A brief introduction to our dive sits in the Northern Ha’apai group of Islands, Kingdom of Tonga by Brian Heagney of Fins ‘n’ Flukes Ltd, Pangai, Ha’apai. Please note that this is a work in progress. Existing descriptions will be expanded upon and newly discovered sites added as as when appropriate.
With several years of experience totaling over 1000 dives in Ha’apai I have seen many of the reefs on more than just a few occasions. This information is intended for use as a general overview of the local area from Ha’anno in the North to Tofanga to the South and West to the islands of Ofolanga and Mounga’one. The interpretations and opinions expressed herein are totally subjective and mine alone.
Diving is possible all year round in Ha’apai and water temperature is at its highest in March and April reaching 28 Centigrade (82F) and drops to a low of 21 Centigrade (70F) during July when the Humpback Whales arrive. Visibility doesn’t vary much throughout the year with anything below 20 meters being uncommon and 30 meters plus as the norm.
Ha'apai is one big dive site, and the strategic geographical position of Fins ‘n’ Flukes on Lifuka island grants us the maximum range of operation allowing total coverage North to South along main the Island chain permitting access to every dive site ever discovered here. Our location combined with our local knowledge means we can dive the very best that Ha'apai has to offer. The real kingdom of Tonga lies beneath the waves! You won’t dive the same site twice; unless you want to of course. We have around forty specific sites that we visit and dive on a regular basis, each one markedly different from the next.
The coral reefs in Ha’apai, some of the best in Tonga, are very healthy with a high degree of bio-diversity and feature dynamic characteristics including drop-offs, swim-throughs, caves, tunnels, walls and overhangs. Many of the reefs we dive fringe the islands of Uoleva, Lifuka, Foa and Ha’anno islands and there are also exciting off-shore sea pinnacles like, Fantasia, The Bank, Christmas Reef, Atlantis, The Port au Prince and Fale Anga that we just love to explore again and again. When calm weather prevails we may visit Mounga’one and Ofolanga Islands to dive the famous Arch of Ofolanga and the enchanting Hot Spring Cave but these dives are only suitable for experienced divers. As a general rule the further south or west you can dive the better the quality of the diving becomes. This is in direct correlation with increased distance from the more densely populated islands of Ha’ano, Foa and Lifuka.
Ha’apai has a splendid array of marine life, there’s way too much to list, you would be reading for days. However, as an oversight you may encounter Reef Sharks (Whitetip, Blacktip, Leopard, Nurse and Grey), Barracuda (Great, Lined), Tuna (Dogtooth,Skipjack), Wrasse ( Napoleon/Maori, Sling Jaw, Lunar, Coris, Goldbar, Thicklip, Red Breasted), Stingrays (Giant, Eagle, Blue Spotted, Porcupine), Parrotfish (Steephead, Bullethead, Minifin, Bleekers) Moray Eels (Giant, Whitemouth, Fimbrated, Orange Margin), Turtles (Green, Hawksbill), Sea Snakes (Banded, Olive), Scorpionfish (Lion, Tasseled, Leaf, Humpback, Stonefish), Butterflyfish (Racoon, Vagabond,Threadfin,Meyers, Bennets, Teardrop), Groupers (Peacock, Camo, Honeycomb, Coronation, Tiger, Slender, Square Tail) including the Anthiase (Orange, Square-spot), Angelfish (Emperor, Regal, Dusky, Masked, Lemonpeel), Damselfish (Choc drop, Green Chromis, Sergeant Major, South Seas Devil) including the Clownfish (Clark’s, Pink, Orange, Skunk), Emperors ( Spangled, Big Eye, Red Mouth), Sweetlips (Harlequin, Spotted), Hawkfish (Spotted, Arc Eye, Flame, Longnose), Triggerfish (Titan, Clown, Redtooth, Rippled, Sickle), Dartfish (Two Tone, Fire) Pufferfish (Masked, Guineafowl,Stellar), Porcupinefish, Boxfish (spotted, reticulated, horned), Lizardfish, Blennies (Leopard, Goldring, Jeweled), Gobies (Citron, Whip Coral, Sand, Blue Streak) and Sandperch. Critter hunters will also not be disappointed with a great variety of invertebrate life including Shrimps (Mantis, Coral, Glass, Cleaner, Symbiotic), Crabs (Trapezium, Porcelain, Painted, Red Eye, Camo, Sea Cucumber), Lobsters (Painted, Slipper), Pipefish and a never huge variety of Nudibranchs. The Ha'apai big thrill is to encounter a Humpback Whales on a dive - jaw dropping.
Ultimately, the numerous and varied dive sites plus the great bio-diversity combined with excellent visibility all add up to really exciting and memorable diving experiences.
My initial exploration of the area was conducted along the fringing reefs of Ha’anno and Foa island to the North of the group when I managed Ha’apai Divers. The restrictive nature of diving from the North end of Foa was incredibly frustrating given time and since relocating to Lifuka a whole new world of more impressive dive sites became accessible.
