The tag line “Soft Coral Capital of the World” first lured me to Fiji 25 years ago. I was overwhelmed by the color, a chromatic explosion the likes of which I had never seen before. That same mesmerizing fireworks display of ­marine life continues today in the southern reaches of the storied Bligh Water between Fiji’s two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

FANTASTIC FIJI

I am 60 feet below at Mellow Yellow, drifting along a reef wall glowing gold, red, green and a resplendent array of other hues. Sea fans, crinoids, whips and the signature soft corals create a fantastical forest ripped from a scene in Avatar. A shower of orange and purple fairy basslets rains down from above. Predatory jacks and dogtooth tuna flash by in hot pursuit of electric blue fusiliers and shimmering baitfish. The brisk current has brought everything to life.

The sea is singing, and I wish my 80 cubic feet of air could last forever. I wish I had been born a fish.

“My kingdom for a pair of gills,” I bemoan as I ­clamber into one of Nai’a’s two dive tenders. The inflatable is full of wide smiles and raucously appreciative post-dive ­jabber. Apparently my dive buddies are similarly smitten by this stretch of reef in the ­Vatu-i-Ra Passage.

My train of thought jumps ship momentarily, musing that the abandoned Capt. ­William Bligh might also have waxed poetic about this stunning seascape if only he had looked below the waves rather than busying himself with navigating by starlight and fleeing fierce Fijian cannibals. After being so famously mutinied on his Bounty in Tonga in 1789, Bligh passed through these very waters — perhaps right by Mellow Yellow — in his little lifeboat (curiously equivalent in size to our own), overcrowded with his bedraggled, scurvy-ridden Loyalist crew.

Scuba diving here ­surely would have been a ­pleasant way to break up Bligh’s ­arduous 47-day, 3,600-mile voyage to Timor, Indonesia, and eventually homeward to ­England and justice.

IN LIVING COLOR

I am snapped out of my ­reverie by Vanessa Lill, our dive guide and cruise director. “Bula! Glad everyone ­enjoyed that. More Mellow Yellow goodness for your next dive? Or shall we explore another site? Your choice.”

Back on board mothership Nai’a, we cram our mouths full with coconut muffins as a lively discussion ensues. Where to dive? We all know we can’t go wrong; it’s all going to be goodness. We get political, voting to do a new site next, and repeat Mellow Yellow later in the trip. It is a sage decision.

Coral Corner reburns our retinas with its ­profusion of gorgeous corals — especially on the pinnacle at 90 feet — and we are awash in schooling fish at ­Maytag. Having waited until late ­afternoon for the namesake ­tempestuous currents to subside, we back-roll into a ­baitball. The ­tornado of ­mirror-bright queenfish frenetically ­orbiting overtop the reef brilliantly caps an epic day. Many more such days were to come in the Namena and Nanu-i-Ra regions.

KEEN EYE FOR A DIVE GUIDE

In the Vuya reef complex, Chad Allen — the second half of the affable and indefatigable ­cruise-director team — leads my group of nine ­searching for macro ­treasures in the “­high-­quality rubble” at ­Humann ­Nature, while ­Vanessa guides the boat’s other half at Cat’s Meow.

Nai’a often splits people between two nearby sites to provide divers with ­extra ­elbowroom underwater. The ship’s policy of rotating guides is another nice touch, ensuring every guest ­experiences the pair’s ­individual ­diving styles and benefits from their secret ­fish-whispering ­techniques. Both uncover delightful little beasties for us: the endemic Fiji clown blenny, blackspotted angelfish, ­fuchsia flatworms, fire dart gobies and symbiotic goby/shrimp duos.

I spend an enjoyable and exasperating 20 minutes lurking outside their burrow with my 105mm macro lens, waiting for both vigilant goby bodyguard and industrious earth-moving shrimp to appear simultaneously at the door of their home. Top prize for the day’s best find goes to Lodoviko Koroi, our third ­divemaster extraordinaire.

In a cave at the base of Cat’s Meow, the eagle-eyed, soft-spoken Fijian giant casually points out a Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse the size of a grain of rice — a juvenile grain of rice. My dive buddy takes a great photo of the minuscule marvel and later quips, “And to think I almost left my close-up lens at home!”

THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Fiji is much more than just wide-angle views of ­pretty reefs. The species list in ­Fiji’s central Lomaiviti region showcases a delightful mix of characters: blue ribbon eels, sea snakes, squadrons of barracuda, camouflaged crustaceans and gaudy nudibranchs. Yes, there are corals to die for, turtles, lizardfish, lionfish and the odd manta ray. (Good thing two of my fellow divers captured video of an 8-foot-wide all-black ­manta, because I was completely oblivious, busy chasing lovely squarespot anthias while Darth Vader ray flew above.)

There are even sharks. I missed the hammerhead at Lion’s Den near ­Wakaya Island while ­chasing a ­particularly handsome leaf scorpionfish, but all 18 of us see twentysome reef sharks in ­Nigali Passage. Long a ­favorite site on Nai’a’s itinerary, this ­high-energy dive in the ­entrance to Gau ­Island’s ­lagoon reliably delivers sightings of a pack of gray reef sharks. No bait is used; the sharks ­aggregate ­naturally in this ­current-swept pass. We watch in awe and ­appreciation as they soar majestically above their coral kingdom.

One evening, we ­exchange wetsuits for skirts. ­Sulus, ­actually. Suliana “Suli“ ­Whippy, the ship’s ­purser, ­patiently helps the ­clumsy guys don the colorful, ­patterned ­traditional clothing. Vinaka vaka levu! (Thank you very much!) We gather together on Nai’a’s dive deck in warm fellowship with the crew.

Mosese “Big Mo” Tuivuna, chief officer, is tearing it up on ukulele, while others in the crowd clap thunderously in accompaniment. Capt. ­Angus Hill sits cross-legged presiding over a wooden bowl of kava. To the uninitiated, kava may look like muddy water. Actually, that’s pretty much what it tastes like, albeit with a shot of novocaine.

Served in a coconut shell, the kava is offered to each of us in turn. Made from the ground root of the ­yaqona pepper tree, kava makes some imbibers grimace, while others warm to the taste ­immediately.

One of our friends seems possessed, ­dancing like no one is watching. ­Everyone is singing.

Just as current is the ­lifeblood of the ­incomparable reef beneath us, kava is the lifeblood of Fijian society. I lend my voice to that of my newly adopted family, ­giving myself over to the ­swirling waves of rich song that carry me out into the night, and then down below to the ­morrow’s goodness.

Need to Know

When to Go: Fiji is a year-round diving destination. The world-famous soft corals are always blooming. My personal ­favorite months to dive are October and November. (Nai’a visits ­Tonga July through September for ­humpback whale snorkeling trips.)

Travelers Tips: Splurge for a Nai’a 10-night cruise. Three extra days allows you to range farther south to Gau, and spend more time in superlative Namena and Bligh Water areas. Book ­directly with Fiji Airways and prepay to receive a special $50 discount off the normal rate for a second 50-pound checked bag on the 10-hour flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Nadi (NAN).

Dive Conditions: Visibility is generally good to excellent (50 to 120 feet) depending on site location and season, with the ­cooler, drier, and windier winter and spring months of July to November usually best for water clarity. Average ocean temperatures range from 76 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit winter to summer. Most people use 3 mm or 5 mm wetsuits. ­Layer with a hooded vest if needed. Dives are usually timed for optimal current conditions to ensure soft corals look their best. Expect some current. Diving is conducted from inflatable skiffs. Site profiles include shallow reefs, sheer walls and dramatic pinnacles.

Operator: Nai’a (naia.com.fj) has consistently been rated one of the world’s best liveaboards for more than two decades. It is a 120-foot-long steel yacht with a 30-foot beam, classy and comfortable, and proven at sea. A crew of 14 pampers 18 guests. Nine spacious, ­luxurious ­cabins boast private en suite ­bathrooms, air conditioning, and both 110- and 220-volt power.

Price Tag: Seven-night cruises (six full dive days) during 2019 are $4,078 USD per person for shared accommodations. Ten-night cruises (nine full dive days) are priced at $5,822. Gratuities, rental gear, alcohol (other than house wines served at dinner) and nitrox ($100 and $150) are extra.