Shark Reef Marine Reserve (Beqa Channel)

Shark Reef Marine Reserve is a protected reef dive site located in the Beqa Channel, Fiji, established in April 2004 as the first marine sanctuary of its kind in Fiji dedicated to the protection of sharks and their ecosystem. The reserve was set up with the formal involvement of the Fiji Department of Fisheries and the traditional village owners of Wainiyabia and Galoa, who relinquished their fishing rights over the reef in exchange for a levy paid by every diver who participates in the shark dive.

The resident shark population comprises eight species regularly encountered here: Bull Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Tawny Nurse Sharks, Sicklefin Lemon Sharks, and Silvertip Sharks. April and November are noted seasons in relation to shark activity at this site.

This is an advanced-level dive suited to experienced divers comfortable in the presence of large apex predators. The site is conducted as a structured shark dive rather than a casual reef dive, and its conservation mandate extends to the full reef ecosystem and its fish life, not sharks alone.