On the fringing reef systems of Ha’apai the reef crest typically lies a few hundred meters off shore and approaches the surface to within a few meters, the island side normally consisting of shallow sandy habitat, dispersed coral heads and coral rubble environment. Such areas are fine to begin or end a dive given their shallow nature and invertebrate life but most of the dive time should be spent on the seaward side of the reefs. It is on this side that the surface reef drops away sharply to around eighteen meters before sloping out to greater depths having a predominantly sandy bottom with scattered rock formations. Although it can be interesting to explore the deeper regions of the fringing reefs it is without doubt that the most interesting topographical features and abundance of life are to be encountered in the first sixteen meters. Rather than fish life, which can seem sparse on the fringing reefs when compared to the off shore reefs, it is the topography of the fringing reefs that draws the most attention; the reefs are often permeated by small tunnels, caves and lengthy swim throughs.
Akoteu,
discovered by the author, is a sea mount that has good fish life on the seaward face and nice coral on the top. Chances are reasonably good for encountering pelagic species like dogtooth tuna. At a specific time of year this mount is a gathering point for breeding grey reef sharks and they may be encountered at one of the deepest points of the reef (in excess of 40m) in packs of up to 50. This is also only the case when the current is really running and this reef does get some hard currents. There are large schools of blacktongue unicorn fish, skipjack tuna, neon fusiliers, yellowback fusiliers and black triangle butterflyfish. Small barracuda school on the reef and white tip shark may also be sighted here. The deeper points have some nice overhangs where the snapper like to hang out with harlequin and spotted sweetlips. The variety on this site, both in life and topography make it well worth a dive but it can be a bit hit and miss, somedays it just isn’t going off and then it can be a pretty long dive.
Alcatraz is a recently discovered, very extensive sea mount with intriguing reef topography and plenty of fish life. This place requires further exploration to discover all that is on offer.
Angel Slopes comprises huge sea mounts dropping off into the depths, shallow walls and deep channels present an interesting and lively dive.
The Arch of Ofalanga
actually lies under the west coast of the adjacent Island of Mounga'one. The dive site was christened erroneously when it was discovered by a German in an attempt to conceal its true location from others, such a prize was not to be shared it seems. Some people planned to rename the dive but I doubt it will ever happen and hope as much! A great piece of history that will stick, with the name, I'm sure. At the start of the dive the descent drops quickly to 20 meters before rounding the point and approaching the Arch itself. I enjoy moving out away and out from the arch while descending to 30m before coming back up in front of it to gain a better appreciation of its true enormity. Sculpted by the hand of Poseidon himself the arch must be at least 20 meters long, 15 meters high and 2 meters wide in places. It is covered in encrusting life made up of delicate hard and soft corals, sea fans, whip corals, sponges and bivalves. It is also home to some very beautiful flabellina nudibranchs. Behind the Arch, at a depth of 27 meters and bearing an unsettling similarity in shape to that of a shark’s mouth, lies the tunnel entrance to the cave system. Often guarded by a large Grouper but the approach of divers and their illuminating torch light is usually sufficient enough to convince him to yield. The entrance is wide but narrow from top to bottom and bears off to the right and into a tunnel shaft, this tunnel and the caves ahead are home to literally hundreds on Lobsters and Shrimps, you have to brush past their antennae as you move deeper into the cave. There are tiger cowrie shells clinging precariously to the ceiling, their shells looking as if polished for inspection. A slight surge can often be experienced in the tunnel and pushed on by it you emerge into the main cave chamber that rises all 27 meters to the surface where a shaft of light breaches the ceiling above and bathes the cave in a soothing, blue light. White tip shark use this cave as their day time refuge and slowly circle when disturbed by divers, big eye soldiers and saber squirrelfish look out from every crevice as glassy sweepers weave and dart to evade the torchlight. Turning and ascending to 16 meters, over the tunnel below you may entered the second passage permeating the cave, as in the first, the walls were thick with massive lobsters, clawing their way back into the walls as the beams of torchlight announce your approach. This second passage penetrates 15 meters or so before making a 90 degree turn straight down and closing into a tight crack that it is possible to squeeze through exiting back into the first tunnel below (Hemi again). The walls of the narrow crack are covered in beautiful red shrimps and their eyes glow red in the lights like hundreds of rubies hanging in the dark. It is a tight squeeze and not for everyone. Alternatively you can just about turn and track back into the main chamber before ascending up again to the exit, the myriad blues of the pacific almost blinding as your eyes begin to adjust from the dark below. The crevices in the rock surrounding the exit are home to banded cleaner shrimps, white spotted surgeonfish and black drummers dance in the surf zone above. Towards the end of the dive there is a vent in the rock, warm water, heated on the rocks above pours out of the island here and the vision becomes distorted by the thermocline it creates. An amazing dive that never fails to impress and probably the number one “to do” dive in Ha’apai. This dive isn’t easy as it is far away, heavily weather dependant and only suitable for advanced divers.Not for the faint hearted or those who get freaked out in tight spaces.
