A Treasure Chest of Exotic Creatures
Wakaya Island is the site of a small exclusive resort and a treasure
chest of exotic creatures. Fortunately very few of Wakaya's clientele
are divers, which is good for us because it leaves the reef pristine.
Wakaya's diving is a mix of unusual reef fish and large pelagics.
Permanently found on a shelf at 85 feet are between three and six
blue ribbon eels, often two to a hole. Slightly deeper on a nearby
shelf are several pairs of decorated dartfish, a rare cousin of the
ubiquitous fire goby. Lucky divers sometimes find the even less common
elegant dartfish there. Further along is a purple leaf scorpionfish
which lives among a stand of yellow soft coral.
The ridge above is named Lion's Den for all the lionfish which live there, and a large black coral at one end of the ridge marks the home of two green leaf scorpionfish and their tan colored cousin. The worst part of diving Wakaya is having to decide which lens to put on the camera; nearly as common as the blue ribbon eels and leaf fish are mantas and hammerhead sharks, which are apt to sweep past while you are setting up for a close-up macro shot. NAI'A's crew have identified eight of the manta rays who frequently feed in the channel at Wakaya by their distinctive underside markings and the even more distinctive shark bites in their wings. Other regular visitors to Wakaya are scalloped and great hammerheads. Usually just cruising in to check out divers along the wall, the hammerheads range from eight feet up to about thirteen feet. Sometimes divers see several together in the channel, and one group saw a school of seventeen hammerheads parade past.
