Known Links to Underworld Figures

Courtesy of Diana Simon

My nephew, Stephen, and I prepare to dig deep beneath the waves.

For all the beauty of the island itself, the most spectacular natural feature is the Great Astrolabe Reef which extends 30 kilometers north of the island into the clear waters of the Kadavu Passage. The reefs bends around on itself to form a thumb shaped lagoon in which ten beautiful islands lay. It then runs down to the eastern end of the island and wraps around the length of the southern coast.

While many of the world’s reefs have suffered from massive coral kill offs, the Astrolabe remains a vibrant garden of aquatic diversity. But even a reef as large as the Astrolabe cannot long withstand the pressures of commercial fishing. Modern equipment such as outboard engines, sophisticated fish-finders, and scuba equipment have taken an obvious toll on the populations of fish, shells, bech-de-mer, and many other marine species. To create a safe haven and preserve prime breeding grounds, the French government, still active and influential in the South Pacific, has donated scientists, patrol boats and money to help establish and monitor the Naingoro Pass Marine Reserve on Kadavu’s eastern end.

I am an avid underwater hunter, and because I approach the sport with respect and restraint I am normally unapologetic about spearing a few fish for my dinner. But I do not regret the prohibition of fishing in these reserves. In fact I hope that they may be dramatically expanded to cover more significant and strategic areas of the world’s reefs. A well-policed reserve provides a natural baseline study area for scientists monitoring other reefs worldwide, and this is the critical starting point of all good science.

Through the draw of sustainable tourism reefs provide employment and much needed income to local villages. The awareness that the environment can have more value when preserved in its natural state rather than through an extractive grab of resource ultimately seeps into the consciousness of the people and fosters a gentler treatment of the surrounding sea and land alike.

We arranged to have a dive-master from a local dive resort meet us at an anchorage near the pass. He provided the dive-boat and tanks; we provided the rest of the equipment. Diana came along to snorkel the top of the reef while my nephew, Stephen, and I dug deep beneath the waves. As it was only Stephen’s fifth dive and I was pleased to see how attentive and professional Mica, our dive master, was. He knew the area intimately, explained our dive plan in detail, and then led us underwater into an area he called “The Fish Market.”