Atlantis,
discovered by the author, is a massive shoaling reef with steep drop offs and impressive pinnacles. This site boasts some of the most amazing hard coral gardens that I have seen in all of Ha’apai. The coral here is in every shape, form and hue with not only hard but delicate soft corals in places. Nice bright red and yellow gorgonian fans branch out from the walls and hang from the roof of the overhangs. Trumpetfish do well at concealing themselves within the branches of these fans and yellow damsels guard their nests in the shade of these fans. Anemone shrimps, moray eels, sea snakes and octopus can be seen at Atlantis. Grey damselfish in schools of a thousand strong dance in the light above the acropora. The reef has a deep garden of pink gorgonians that is home to a large lost anchor. The outer walls are skirted by schools of fusilier, dogtooth tuna and the odd white tip shark. A leopard shark also visits this reef from time to time to laze in the sunlight of the shallows and hawksbill turtle can be seen here too. The little caves, tight swim throughs, nudibranch walls and the expansive coral gardens make this dive an absolute winner! One of the best all round dives that Ha’apai has to offer.
The Aquarium
is a small reef particularly suited to inexperienced divers with some nice swim throughs and many small coral pinnacles in the shallows. The vibrant fish life here gave this little dive its name.
Aquatica is a shallow reef system with a great little wall and large coral heads to explore. This dive is well suited for beginners or for training but it does have some suprises like napoleon wrasse and white tip reef shark. It is close to Uoleva island and may be seen as a critter dive in essence.
The Bank
The bank is not only a superb little sea mount with wonderful coral and lots going on but it is also home to a number of resident leopard sharks that lie around in the sand at the base of the reef. These beautiful sharks measure about 3m long and are completely harmless to humans. They are very approachable and great subjects for photographers. This dive also has beds of garden eels and the sandy habitat is ideal for sting rays. The mount itself is covered in beautiful coral and has the entire busy goings on of a typical tropical reef. The bank is a great dive and great becomes awesome when the sharks are lying around!
Bennie’s Place
is the name given to the channel between Ha’anno and Nukunamo Islands. The site experiences strong tidal currents. The channel is around 22 meters at its deepest point and the bottom is composed of coral sand, coral rubble and scattered rock formations. Both sides of the channel are lined with rocky reefs covered in nice healthy hard corals. This is a real critter dive with scorpionfish, nudibranchs, pipefish, anemone shrimps and many demersal species such as gobies and blennies. Visibility is normally excellent and the shallow nature of the dive is suited to all levels of experience. Bigger species such as napoleon wrasse and leopard shark can be encountered here. A favourite of this dive are the sleeping blue spotted stingrays that bury in the sand to leave only their eyes and gill openings exposed. Those eyes poking out of the sand make a great photo and the second the ray realizes its cover has been blown the explosion of sand as it bursts out of its hiding place is always an exciting moment. Larger Eagle Rays are a regular and very graceful sight here, spiraling over the sandy dunes. There is a very large stellar pufferfish nicknamed “The Count” on account of his shell smashing teeth and he can usually be found resting on the coral rubble in the deeper areas of the site and is quite approachable. This is the only site where I have seen fimbrated moray eel in Ha’apai, a striking member of the family. The sea floor on the dive has a sand dune effect that is quite spectacular, one feels as if climbing up mountain before sliding down again on the other side. The triton trumpet shell, bull mouth helmet Shell and queen conch as well as many other gastropod species can be found here as the sandy bottom provides the perfect environment for them. More unusual species I have seen at Bennies include cowfish and helmet gurnard.
The Bird Cage,
discovered by the author, is a shallow fringing reef system with winding swim throughs, sandy expanses and many dispersed coral heads to explore. The swim throughs are massive, lengthy and bathed in dynamic light from above. Batfish and tiger trout can be seen in here. Somewhat similar to Ha’anno Tunnels the swim throughs are the most exciting part and take up the majority of the dive. The bird cage got its name from the huge numbers of parrotfish that school here.
Blakes Reef,
Blakes Reef, discovered by the author, is another one of our reefs that is way out there away from everyone. It has offered us some rare and unforgettable moments with iconic species like hammerhead and manta ray. Blakes reef features really stunning coral cover, deep drop offs, schooling batfish, barracuda, white tip shark, grey reef shark, dogtooth tuna and blue trevally. This dive is on a par with The Raptures. It is simply an amazing place with an amazing compliment of marine life. Blakes reef reminds me why I love to dive!
Christmas Reef,
discovered by the author, is an off shore sea mount with abundant fish life and healthy hard coral cover. The North East of the reef has giant fingers of noble acropora that run out from the main mount to a depth of 24 meters. Squirrelfish, soilderfish, bluelined snapper, trumperfish and cardinalfish all find refuge in this tangle of spikes. The larger formations of coral are really quite spectacular. Between these fingers of reef are sandy channels where a resident leopard shark likes to rest. Green jobfish like to hunt these gardens and channels. Some single pinnacles stand alone like sky scrapers and these are an oasis for all kinds of critters, shrimps, crabs, crinoids, starfish and moray eels. Christmas reef is a wonderful dive for all but as it rarely gets any current and usually has excellent visibility and shallow depts. It is particularly suited to beginners and rusty divers
The Corner,
discovered by the author, drops off very quickly to depths of over forty meters. The dive is exciting because of these deeper drop offs and the chance of encounters with larger species like dogtooth tuna and great barracuda. Depths of over 300 meters are not far away and these predators come in to the shallower areas in the chance of a quick snack. Its exposed position on the corner of the island means it is prone to very strong currents whipping around the site and it is this current that supports the larger predatory life forms encountered here. White tip reef sharks may be seen free swimming or lazing on a sandy plateau at around 18 meters. The main reef has some nice cracks, gouges and small overhangs to explore as you ascend again towards the end of the dive where you can enter into a series of well lit swim throughs. The shallows have excellent coral cover and thriving communities of reef fish. Black drummers school on the outside of the reef face and their frantic pace is great to watch. If you like it that little bit deeper the corner is a winner.
