Fiji Snorkeling Tour Feb 2026 Trip Report
Date: February 20 – Mar 03, 2026
Water temp: 29 C / 84 F
Seas: Calm, then not so much
Our first trip in 2026 to Fiji also marked the 10-year anniversary from the last time we were in Fiji. Our only regret is that it took us too long to return! Fiji is a beautiful country with magnificent reefs and reef life. On our last trip we spent ten days in Beqa Lagoon, a beautiful stretch of water along the southern end of Viti Levu. For this trip, we visited a series of coastal reefs, seamounts, and atolls that reside in the passage between the two main islands of Vanua Levu to the north and the more populous Viti Levu to the south.
The approach was also different than last time. Rather than staying at a resort, we chartered the M/V NAI’A to host our snorkeling activities. The NAI’A is a spacious boat with a legendary reputation for excellence in the dive industry. It did not miss a beat on all levels with our dedicated snorkeling group! We began our tour in the port of Lautoka and headed north to Bligh Water / Vatu-I-Ra Passage. The relatively shallow passage contains a series ancient reefs, most that are in their later stages of existence as atolls. We could not wait to snorkel on them!
Fiji’s famous Bird Island
Our first stop was to the island that carries the same name as the passage, Vatu-I-Ra. It is more popularly known as Bird Island for the huge colonies of nesting seabirds. Red-footed boobies, lesser frigate birds, and noddies are three of the nine species that occupy the island. The reefs surrounding the island were spectacular. Our first taste of what to expect; very healthy hard coral gardens with a great variety of reef fishes. I was looking forward to the local variations and endemic fishes. Right away with the Fiji fangblenny and yellow variation of the bridled monocle bream! But the hard coral in the shallows were the highlights. Colorful communities of branching and table corals seemed to completely cover the surface with many species of fish zipping in and out of the 3-dimensional structures. This area is a conservation park protected by the government, and it shows.
Reefs and fish of Bligh Waters / Vatu-I-Ra
Reefs in Vatu-I-Ra Passage consist of mainly of atolls sitting atop ancient volcanic substrate. Reef tops are shallow, and reef margins usually start in about 6 – 10 feet of water. This gave snorkelers access to shallow reefs and easy views into the blue or down the wall. Many of the reefs had canyons carved into the structure or were separated by stretches of sand. The rubble areas offering big schools of parrotfishes and surgeonfishes as well as the occasional resting white-tip shark.
Speaking of which, fish diversity in Fiji is quite high, with over 350 species. For someone that spends a lot of time snorkeling in Indonesia it is always a treat to see fish I don’t usually see. South Seas blue devil, Lemonpeel angelfish, and bluespot butterflyfish are quite common in Fiji, but less so west of PNG. And the endemics! The Fiji anemonefish, Fiji fangblennies, and bicolor rabbitfish were everywhere, but we missed out on the Fiji clown blenny.
Koro Islands
The Koro Islands are a pair of two connected atolls forming one large structure. Seaward reefs were like the systems to the north; vibrant coral communities with all the associated reef fish. We had the chance to snorkel around (and visit) Makogai Island, the Pacific Island’s only leper colony. Learning about the island with a hosted tour to some of the historical sites was a nice opportunity for us.
E-6 Seamount
A storm was on the way but we were able to visit the E-6 seamount before heading closer to land. E-6 is a shallow plateau of coral with steep walls that plunge hundreds of feet. Very fishy! We didn’t have superb weather so viz wasn’t great, but it was a lovely spot to spend the day. I can see why it got its name! E-6 chemical in exposing color film, and this area certainly had the color!Sharks
Cyclone Urmil!
A close pass from Cyclone Urmil drew strong winds and heavy rain into the area. This forced us to hide behind some of the coastal islands, and to explore reefs we had planned to do! The snorkeling was fantastic! They were very productive and quite different from what we had been doing for the past week. More sheltered, the reefs were less branching and table corals and more soft leather corals and hard boulder corals.
Not surprisingly, hard coral diversity on some of the reefs was higher than what we saw on the atolls! Acropora coral are very competitive and can take over reefs in the long term. This reduces diversity in that area. Turbid, sheltered habitats are not preferred by Acropora, giving less competitive corals a chance to prosper.
The last two days, however, were all about wind and rain and, unfortunately, not the best visibility. Taking nothing away from the reefs, they were very nice with lots to offer. I have never had so many semi-circle angelfishes in such shallow water. Add some octopuses, eels, and these habitats were great for nudibranchs which made a lot of us happy!
Overall impressions
Fiji has some magnificent reefs with something to offer to just about any marine enthusiast. Reefs were in generally in good shape and with lots of color and pageantry. We all had an amazing time being in the water and on board the NAI’A. Almost everyone noted how many sharks they saw, especially compared to Indonesia or the Philippines. While Fiji may not have the diversity of Indonesia or the Philippines, they do have healthier populations of reef sharks. Except for coastal reefs, we saw whitetip and blacktip sharks on just about every snorkel. This is something I’d love to see more of almost anywhere else we go outside of Palau. We will learn from past mistakes and make sure to visit sooner than 2036! We are planning 2028…More photos here!