|
Snorkelling in
Niue
We've
been in much better snorkelling
environments than Niue, but Niue has something very special
about it. Are there many corals? No, most corals
were destroyed by cyclone Heta in 2004. They are
re-growing now, but still far away from what some people
call a "forest of corals". Are there many colourful
tropical fishes? Yes and No. There are many different species, but not too much of the same
species. Is
the water clean? Transparent and warm around 28º, but in
some places such as rock pools, sometimes the fresh water coming
from sub terrain creeks takes a while to mix with
the salt water and you have a refractive effect. So, what
makes Niue so special for snorkelling? The only answer that
passes through my mind is... Fun, Fun, Fun. and lots of
Fun.
It is better to bring your own snorkelling gear, but
if for some reason you don't want to or don't have it,
"The Dive Shop" just beside Matavai Resort provides snorkelling
tours, scuba dive tours, whale watching
tours, and also the rental of diving gear. There are three
situations for snorkelling in Niue...
Snorkelling
in Open Waters
Snorkelling
in Open Waters
is one possibility if the sea is calm enough or if you engage
yourself on a snorkelling boat tour. There are many places
on the reef flats with easy access to the open Ocean. The reefs aren't continuous and there are gaps
between two reefs, forming a kind of a deep "V"
easy to start from and come back to. For this type of snorkelling
it will be imperative to have the Ocean looking
like a lake or you can be thrown over the reef by a wave
and end up with bruises and cuts.
For all open water snorkelling we strongly recommend wearing
fins (flippers) due to possible currents, and never go alone
having at least one person (capable of rescue) with one
eye on you..
The
wharf in Alofi
is another nice place to start an open water snorkelling session. It has concrete stairs, easy to get in and out of
the water. There are two reefs nearby Alofi's wharf. One to
the right and another to the left (photo). Once again the
sea must be calm and during the day some commercial
activities may be going on, so watch out for support boats
from and to fishing vessels. We did two nights snorkelling sessions at the wharf and enjoyed
it immensly.
Avatele Beach also
has nice reefs and a canal (pass) to go out, but the ripps
are strong and if the tide is going out you may have to
come back by climbing over the reef. Snake Gully, two reefs
to the left of Avatele is also nice, but is only recommended
for experienced snorkellers or by boat.
Snorkelling
in The Pools
Snorkelling
in the pools is another way to
go. There are plenty of rock pools on the reef flats to snorkel
in. The tide must be right and the sea calm. One of our
favourite spots was the reef flat in front of Palaha Cave
(photo) and the rock pool in the reef in front of
Hikutavake Village. Many
others reef flats have pools deep enough for a nice snorkelling
session, and you don't need to go too far,
because in walking distance from Alofi there are at least
3 of them. Some are small pools, but we were very
impressed with the number of colourful fishes these small
pools can handle, sometimes much more fishes and interesting sea
creatures to see than in open waters. If the sea gets too
tough to snorkel on or if the reef flats or the tide is wrong, there are two
another
options...
Limu
Pools
is
one of the most popular snorkelling places in Niue. The access from
the road is easy, short and steep, but when you arrive at
the place what you see is a paradisiacal vision of an immense blue-green pool.
There are two huge pools , one with an natural arch and
both have some underwater small caves to play and swim
underneath. The
best place we found to spot fish and corals was at the
entrance of this canal, but the sea must be very calm. In
this place we could observe large numbers and different
species of butterfly fishes swimming together as couples among
other species of colourful fish. (read more about Limu
Pools here)
Matapa
Chasm is another
possible place to snorkel when the sea is calm. There are some small corals and some nice
colourful fish, nothing special but really entertaining
and fun. The huge pool is good enough to refresh and have
a safe snorkelling trip, also a nice place for beginners to
develop snorkelling skills. Due the chasm itself, there isn't too much
light except at midday (photo). For more details about
Matapa Chasm chick
here.
Note:
For snorkelling on the reef flats, Limu Pools, Matapa Chasm
and in caves pools, there is no need for flippers or fins.
A pair of reef shoes will be the ideal gear on your feet.
This doesn't apply for open waters.
Snorkelling
in Caves
Have
you ever imagined yourself
snorkelling inside a cave. Yes, Niue has quite a few small
caves that are possible and safe to snorkel inside. Limu Pools
has some, including an arch you can snorkel in. Avaiki and
Amanau are semi-open caves which receives seawater from
the Ocean and this water is kept in the interior pool.
Avaiki is bigger and has an atmosphere you could onlt
dream of. I was
not impressed when I heard it was a place where the kings of the
Island used to bath in. There are corals and trapped fish
inside these pools, not many, but enough to make you feel
really happy doing such a thing. There are caves in
the open waters but these caves must be explored with
scuba gear and a boat is required. Niue Dive, just beside
Matavai Resort is the place to inquire about this.
|
Português
Español