Eden Rock
drops off the side of Mounga’one island before rising again to within twenty meters of the surface. A sheer wall , that outer space feeling and plentiful schooling fish highlight this dive. Shoaling moorish idol can be seen here, an uncommon phenomena for a usually solitary or, at the most, paired species. White tip and grey reef shark are frequent sights here.
Fale Anga,
discovered by the author, means House of the Shark and this beautiful site, discovered by the author, is a huge sea mount North West of Lifuka Island. It has a maximum depth of 24 meters and comes to within 3 meters of the surface in places. This is one of the more dramatic dives in Ha'apai because of the many long overhangs that jut out from the main reef and run along smaller reefs adjacent to the main mount. These overhangs are filled with long twisting sea whip corals with gobies shooting up and down along their length and whip coral shrimps holding on with perfect camouflage to conceal their presence. Glassy sweepers dart about in the shadows and nocturnal species such as soldier and squirrelfish peer out curiously from the crevices. Fairy basslets swim upside down underneath the ceilings and lionfish also cling to the roof. The striking blue of the pacific appears much brighter as you look out from the dark beneath the ledges. Big solitary harlequin sweetlips linger around under table corals and black and white snapper dive in and out of the shade to inspect divers beneath the overhangs. Fusilier and unicornfish schools are a common sight circling the mount. Juvenile white tips live in a small cave in one of the outer reefs. There is one anemone in particular here that has several keen anemone shrimps which will dart back and forth onto a presented hand to give a free cuticle manicure. Very large grouper often tag along with the divers keeping a cautious watch on the proceedings. Dark green hard Corals reach down from the ceilings in some overhangs, delicate sort corals and colourful sponges adorn the ceilings in such numbers to look as if painted by one of the great masters, eagle ray can sometimes be seen shuffling in the open areas off the main reef in search of their crustacean prey. Large lobsters find sanctuary in the permeated rock with their long white antennae sampling the currents for any hint of danger. As well they might because one of the biggest napoleon wrasse I have ever seen finds his refuge on this reef, at over two meters long a lobster is just a snack. The top of the rock is relatively barren but for a huge number of anemone and clownfish ducking and diving in the current, returning to their host if you approach before rubbing themselves in the protective mucous of the anemone. The exposed nature of this reef offers great visibility and the light to medium currents kick up an abundance of life. On three of the four occasions that I have been fortunate enough to encounter humpback whales on a dive it was here at Fale Anga, it is a very special place and a superb dive. Other species of note that may be encountered here are grey reef sharks and hawksbill turtles
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Fantasia,
discovered by the author, is a group of sea pinnacles with a formation of deeper bommies off the main reef. The dive begins with an immediate descent down to the deeper formations; these huge rocks are home to large Groupers, Snappers, Sweetlips and schooling pinnate Batfish. Delicate green sea fans glow red under torch light and whip corals reach out from the faces of the rock. White tip reef sharks can be found resting at 30m on the sand beyond these outer formations and Gray Reef can be seen cruising here too. The reef slopes gradually back up to the main pinnacles of which there are two. The largest of these has an awe striking overhang on the seaward face and anthiase dance upside down beneath it like rainbow drops. The floor beneath overhang is adorned with the most numerous and exquisite sea fans and soft corals I have ever seen, not only in Tonga but anywhere. These soft corals are coloured in purple, pink, green, blue, red and orange and some of them are over two meters wide standing proudly at over a meter in height. This kind of life is a testament to the serious currents that run around these reefs and this site can only be dived at specific points in the tides, get it wrong and it is virtually impossible to move against the current. Towards the middle of the dive and on the South bommie there is an amazing hanging garden of soft corals in shades of cream, orange and pink; Lionfish lurk in this area predating upon the goldies that shelter in the hanging soft corals. A sandy bottom here permits one to take a knee and observe the beauty of the soft coral garden. The sandy channel between the two main pinnacles is perfect for Nudibranch hunters with many species seen here not encountered elsewhere in Ha’apai. The water in this channel is a favourite hangout for schooling Unicornfish and Big Eye Jacks. Large Groupers and Parrotfish are also very common. A White Tip often sleeps beneath a small rock formation in the channel and Giant Black Blotched Reef Ray can be encountered here. The North bommie is once again adorned with giant red sea fans and large schools of Blue Lined Snapper and Yellow Lined Goatfish. Pipefish are common on the rocks and some of the fans are home to Longnose Hawkfish, a photographer favourite. Fantasia has it all, amazing fish life, mind-blowing topography, intricate and diverse hard and soft coral cover and the depth and atmosphere required for a totally immense dive. Another “not to miss” dive in Ha’apai, Fantasia is simply awesome!!
