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At low tide the diver gears up on the beach and simply walks across the coral to the reef edge. The water’s edge is punctuated with "gutways". These are natural cuttings into the reef, forming corridors into the open sea. To enter the water one stands on the edge of the gutway, fins in hand, waits for a surge of water to fill the inlet then steps down into the gutway and swims out with the surge. Often the gutways are rough and waves break with plenty of force on the reef edge. This is when practice and timing makes a difference between a safe entry and being buffeted against the corals. To escape the surge the diver must stay low in the gutway were 6 feet of water is protection from the roll of the breakers.

Once in the gutway fins can be slipped on and with gloved hands the diver can pull himself out onto the sea reef and his "playgound". Diving boots and gloves are a must for Nauru’s reef. The coral on the tidal reef is razor sharp and sea urchins lurk in every hole ready to pierce na unprotected foot. Some gutways are lined with stinging fire coral, which burns, true to its name. Cotton gloves purchased for around one dollar in Chinatown are a cheap insurance!

At high tide, the entry routine is similar, however the diver sometimes has to wade to the reef edge. It is often easier to put on fins whilst on the tidal reef, drop down a few feet to the reef floor and pull oneself along the coral, with the motion of the outgoing waves until one meets the gutway. Once again gloves are a must and timing important. 

Erica, Filu and Jeanette ready to "jump" into the ocean

The "crawl" on the reef is effortless if the diver moves with the outgoing surgeand simply holds on when the wave breaks over him. It is interesting to watch the small fish that are caught in the incoming surf at this time, as they are pushed back and forth like marbles rolling over glass and are helpless against the power of the sea.

Most days de water is calm and diver have little current to manage. When there is a current it tends to run around the island rather than off at a tangent, so there is little chance of being dragged out to the open sea. Often from the shore a strong can be seen but once under the waves it tends to be confined to a particular depth. So it is common that a 30 feet the drag will be in one direction then at 60 feet reverse.

The slope of the reef wall becomes every divers friend, once separated the diver is as helpless as a tiny fish removed from the protection of its habitat in the coral. The blue water is vast and endless and it is the home of the large fish and more dangerous sharks- swimming in the blue water is like space walking with no point of reference below or at one’s side. All the "action" happens on the reef wall.

Purple coral (Distichopora Violacea) growing in the cave walls

A very popular dive for scuba and snorkelers is in front of the phosphate conveyors known as the Cantilevers. Here the reef wall is steep, but the fish life abundant. Octopus, redfish, trumpet fish and snapper can be speared by the snorkelers in the shallows on the tidal reef at high tide whilst below at 90 feet huge angelfish, dawa, yellow tail and tune swim in schools teasing the patient Islanders who sit in their outrigger canoes hopping for a catch.

The reff around here is littered with debris from the construction of the towr like cantilevers. The phosphate dust has killed a lot of the delicate reef life, yet still the waters teem with fish. There is convex shaped wall of lacy blue coral which curves forming the mouth of a large sandy bottomed cave. The coral looks like a perfect decoration of wrought iron lace on a fine Victorian style terrace.

The Cave is approximatelly 50 feet in width, the ceeling at 70 feet, floor at 80 feet. It is home to a lazy old stingray and his family and is frequented by two huge groupers weighing at least 500 pounds (fisherman pounds of course). Because the cave provides one of the only sandy beds in this waters it attracts a variaty of fish who all seem to delight in rubbing up against or resting on the sand. Frequent visits to the cave have shown white tip reef sharks "resting" on the soft floor, a large school of dawa, lobster hiding in the pockets of the ceiling, teems of redfish playing around the entrance and one very hungry grouper stalking a stingray, seeking refuge on the sand’s camouflage.

A night dive to the cave gives one a totally different looks at its personality. The coral pockets are filled with sleeping fish.The delicate blue coral is replaced by brilliant orange soft coral polyps. 

Our friend Sting Ray (Taeniura melanospilos)

resting in the sandy bottom

This transforms the cave ceiling into something that one might imagine belong on canvas. The tiny polyps wave in the sea current whilst the nocturnal fish dance and hide from our torches.

Our air bubbles shine like mercury as they are caught on the cave ceiling and glisten in the glow that cuts the surrounding black which envelops us. At night the reef walls become the divers guide, like a white stick is for a blind man. The nocturnal fish too, seem to stay very close to the reef wall, whilst sea urchins and feather star fish use the cover of the night to change their location. The start fish are really comical as they gather their delicate fronds and walk as "goup en masse" to a new feeding ground.