Snorkeling – Exploring in Fiji, Road Scholar

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Activity note: Hotel check in available from 1:00 p.m.

Breakfast: Tropical Breakfast at Daku Resort

Morning: Morning flight from Nadi to Savusavu. Transfer to Daku Resort from Savusavu airport by van. Upon arrival, we will have breakfast followed by time at leisure to rest.

Lunch: Plated Lunch at Daku Resort

Afternoon: Program Orientation followed by Class: Masi – the Making of Traditional Fijian Tapa. Tapa is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. Fijian tapa is somewhat stiffer than Samoan or Tongan tapa. The patterns are much busier and clean cut and the colors are usually black and dark brown which stands out strongly against the white of the tapa. Before dinner there will be a snorkeling refresher on Introduction to Fiji’s Marine Environment which will take place in the pool or off the nearby shore.

Dinner: Welcome Dinner- Plated at Daku Resort

Evening: Instantly before dinner, there will be a brief cultural event: Yaqona and Tabua ceremonies of welcome. After dinner, there will be a Class: Fish Identification

Activity note: The snorkel site is an example of a place we may snorkel. The actual day we visit a particular snorkel site is dependent upon varying weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time and are very subject to switch. Safety is our very first consideration.

Breakfast: Tropical Breakfast at Daku Resort.

Morning: Morning Snorkeling: Namena Island. This petite island twenty miles to the south of Savusavu is surrounded by mile after mile of unexplored reefs. Seemingly bottomless drop-offs, multi-colored soft corals and ideal coral gardens support an abundance of marine life. This is the place to see the big fish cruising in from the insides of the Koro Sea. Barracuda, spanish mackerel, dog-tooth tuna, mantas and large sharks regularly patrol these reefs.

Lunch: Boxed lunch aboard the snorkeling boat

Afternoon: Afternoon Snorkeling- Continuation of Namena snorkeling sites. Namena has recently been voted one of the top ten dive sites in the world by "Sport Diver" magazine and it also provides never-to-be-forgotten, world class snorkeling. The area known as ‘Grand Central Station’, where we will snorkel, is so-called because every fish in the South Pacific seems to come through.

Dinner: Plated Dinner at Daku Resort

Evening: Band during dinner

Activity note: The snorkel site is an example of a place we may snorkel. The actual day we visit a particular snorkel site is dependent upon varying weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time and are very subject to switch. Safety is our very first consideration.

Breakfast: Tropical Breakfast at Daku Resort.

Morning: Excursion: Savusavu Town – an visit to town to exchange money, explore the local market and have a look around at your leisure.

Lunch: Plated Lunch at Daku Resort

Afternoon: Snorkel Turtle Alley – Named as such because turtle sitings are reasonably frequent. If you are fortunate, black spotted eagle rays. The coral goes are in pristine condition; the water here is too deep for fishing so they remain virtually untouched by humans. There is a profusion of hard corals of the acropoa family: When the sun is out their colours spring to life and you can see the blue tips of the acropora, and the green, mustard yellow and mauve hues of the pocillopora. There is some soft coral: clumps of Wire coral (hicksonella sp), a relative of sea fans; groups of Puckered Soft Coral (sarcophyton trocheliophorum); petite growths of crimson soft corals. There is slew of fish life: clouds of anthias and seargeant majors hover above the coral goes; parrot fish slip below; cleaner wrasse set up their stations and groom their clients; there are butterfly fish, batfish, surgeon fish and soldier fish.

Dinner: Plated Dinner at Daku Resort

Evening: Class: Coral Critters: Staying Alive. Staying alive is the name of the game in any city and survival involves many ways of protecting oneself from danger. This class will introduce you to some of the defense mechanisms of the inhabitants of Fiji’s coral reefs.

Activity note: The snorkel site is an example of a place we may snorkel. The actual day we visit a particular snorkel site is dependent upon varying weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time and are very subject to switch. Safety is our very first consideration.

Breakfast: Tropical Breakfast at Daku Resort.

Morning: There will be an chance for early morning bird-watching before breakfast for those interested. Snorkeling Field Journey: Snorkeling Field Tour to Split Rock – Split Rock is two hundred metres off shore; a large coral head, it is named for the distinctive split down one side. At the bottom of the split you can see purple gorgonian fans and pallid yellow soft corals. At the entrance to the split a fierce clown fish defends her anemone and the masculine takes refuge in its fronds. When a female clown fish dies, the masculine switches lovemaking and becomes female, and he next masculine moves up the hierarchy. Split Rock is one of the most colourful and enchanting sites of the bay, and endlessly fascinating in visit after visit.

Lunch: Plated Lunch at Daku Resort

Afternoon: Field Tour to Fijian Village – learn about Fijian herbal medicine and handicrafts – "meke" and choir entertainment by Vivili Villagers. A meke is a traditional Fijian dance typically performed during celebrations and festivals. Masculines and females each perform a separate dance never dancing together. The masculine dance is called the "meke moto" usually involving long spears. The dance is meant to symbolize the ancient warriors of the village. The female dance is called the "seasea" and involves the performers making rapid motions with their mitts and arms.

Dinner: Plated Dinner at Daku Resort

Evening: Q&A on Fijian culture, economy and politics (topics subject to switch depending upon group’s interests)

Activity note: The snorkel site is an example of a place we may snorkel. The actual day we visit a particular snorkel site is dependent upon varying weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time and are very subject to switch. Safety is our very first consideration.

Breakfast: Tropical Breakfast at Daku Resort.

Morning: Field Excursion: Pearl Farm Visit. The J.Hunter Pearl farm in Savusavu produces premium quality pearls: it began out with black pearls, but now produces a range of magnificent colours – gold, chocolate, pistachio and cobalt. The offices of the farm are on the edge of Savusavu town. We begin our visit there, where we will be shown a movie about the farm and pearl production. We then walk across the road to the jetty and board the glass bottomed boat which will take us out into the bay to visit the floating platforms where various stages of the cultivation take place. There will be a chance to snorkel at the Pearl Farm.

Lunch: Plated Lunch at Daku Resort.

Afternoon: Snorkel Lesciaceva Lagoon – Sheltered behind the main reef wall is a lagoon, where stingrays and garden eels burrow into the sandy bottom. The occasional group of trevally finds its way in, and there are cruising wrasse, damsel fish and parrotfish. Some larger sea starlets are to be seen, and frequent sea slugs as thick as a man’s forearm. Class: Fijian Food Prep – Prepare the Lovo (Traditional Fijian Oven). The lovo is ready by digging a large pit and then lining it with dry coconut husks. They are set on fire and the stones are heaped on top. When the flames subside, the food is packaged in banana leaves and lowered in the pit. Free Time Open the Lovo

Dinner: Lovo Dinner at Daku Resort.

Evening: Class: Coral Reefs – Cities Under the Sea. This slide presentation will provide a better understanding about the coral reefs (ecology, form and function), their value to people, and how mankind’s deeds menace them. Cultural Event: Farewell Ceremony -Bulu Yava (Burying the Footprints)

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