The Garden Wall,
is a shallow sea mount with a little swim through leading to a nice wall full of crevices that gives way to an expansive cabbage coral garden with stepped plateaus from a depth of 24 meters up to 10 meters. It is crowned by a bed of tabular acropora. The site is a very relaxed dive and great for critter hunters. There are plenty of different species of nudies and many species that prefer a slightly siltier environment. This is one of the best reefs to see scorpionfish, nudibranch and pipefish. There are few larger species but nurse shark and leopard shark have been spotted here as have turtles. A large anemone has several brightly coloured cleaner shimp to keep the macro photographer contented. Close to Lifuka Island the Garden Wall is a surprisingly satisfying dive, it always seems to produce rare little critters from start to finish!
The Giants Causeway,
discovered by the author, features deep channels between large spits of coral covered reef. A splendid mountain of Acropora digitata is a main feature of the dive and large dogtooth tuna that run the valleys in the reef may be seen here. Sandy areas provide good habitat for eagle rays and the seaward face of the reef swarms with fusiliers.
Of the three dives in the vicinity the Green cave may be considered the most dramatic and it was first discovered in 2007 by Hemi, a Maltese diver with a drive to pursue the unknown. The Green cave isn’t exactly a cave as the roof is open but the enclosing walls and normally silted visibility gives the impression of a more enclosed environment. This site can be considered quite unusual for Ha’anno as the area behind the reef, towards the island, is somehow sunken. On the approach you cross an area of shallow coral rubble sand at no more than ten meters and would expect it to get shallower as you proceed, the opposite however, is true. The bottom slides away again and curves off to the left darkening ominously as it descends again to a depth of 24 meters in what can only be described as a gloomy cauldron. It is principally devoid of life in the interior, except for some eerie whip corals and pale, seemingly lost fish. With a soft mud bottom and almost supernatural green aurora it is quite captivating, a different world. The sound of your regulator gets louder in this place and it provides fascination once again as you exit, the creepy gloom slowly dissipates to the bright light of mid day sun and the turquoise blues of the open pacific. You are always forced to look back to convince yourself you are in the same place. This is a really intriguing dive site! Inside there is an old Hawaiian Sling and a large fishing net draped over the rock that add to the ambiance.
Gotham City,
A group of towering sea pinnacles with nice coral cover and unusual fish life considering the sites proximity to shore. Large groupers and batfish hide in a deeper swimthrough and the towering reefs are quite dramatic. A recently discovered site that deserves much further exploration.
The Green Wall,
is on the North coast of Ha’anno, the wall drops off to over 300 meters and at certain times of the year is overgrown in a green Culerpa sp. algae, hence the name. The reef top slants quickly out to 16 meters before dropping away into the abyss. The sheer walls are great and the feeling of no bottom really grabs hold of you. The depths and currents on this dive make it a more advanced experience. Although the perfect environment for it there actually isn’t that much in the way of larger life with Napoleon Wrasse being the biggest thing usually encountered. This again may be somewhat attributed to the local fishing pressure. The hard corals on the reef are very pristine and stacked up the sloping tops of the reefs with great valleys in between. If you like wall dives this is easily the most impressive one Ha’apai has on offer.
Ha’anno Tunnels,
is probably the most interesting with regard to swim throughs and the one actual tunnel that does exist there which is about five meters long. Tunnels in the site name isn’t really justified as the main feature of the dive are the swim throughs but despite that misgiving the site has numerous of these cracks in the reef that may be over 50 meters long and 16 meters deep. These appear quite dramatic for the camera lens and feel nicely atmospheric as you pass through; one in particular has a nice overhang that you can pass under. Some delicate life in the form of small sea fans and encrusting corals offer interest in these channels and the nice blues of the pacific invite you forward, through and to the outer face of the reef. These features are the mainstay of the dive, towards the beginning and end, everything in between consists of looking for something that really isn’t there and that is the fish life. Around every corner you imagine the dive will kick off but it simply doesn’t as far as life goes. Coral at this site is as sparse as the fish and in predominantly lack luster hues of brown and cream. A winner for atmospheric landscape shots but if fish is your thing this may not be the dive for you.
The Harbour (Muck dive)
Pangai harbor is the only muck dive in the Ha’apai group. The soft mud bottom is home to all kinds of critters including nudies, pipefish, shrimp, octopus, sea cucumbers and crabs. The assorted moorings and pilings are home to a host of juvenile animals and other cryptic creatures such as scorpionfish, lionfish and stonefish. Mind your head, the harbor can be a busy place!
Hot Spring Cave
is a huge cathedral underneath Ofolanga Island that has a thermal vent in a small, silty cave to the rear. If you like a cave dive this is the biggest and best that Ha’apai has to offer. This is a deep dive requiring quite conservative air consumption to access the back of the main chamber so only suited to experienced divers who are comfortable in enclosed and overhead environments.
Inga’s Place, Oak Station and The Green Cave are situated further West on the fringing reefs of Ha’anno and for the purposes of simplicity all three dives may be considered as one larger site because they are so closely linked. Oak station comprises the outer sandy slopes and dispersed bommies of Inga’s Place, Inga’s being the main reef body with hidden, tight swim throughs that lead along and around to The Green Cave; a depression behind the reefs on the island side.
