Live coral in Western Samoa?

We are trying to decide which Pacific island to go to next. Went to Fiji last time and found wonderful live, soft, muliti-cloured coral. Other places we have been like Tahiti, Thailand and Bali could not compare, with the coral mainly bleached. LP doesn'te mention the quality of the coral in Samoa. Is there live, soft, coloured coral to be found in Samoa by snorkelling off the beach? If so, where are the best places to find it?

My experience in Samoa is that much of the coral within snorkelling distance from shore is in poor shape.

If you can arrange to go out with a dive group to snorkel, you will find it much, much better beyond the fringing reef.

Palolo Deep preserve, off the beach of Namua island...
and on Savaii past Stevenson's on the way to Asau a first small bay to your right - there are huge spectacular corals just off a tiny beach

Thanks for that. I heard that the coral off Savaii got damaged a few years back from a volcanic eruption. Is the place you mentioned still good do you know? And is it accesible by swimming off the beach?

There hasn't been a volcanic eruption in or around Samoa since 1911, so this information cannot be true.

Guess I interpreted it wrong. The latest LP says
"There is less coral off Savai'i because recent volcanic flows have covered reef areas." (p.136). Didn't think 1911 was "recent". Or are they underwater flows? I still would like to know about the quality of the coral. There is obviously good fish life but is there soft coral walls or gardens with lots of colour?

And my old Lonely Planet edition from 1998 already says the same about recent volcanic flows on p.88 ... I assume regarding volcanoes and corals hundred years are really "recent". I am am closely in touch with Samoa since 1982 and I am sure that no volcanic aktivity of any kind occured at least since then over or under water. The active hotspot is about 100 miles east of the Manuas, just creating the next Samoan island. But nothing around Savaii.

Java and Wksamoa---I thought I had read many yrs ago that there was no soft corals in the South Pacifiic, as it was too cold, etc. I know there are no soft corals in the Cooks. So apparently there are soft corals in Fiji and Samoa?

LP books recycle old info all the time, sounds like someone was just repeating old nonsense.

According to South Pacific.org "Fiji is the soft coral capitol of the world".

Raro, there are definitely soft corals in Fiji as we saw them last year. Just like being in "Finding Nemo". So amazing after so many times going where we were told was good snorkelling to find lumpy white, hard coral. We had started to think that colourful coral didn't exist anymore. Don't know if it can be found in Samoa, that is what I would like to find out.