainstream. So this month, I'll note a few, as well as a few problems you might like to avoid as you travel the world.

Fiji is one country with many lovely small dive resorts, and the beauty of the country and its people's charm make it a delightful diving destination. Oneta, on Fiji's remote Astrolabe Reef, is a new find for Dave White (Arcata CA), who has dived two other Fiji resorts. "The only resort on Ono Island, with a capacity around 25 or so. Single bedroom bures or villas (that get families). Their rental equipment is nearly new. Food was excellent: mostly Fijian with lots of mild curry dishes and fresh fish . . . Initially, I was disappointed with the soft corals, but at the Blue Wall, soft coral was everywhere. North end sites have the best hard corals and lots of macro critters. White tip or zebra sharks on most dives, occasionally turtles, dolphins on the surface, and a humpback whale breached next to the boat. Mantas, eagle rays, stingrays, and the usual tropical fish. They put beginner divers on a separate boat. Various 'Survivor' series are filmed in this area, and guys in boats sometimes kept us from certain dive sites. There is no town, no stores." onetaresort.com divefiji.com.

Off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, Little Corn Island attracts adventurous divers (see our review, January 2017). In July, Mark Ravitz (Brooklyn, NY), who's been diving for more than 40 years, stayed at the Yemaya Resort and went out with Dolphin Dive. "We wanted to visit Little Corn because it is off the beaten path. We saw spotless and healthy reefs with fish more abundant than in other parts of the Caribbean. No cars or motorcycles on the island, population 800 people. The divemaster carried a spear so he could kill lionfish; he has been efficient, as we only saw small lionfish. The lionfish were fed to nurse sharks, lobster, and moray eels. The topography underwater was varied, and the deepest we got was around 80 feet. Pictures of Little Corn underwater: https://tinyurl.com/y49gnbj3 www.dolphindivelittlecorn.com...

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