Inga’s Place
is an alluring site that seems to just keep on going, with a max depth of around 24 meters it has a good variety of life, interesting coral formations, long swim throughs and tight tunnels with shallow walls and plenty of fish life. The deeper reef has wonderful foliate coral and larger species, including White Tip Reef Shark and Square Tail Groupers. The main focus of the dive is macro though. Inga’s place offers a lot to see when approached at the correct pace but the dive does require conservative air consumption. There is an old anvil and an encrusted hammer; I think they must have literally thrown the blacksmith off Ha’anno island at one time. Inga’s is a good place to find Scribbled Pipefish. One area of the reef is composed of coral rubble and looking under the rubble can yield interesting specimens, such as the Hawaiian Boxing Crab.
J Caves
is one of the slightly livelier dives on Ha’ano with a greater variety of hard coral in pleasing colours with an accompaniment of colourful and numerous small reef fish. J Caves consists of massive coral heads abreast of the main reef with deep gouges between each of them. There are a couple of bigger mounts off the main reef system with their tops at around 12 meters, they sit on a bottom of sand at 22 meters and on the seaward side of these outer bommies the reef slides away slowly to depths of over 30 meters. However, good air and a fair amount of kicking are required to access the deeper areas. Again, the best of this site can be seen no deeper than 18 meters. The gouges between each bommie are adorned in beautiful hard corals with the huge bommies providing an interesting distraction. The dive maintains its value from start to finish; the little caves, tight swim throughs and loss of orientation at every corner just keep it going. Smaller fish are numerous with quite a few beautiful species but larger fish are rarely encountered and this is probably due to the fact these reefs sustain the subsistence fishing villages on the island nearby island of Ha’anno.
Lafalafa,
meaning flat bottomed boat, is the most impressive dive to the North of the group with superb hard coral cover. The top of this sea mount lies seven meters beneath the surface and drops off to over thirty meters on the south western slopes. The area experiences strong tidal currents as water is compressed and pushed around, up and over the shoal to which it belongs. The current provides plenty of nutrition for the coral and marine life here. Some of the most impressive coral formations here comprise sub-massive and cabbage corals. There are also sea whips, beautiful purple soft corals and small yellow sea fans. The top of the reef is predominantly branching acropora and there are a great number of clownfish. Whitetip reef sharks laze around the mount, often on the sandy areas of the deeper slope. Great shoals of blacktongue unicornfish wheel around the mount often giving way to mixed schools of paddle tail snapper and midnight snapper. Fusiliers swarm in hundreds around the mount being herded and harassed by large dogtooth Tuna, the odd barracuda and green jobfish. There is an abundance of life at Lafa Lafa, especially when the current is running but it can really be hard work to dive when it is running so caution is required. Big groupers hover over the rubble around the base of the mount in the shallower areas. Humpback scorpionfish can be located here but their expert camouflage helps them to blend in perfectly with the corraline algae and makes spotting them incredibly difficult. I once dived here with a pod of some thirty pacific spinner dolphins, their graceful acrobatics entertaining me during the safety stop. The visibility is usually excellent here and prevailing currents help to keep it so. This is an exciting dive with very healthy coral and plenty going on. As mentioned currents can be a little tricky here and the dive is suited to more experienced divers.
The Mad House,
discovered by the author, consists of two pinnacles surrounded by extensive coral banks, gorgonian fans can be seen on the deeper slopes. There is a great swim through on the North pinnacle, right at the base, is 18m of water. The reef has disperser evidence of a ship wreck with old chain, rigging and an anchor encrusted to the rock. Bigeye jacks when they are encountered here school in hundreds, it is the stuff out of magazines and why the site was christened so. The coral cover is quite good and white tip shark frequent this reef as do napoleon wrasse. Sergeant major fish and goldies school on the crest of the reef that has an unusually large amount of cushion stars clambering between the many crinoids. This interesting little dive is suitable for all levels of experience.
Magic Reef
is a series of Sea Pinnacles with active fish life and truly excellent coral. Grey reef sharks are often encountered here and this reef is home to a large school of black snapper who like to linger in the distance keeping a cautious eye on divers. Large banks of green cabbage coral are a visual treat and the main reef is skirted by large shoals of fusiliers and unicorn fish. Rainbow runners are also a common sight here.
Maka Tolu (The three rocks) is a group of three sea mounts with lots of coral both hard and soft and a great array of life.
Nukunamo channel
between Nukunamo and Foa Island is approximately 12 meters deep in the middle with patchy rocky reefs set in sand. It is possible to begin the dive in the shallow lagoon to the east and then drift westward through the channel before exiting again in front of Foa Island to the South. The dive is a good option if you fancy a shore dive for a few photos. The visibility is usually excellent; the little reefs are interesting and the current running through supports a good diversity of life. Bigger species that can be encountered include eagle ray and leopard shark but this is in essence a macro dive and a great way to spend a lazy Tongan afternoon.
