Solomon Islands & Fiji
TROPICAL WONDERLAND & SOFT CORALS
Sep 2023 • 16 DAYS • 16 GUESTS
Travel into the heart of the South Pacific, where cultural traditions, island hospitality, colorful reefs with an abundance of fish life, coupled with picturesque surroundings will dazzle your senses. Join Wild Earth Expeditions on an incredible journey to the Solomon Islands and Fiji, an exotic wonderland of tropical islands, rich in marine life and cultural diversity.
Discover the Solomon Islands, a land lost in time, situated inside the famous Coral-Triangle. Experience beautiful island culture with diverse and exhilarating diving and snorkeling. Imagine being on a small tropical island, perched on the edge of the longest lagoon in the world, accommodated in a relaxed and comfortable resort, effortlessly absorbing the natural wonders and authentic beauty of this remote part of the South Pacific. Uepi Island Resort is located on a barrier reef island, covered in lush tropical rainforest, defined by a fringing reef and white sandy beaches with a shallow lagoon on one side, and the oceanic depths on the other. Whether exploring the big-blue 2000m walls surrounding the island, or watching sharks, tunas, jacks, barracudas and Manta rays glide past in the channels, or exploring the shallow coral gardens of the lagoon, witness an explosion of color as hundreds of brightly colored fish swim around you in the warm tropical waters. With its many and complex terrestrial and marine habitats, the natural beauty and pristine environment of Marovo Lagoon and Uepi is outstanding.
In Honiara witness the buying and selling action at the bustling Central Market; enjoy spectacular views of Iron Bottom Sound and the surrounding mountains; take a historical tour of the famous WWII Guadalcanal battle sites and dive/snorkel coral-encrusted WWII wrecks, now home to an abundance of fish life.
Slip your mask on and splash into Fiji’s bountiful underwater world. Snorkel and dive its world-famous reefs from the comforts of our privately chartered yacht, the Nai’a. Explore coral gardens bursting with vibrant soft corals, dramatic coral-encrusted walls, and overhangs, teeming with a myriad of colorful fish. From Manta rays to mantis shrimp, dolphins to dartfish, sharks to the most colorful soft corals, Fiji’s has it all. Since 1993 the Nai’a has explored and discovered many of the finest dive sites, including the remote barrier reefs near Vatu-i-ra, Namena, Wakaya, and Gau in the Koro Sea. The reefs surrounding these islands have healthy populations of white-tip and grey reef sharks, plus schooling trevally, barracuda, manta rays, and other pelagics. The experienced Dive crew onboard know exactly where to find rare creatures, such as blue-ribbon eels, ghost pipefish, crinoid shrimp, leafy scorpionfish, and pygmy seahorses. They also know when and where to find feeding manta rays and how to get close to sharks in their natural environment.
HIGHLIGHTS
Explore incredible coral gardens and steep walls dripping in rainbow-colored soft corals and teeming with colorful reef fish
Luxuriate aboard our privately chartered yacht and dive/snorkel Fiji’s top sites
Discover Marovo Lagoon and stay at a remote coral atoll island resort with an incredible house reef
Experience genuine warm and welcoming Melanesian hospitality and culture
Swim alongside manta rays, sharks, turtles, schooling jacks, and barracudas
Soak up the sun as you witness paradise islands with white sand beaches and coconut trees
Get close to a heart-stopping frenzy of apex predators with the chance to see up to 7 different species of sharks
Post Extension - Beqa Shark Diving
SEP 2023 · 4 DAYS · 12 GUESTS
Scuba divers get ready for a heart stopping frenzy of Apex predators, groupers, remoras, snappers and other predatory fish on one of the world’s most thrilling shark dives. Come face to face with up to seven species of sharks, including; Bull, Tiger, Silvertip, Lemon, Tawny Nurse sharks and several species of reef sharks. This Pre-Extension to Fiji’s Beqa Lagoon will have you rolling in with some of the most revered sharks in the world.
RESERVE MY SPACE & ENQUIRIES
You've got that "I don't want to miss out" feeling for a good reason. Our expeditions are life changers and we have a solid following of Wild Earth Explorers who love returning to adventure with us. Don't hesitate in reserving your space today.
“Hats off to Thomas and Natalia for organizing an incredible expedition to Fiji & Tonga. The locations were magnificent, the diving awe inspiring. We will never forget our first shark dive. What a thrill to see huge Bull Sharks a few feet from you surrounded by swarms of smaller fish! The choices of the resorts and dive sites was superb. We were always in the best beachfront rooms in the best resorts. And the logistics spoke to the attention to detail and good planning which we know is part of Thomas and Natalia’s nature. But what sets Wild Earth Expeditions apart from other expedition companies is the customized attention to individual needs, the small unexpected treats, complimentary massages, and special candlelit dinners which were sprung on a delighted group of guests. We recommend Wild Earth Expeditions to anyone who is looking for an adventure experience with two of the most talented and experienced people in the business.”
M/V Nai’a - Live Aboard Yacht
ACCOMMODATION DECK: Nai’a has 9 air-conditioned staterooms with private en-suite bathrooms. The Staterooms are bright, airy, comfortable and larger than those on most dive vessels, with plenty of stowage for gear. Each room has 110 and 220 Volt power outlets.
DIVE DECK: Nai’a’s huge dive deck bridges the 30ft beam of the ship. The crew take care of filling tanks and loading gear into skiffs from the aft dive platform. Positioned midships it is a stable and spacious place to gear up and listen to dive briefings. Return from a dive to hot deck showers and clean dry towels.
STERN DIVE PLATFORM: Nai’a newly enlarged stern platform offers great manoeuvring room as you step off the tenders. The extended platform has increased the ships speed and comfort on ocean crossings. Nai’a uses two 22ft rigid inflatables. These are robust boats and their low freeboard makes them easy to exit and enter.
CAMERA ROOM: You can rinse your camera gear in the two large freshwater dip tanks. Compressed air for cleaning and drying your equipment. The camera room has loads of storage and workspace. Both 110 and 220-volt charging strips. Nai’a features a computer charging and storage console in the Salon and giant flat-screen HD TV.
SUNDECK & WHEELHOUSE: The top deck is where you’ll find the wheelhouse, captain and crew quarters and a huge sundeck. The whole roof area is an open-air sun platform, ideal for whale watching or sunbathing on comfortable lounge chairs. The crow’s nest on the mast, fifty feet above the water, is the ideal spot for yelling “thar she blows’ when sighting a whale.
PULPIT: The pulpit over the bow is another great place to lounge or to view bow-riding dolphins or breaching whales. When cool ocean breezes are blowing this is the place to be. Protected from the wind and exposed to the sun.
WILD EARTH LEADERS
PHOTO CREDIT © Thomas & Natalia Baechtold, Reef Resort, Fafa Island Resort