Broadreach: Fiji Shark Studies

My trip to Fiji set off my love of traveling and future adventures. This course was perfect to ‘jump start’ my career in scuba diving and learn about marine conservation. My skills as a scuba diver increased exponentially because of our small group size and personal relationships with our course instructors and staff at Beqa Adventure Divers. I never felt like my safety was at risk, even when I struggled with some of the diving skills. Our instructor was extremely patient, especially when I had trouble equalizing on two dives and helped me work through the skills I struggled with. I would recommend bringing good rain gear and warm layers for the boat. During the months of June and July it is winter in Fiji, therefore the water was very cold, and it rained almost every day. However, the weather did not impact any of our activities and the amount of fun we had! Each day, I learned something new about marine conservation and built lasting relationships with instructors and peers alike. The locals who I met and am still friends today, are some of the most welcoming and genuine people I have had the pleasure knowing. I cannot wait until I am able to return to Fiji and visit all the friends I made. Overall, I am extremely grateful for the experience and would recommend this program to any aspiring divers and conservationist. Not only do you gain the educational experience but also create memories and friendships that last a lifetime!

I will never forget my incredible summer in Fiji. Firstly, the diving is unlike any other in this world, offering close proximity to beautiful marine life (not to mention being incredibly safe all the while). Secondly, throughout my time in Fiji each person I met was kind-hearted, thoughtful, and full of life, making every moment wonderful. And thirdly, from what I experienced of the place, I believe that Fiji is a wonder of the world with vast natural landscapes (Sigatoka sand dunes, fun-yaking inland) more beautiful than anything I've ever seen before. With that, my experience was only made more enjoyable by my fellow Broadreach students and instructors. Throughout the three weeks, we fostered our own shark-loving community and learned an incredible amount about the species. My love for sharks, and Fiji as well, was only deepened on this trip, and I recommend it to any student considering the opportunity.

I completely loved participating in this amazing program. Everything about it was absolutely fantastic. My two counselors were incredibly nice and fun to hang out with, and both were excellent teachers as well. During the trip, we went on dives almost every day and always saw massive Sharks. I was incredibly excited to be as close as I was to these magnificent animals, but at no point did I feel unsafe. Every day we had an extensive safety briefing on the boat ride out to the dive sites. In addition to the incredible diving, our living space was fantastic. We all lived in a house, walking distance away from the dive shop. All in all, this program changed my life, and I really want to go back!

This program was one of the best I have ever had. We spent every day SCUBA diving with sharks, making friends, and taking a college course. It was so much fun. The course was challenging and fun, a great first college course for anyone. The shark dives were the best, however. The sharks are so close and so cool to watch. The staff is great and the dive masters are all so nice and fun to work with. The locals are so nice and welcoming too. This experience is so worth it, so great. I definitely recommend it.

This trip is one of the most amazing experiences, from the sharks, the instructors, and the locals. Every dive was amazing there was always something new to see and learn about. Being able to study the sharks in the villa, then having the opportunity to actually go out and dive at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve with these amazing creatures is incredible. I learned so much more than any other classroom could of brought me thanks to our amazing teacher, instructors, and dive shop staff members. The village stay on Beqa island was also very special, we got to experience the Fijian way of life in a non touristy way. They made us feel so welcomed on to their absolutely stunning island. From the two Broachreach trips I have been on I can say that Broachreach is an extremely safe and fun program that will teach you so much more than you can imagine. I would recommend this program to anyone especially if you love sharks or the marine world in general.

I had the best trip with Broadreach! Each day of the trip had a purpose and started out early. Each dive had high expectations that were filled and the course work followed along with the program really well. Sometimes on days when we took off from diving it was slow, but it was nice to have some rest. Also, living in a villa was incredible, but it meant using sleeping bags. On the packing list they leave off to bring a pillow so don't forget that! There was definitely a balance on the trip with a kayaking trip and hikes and visits to other villas to get the cultural experience. A lot of what Broadreach offers cannot be done separate from the group so that is one of my favorite parts of the company. Overall, this was my second trip with Broadreach and I could not be more pleased with all that they do to make their trips as enriching as possible.

This was, by far, the best trip I have ever been on. From the Bull sharks, to the people, to the Academic activities, this is not a program to miss out on. The Instructors are one-of-a-kind people, and they would gladly put every thing on the line for you.

My Broadreach trip was, for the second year in a row, everything I expected and more. My three weeks in Fiji were absolutely the best three weeks of my life. Diving with bull sharks up close was absolutely exhilarating and definitely not something you can experience just anywhere. Every single dive was a new adventure and I was never disappointed. Not only did we see dozens of bull sharks feet away, but we also saw moral eels, see turtles, and tons of reef fish. We conducted real research on the sharks for our research papers. I also got to interact with locals in a non-touristy fashion and really get to know the Fijians, many of which I am still in contact with. Even the academics were fun, since our teacher on the trip was qualified and engaging. I wish everyday that I could be back in Fiji. I definitely, definitely recommend Broadreach to anyone who has a love for the ocean or adventures, and I cannot wait for next year.