Oak Station,
discovered by the author, is a series of patchy reefs in a sloping bed of coral sand. The expansive nature of the site warrants exploration and the sandy habitat running out gradually to 20 meters is a great area to encounter different species of ray, sand eels and razor fish. This area is also great for juvenile specimens. It was named after a singular bommie that stood in the form of an Oak tree and was also a cleaning station colonized by various species of cleaning shrimps, in particular hinge back, barber pole and striped. In the big earthquake of 2006* the bommie toppled and the resident invertebrates faded away with its collapse but some shrimps can still be seen here. This dive is pleasant in its open nature allowing free roaming between the coral heads but it can be subject to quite strong currents and poor visibility making it hard work on the wrong day. On the odd occasion a cruising dogtooth or Barracuda can be encountered close to the cleaning station. Leopard Shark, Porcupine Ray and Eagle Ray can also be found here.
*The 8.2 on the richter scale earthquake had a significant impact on submerged structures in the Ha’apai area and the author named another site in front of the Sandy Beach Resort Sideways Reef after the event because an entire reef approximately thirty meters wide and the same in height toppled over and all coral species that once reached toward the surface lay dying on what had immediately become a vertical wall. This one unique feature is the only truely interesting feature of the site and the sideways nature of the coral heads can be quite disorienting to those familiar with normal coral growth patterns.
The Port Au Prince
The Port au Prince: Massacre and treasure in the Friendly Islands.
The Port au Prince was an English private ship of war, a vessel of 500 tons armed with 24 long nine and twelve pound guns as well as 8 twelve pound carronades on the quarter deck. She carried a “letter of marque” and this document permitted her Captain and crew to become pirates against the enemies of England, primarily France and Spain. In payment for their pirate raids any plunder they seized was to be their own.
Commanded by Captain Duck she sailed for the New World on February 12th 1805 having been given a twofold commission by her owner, a Mr. Robert Bent of London. Their primary goal was to attack the Spanish ships of the New World capturing gold and valuables but if she failed in that task her secondary objective was to sail into the Pacific in search of Whales to be rendered for their oil.
The Atlantic crossing was rough but uneventful and she lay off the coast of Brazil by April and then rounded Cape Horn in July before proceeding north in search of Spanish Galleons laden with treasure. They captured a number of ships but most yielded little in the way of valuables and at times the men began to get disgruntled by capturing what they contemptuously referred to as dung barges. The Port au Prince was now also on the lookout for whales as well but, although catching a few, experienced little success in this endeavor.
After leaving Hawaii in September under the command of Mr. Brown, she intended to make port at Tahiti but missed the target and instead sailed westward for the Tonga Islands. She arrived in Ha’apai on November 09th 1806, almost two years since departing England and after numerous engagements, leaking badly and having already witnessing the death of her captain. She was laden with the spoils of war and cargo amounting to approx twelve thousand dollars plus a considerable amount of copper plus silver and gold ore. A large quantity of silver candlesticks, chalices, incense pans, crucifixes and images complimented the treasure.
She weighed anchor for what was destined to be the last time in seven fathoms water off the North West Point of Lifuka Island. A number of chiefs visited the ship on the evening of her arrival and brought with them barbequed hogs, yams and a native of Hawaii who spoke some English informing Captain Brown that the Tongans had only friendly intentions. The Port au Prince also had Hawaiian crew who did not trust the situation and expressed concern to the captain that the Tongans were feigning friendliness while planning attack. Captain Brown choose to ignore the warnings, therein signing his own death warrant and that of many of his crew.
The next day the natives began to swarm the boat until there were around 300 in different parts of the ship. They invited Captain Duck ashore to see the Island and assured of their friendly motives he agreed. On arrival he was clubbed to death, stripped and left lying in the sand. Simultaneously the main attack commenced on the Port au Prince. The sailors were outnumbered and overwhelmed easily. The massacre was brutal and swift seeing all but four of the crew members clubbed to death, their heads so badly beaten as to be unrecognizable to the survivors. For the next three days the ship was stripped of her iron, a valuable commodity, and had her guns removed before being burnt to the water line to more readily remove what iron remained.
One of the survivors was a boy by the name of William Mariner and Finau, the King of the Islands, had taken a shining to the lad when they first met aboard the Prince. Will reminded the King of his son who had died of illness and when the attack on the ship was being planned Finau had given instructions that the life of Mariner should be spared if at all possible. He was renamed Toki (Iron Axe) and spent the next four years living amongst the islanders. During this time he would witness the attempted unification of the Kingdom by Finau using the very guns seized from the Prince. One long nine still lies on Ha’anno Island. After rescue and his return to England Mariner related his story to John Martin who penned the famous book “The Tongan Islands, William Mariners account”. Anthropologically the book is widely accepted as the most important pre christian polynesnia work ever written.
On the 8th of December 2009, almost two hundred and three years to the day, we were conducting a dive course when a heavy squall forced us to abandon the planned site and make haste for shelter in the lee of Lifuka Island. We dropped anchor directly off Mui Kuku point on the North West tip of Lifuka. I had never dived the reef before and made a descent to 18 meters. Visibility had deteriorated in the squall but upon approaching the bottom I began to discern a shape coming out of the murky green. As the curved arms and huge flukes became clear I realized it was a great anchor. The 1800’s style, its historically accurate geographical position and depth at 10 fathoms where it lay could mean only one thing and with it my heart began to race, I had discovered the anchor of the Port au Prince. Being the first person to lay eyes on it in two centuries was awe inspiring. It is still intact with one fluke now buried into the reef and all faces beautifully overgrown with encrusting life. We make regular historical dives on the site for those who are interested.
