Here be dolphins

By Anirbhan Mahapatra

Perched on a forlorn and forested tip of the northeastern coastline of Viti Levu, Moon Reef is not exactly the iconic Fijian destination that glossy magazine features or glitzy travel expositions would have you believe. There are no resort-lines beaches here, or fine restaurants, or festive markets or floating clubs for that matter. On the best of days, urbanity manifests its presence here in the form of a solitary bar of signal on your mobile phone. Indeed, most tourists who visit Fiji return to their homes without even hearing about the place, let alone seeing it with their own eyes.

Except of course the most intrepid travellers — like my friend Dirk. Some years ago, shortly before I arrived to live in Fiji, Dirk and I were sitting over breakfast in another corner of the world, flipping through a guidebook for independent travellers planning to visit Fiji. ‘Moon Reef!’ he suddenly exclaimed, poring over the book with excitement. ‘One of only a couple of reliable places in Fiji to spot dolphins!’ His words caught my ear like a guard dog picking up a rustle in the woods. ‘So this is where we must go when I visit you in Fiji,’ Dirk said, looking visibly enthused. Of course we must, I replied with sincerity. This sounded like a good plan already.

Cut to two years later. It’s a hot and humid late-summer week in Suva, and Dirk and his wife Karin have finally come to Fiji on their South Pacific holiday. Seizing the opportunity to execute our long-laid plan, the three of us leave Suva early one morning, and drive almost 85 kilometres — the last stretch on an unmarked and seemingly unending gravelled track meandering through the woods — to reach Silana, a tiny oceanside village of pretty homes skirted by a sublimely beautiful black-sand beach.

Stepping out of the car, we realise this is perhaps as far as one can get from the manicured tourist hotspots of Fiji. Unlike the popular beaches to the west of the country, the pristine sands here bear no impression of human footprints — save us three, there isn’t another traveller around. A thick veil of primal greenery envelopes us on three sides, while a placid ocean engages our field of vision out front, its lapis hued water reflecting the sky like a giant mirror all the way to the horizon.

About seven kilometres out on these waters is Moon Reef, aptly named due to its distinct crescent shape. Owing to its shallow depth and a single guarded entrance into its inner lagoon, the reef has historically provided shelter to a local population of spinner dolphins, who swim into its recess every morning and spend the whole day resting in the shallows, before leaving to feed in the open ocean after sundown. Village residents along the coast have traditionally treated the dolphins with utmost care and respect, and some believe them to be guardian spirits leading departed human souls into the afterlife. Needless to say, the dolphins feel fully protected in these waters, and the absence of hunting or poaching has resulted in the flourishing of their population over the years.

Tourist infrastructure in Silana is conspicuous by its absence. The only place equipped to handle visitors is a modest guesthouse run by the village community, which also serves as the launchpad for the dolphin safari. Soon after we reach the premises of the establishment, we are met by Jay, one of the guesthouse proprietors who also doubles as the chief safari guide. After quickly digging into a refreshing platter of fresh local avocados and bananas, Jay leads us to the motorboat. Without wasting any time, we pull away from the shore, and head out to sea in search of dolphins.

Twenty minutes later, we reach the edge of Moon Reef. And no sooner than we turn into the lagoon, an oceanic spectacle begins to unfold before our eyes. Out of almost nowhere, a pod of about 80 to 100 spinner dolphins rush to our boat, and begin dancing around us with juvenile energy, appearing as excited to see us as we are to see them. It is forbidden by local regulations to enter the water while the dolphins are around (as it may change their inherent behaviour vis-a-vis humans). So Jay slows the boat down to almost a crawl, while Dirk, Karin and I position ourselves on the bow and peer over the hull to get a closer look at the blithe creatures.

Photo: Tom Vierus

Beneath our dangling legs, a bunch of dolphins — numbering more than a dozen at times — keep pace with the boat, swimming only inches ahead of the bow. Literally like guides showing us the way, they dive repeatedly as the boat slowly advances through the water. Every once in a while, a couple of them shoot out of the water and execute a complex series of somersaults, twists and turns before splashing back into the sea. Others swim alongside the boat, wiggling joyously through the water before plunging into the crystal-clear depths of the reef, where we see them congregating and conferencing in circles, before coming back up to the surface again.

After more than an hour of watching these splendid animals in their wild habitat, Jay breaks contact and veers the boat away to the far end of the reef, where a mind-boggling array of hard and soft coral set the underwater scene for a delightful snorkelling experience. Now that we are far from the dolphins, we enter the water and are immediately awestruck by the stunning beauty of the reef, resplendent in its primordial glory. Taking advantage of the calm waters, I duck dive down to the shallow ocean floor to take a few photos of unspoilt coral formations. Jay meanwhile puts his fishing skills to test, and ends up hooking a five-foot barracuda. It’s a perfect prize to round off our stellar day out on the waters.

A little after noon, we make it back to shore, where we are treated by the ladies of the village to a most sumptuous lunch comprising local vegetables, seafood and fried chicken. We stuff our faces until we can eat no more, and then wistfully load ourselves into the car and head back to Suva. Our dream date with the dolphins finally comes to an end, but the memories of the encounter remain deeply etched in our minds for posterity.

Photo: Tom Vierus

  • BOOKING DETAILS: Day trips or overnight stays can be booked at Natalei Eco Lodge in Silana by writing to bo*****@na***************.com or calling +679 9916338.
  • GETTING THERE: It takes two hours by road to reach Silana village from Suva. Consider travelling in an SUV during the rainy season, when the village road may be swamped.
  • COST: The day package, including boat fees, guided dolphin safari, morning snacks, refreshments on board, snorkelling and lunch is FJ$380 per person (half for kids below 12).

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