Lifou

Amelia Costigan with the story.

On the island of Lifou in New Caledonia's far east, diving instructor Bastien Jourdan takes tourists to see some of the world's largest and healthiest reef systems.

Lifou is a beautiful destination.

People love walking around the island.

We're fortunate to have some truly magnificent dive sites here protected from the wind.

But Lifou, like much of New Caledonia, is still reeling after years of disruption.

The pandemic, 2024's political unrest, and this year's airport blockades sparked when the territory's main airline moved flights away from the capital, leaving outer islands like Lifou harder to reach and grounding planes, driving Air Calédonie to bankruptcy, which was another major setback for Bastien.

The Air Calédonie flight blockade, which lasted four months here in Lifou since March, significantly impacted our ability because we faced difficulties with people wanting to come.