But what of the treasure? The anchor most probably lies where her cables were cut before the ship was hauled ashore. Artifacts and even treasure may still lie buried in the area but two centuries of growth may see it stay hidden forever. Each time we dive there I am always hoping to see a glint of light bouncing of the captain’s sword. Maybe next time! The real treasure of this dive is the variety of life and the reef topography. White tip, napoleon, giant reef ray, groupers, lionfish, bigeye emperors, black drummers, red snapper, harlequin and spotted sweetlips can all be seen. There is a huge overhang with a massive red gorgonian that must be older than the anchor itself. Clownfish city is a small rock in the middle of the dive that has over 30 clownfish spanning three different species. The muddy slopes have anemones with cleaner shrimp, pipefish and nudibranchs are common. The anchor was a great find but the dive itself is just as incredible. I love this dive, every minute of it! There is even an unexploded bomb.
The Raptures
The Raptures, discovered by the author, and her coral are sublime perfection. This site IS far enough away from the populated islands that it rarely encounters fishermen. The reef looks as if it has never seen a human being or a boat anchor and the fish life here is prolific. From the smaller reef fish to the schooling species it is a just a profusion of activity. The Raptures, named in honour of Jacques Cousteau, is where I have already encountered Hammerhead shark twice. These sightings have been verified by other divers and are not simply speculation. The site is so deep on the outside that no bottom is visible. The top of the mounts has sheer walls, deep valleys and crests of jaw dropping coral. Sea whips reach from the walls and diadema urchins graze in the sand. This dive is simply superb!!! Everytime I see this place and just how perfect it is I imagine how all of the reefs must once have looked like this. There is a vid of this site by on Vimeo that even features our hammerhead friend.
The Sisters,
discovered by the author and named after my own sisters, are two sea pinnacles that also lie Northwest of Lifuka island. The seaward pinnacle rises from over fifty meters to within six of the surface and its sister mount to the south comes to within ten. The trough beneath them both has a depth of sixteen meters. I propose that the Sisters were carved from the ocean floor long before the natural waterflow through here was curbed by the installation of the man made causeway to join Lifuka and Foa islands. Both pinnacles are majestically crowned with beautiful branching and table acropora corals. The sides of the pinnacles are literally covered in hundreds of crinoids (Feather stars) and these play host to a range macro organisms including elegant squat lobsters, crinoid clingfish and crinoid shrimps all of which are coloured to match their host and blend in perfectly. Sea whips and fans adorn the creviced rock faces and you descend to 30 meters off the seaward face of the outer pinnacle. Jagged overhangs jut out from the rock and pearl rock oysters grow upside down filtering organic matter in the shade. Upon ascent the pinnacle is staged by a series of plateaus at 20, 16, and 12 meters deep, the coral becomes more and more dense as the dive progresses upward. Sea snakes and lionfish are common sight in this particular area of the reef. Embedded in the branching acropora are some of the biggest giant clams I have seen in Tonga. Their mantles intricately coloured with a weaving patterns of green and blue symbiotic algae. On the top of the mounts fairy basslets dart all around and square spot anthiase guard their harems of bright orange females. Competing male mini-fin parrotfish race over the sea mounts before falling back gracefully into the depths. Black and white Snapper and white snapper patrol the trough between the mounts and on a rare occasion giant trevally can be seen here patrolling in search of the unwary. This is the only site in Tonga where I have encountered bumphead parrotfish crunching through the reef. Short tentacle anemones, with porcelain crabs and clownfish undulate in the swell. The top of the east pinnacle is home to a pair of perfectly camouflaged leaf scorpionfish, the only ones so far documented in Ha'apai. Neon fusiliers pour off the reef as if in a current all of their own while peacock grouper and spotted hawkfish look on from their perches on the reef. Red snapper and dogtooth tuna can be seen patrolling the depths below. A huge napoleon wrasse keeps a careful distance while cruising the boundaries of this, his castle. The Sisters is a lively and dynamic dive with plenty of variation in both topography and life.
Visibility is usually around 20 meteres or more, currents are mild and it has the depth that many divers crave. This is one Ha’apai dive that should not be missed.
Soft Rock
is a group of two off shore sea mounts, both having good coral cover and one has a nice tight overhang for the more daring and a white tip sometimes sleeps beneath. Unless soft coral is your primary focus Soft Rock may leave you wanting.
Toyama
is a shallow fringing reef system off Lifuka with nice reefs of hard coral and large sandy areas in between. This is primarily a training reef.
Unbelieveareef
is a group of sea mounts featuring deep channels, good coral cover and plentiful fish life including.
Vertigo
is a very long sea mount that has good coral cover and, as the name suggests, quite impressive drop offs, one particular muddy slope has a large colony of Red Tooth Triggerfish. This is the only reef in Ha’apai where I have encountered this species in any great number. The top of this reef has some really fantastic hard coral formations and the deep drop offs mean trevally, barracuda, dogtooth and rainbow runner can be seen here.
