Great Sea Reef

The Cakaulevu, or Great Sea Reef, runs for around two hundred kilometres along the northern side of Vanua Levu and into the waters beyond, and it is usually described as one of the longest continuous barrier reef systems in the world, with the exact ranking depending on how the systems are measured. It supports fisheries for a large number of coastal communities, holds significant populations of sharks and rays, and is far less visited than the southern reefs.

What you actually see

• The reef system - a barrier running some two hundred kilometres along the north.
• The fisheries - the villages along the coast that depend on the reef.
• The sharks and rays - populations documented across the system in surveys.
• The remoteness - very few operators and almost no visiting divers.

When to go

May to October is the drier season and calmest. Access depends entirely on weather and boat availability. Cyclone season runs November to April.

Honest expectations

The length ranking is often stated as third in the world; it depends on how continuous systems are defined and should be treated as approximate. There is very little tourism infrastructure and few operators. Access is through communities that own the fishing rights.

Nearby

Labasa is the nearest town on Vanua Levu, and Kia Island lies out on the reef.