Turtle Sanctuary and Snorkel Trip: Half a Day from Wailoaloa Beach
This is the short one: 5.5 hours, a 30-minute catamaran ride, guided snorkelling on the reef beside Beachcomber Island, and the turtle sanctuary and iguana enclosure on Treasure Island. Island Connection Fiji runs it from Wailoaloa Beach rather than Port Denarau, groups stay small, and it costs $90 with a FJ$15 landing fee paid on the island. Compare it against the full-day Mamanuca Islands tours before you book.
About the Trip
Half a day, back in time for an afternoon or an evening flight
Plus a FJ$15 landing fee on Treasure Island, about US$7
Guide, transport and value all rated 5.0
Plus the iguana nesting area, both on Treasure Island
Guided snorkelling with the crew in the water
Island restaurant, paid on the day, or bring your own snacks
Check Dates and Availability
Live departures for the Island Connection Fiji half-day trip. Small boat, so the good dates go early.
What Makes This One Different
Half a day, not a whole one
Every other trip into the Mamanucas eats a full day. This one takes 5.5 hours door to door, which leaves the afternoon free or covers the gap before a night flight out of Nadi.
The boat crosses in 30 minutes because Treasure and Beachcomber sit in the inner ring of cays, not out west with Monuriki. You trade distance for time in the water, and the reef here is shallower and calmer than the outer sites.
Groups are small. One reviewer counted 13 people on board, which is a fraction of what the resort catamarans carry.
Wildlife you can actually see
Treasure Island Resort runs a turtle sanctuary where hatchlings are raised before release, and an iguana nesting area next to it. Both are on the guided walk, and both are the reason people pick this trip over a straight snorkel run.
The Fiji crested iguana is endangered and hard to spot in the wild, where it spends most of its time camouflaged in tree branches. Seeing one at close range in an enclosure is a different thing from seeing one on Monuriki, where the recovery project keeps visitors away from the habitat.
The fish feeding near Beachcomber is the other set piece. The skipper puts bread in the water and several hundred sergeant majors arrive within seconds.
The Reef and the Two Islands
What you swim over
The snorkel sites sit inside the lagoon, where the outer barrier takes the swell. Visibility runs 15 to 25 metres on a settled day and the depth stays friendly, so this works for people who have never used a mask.
The skipper picks the site on the morning, based on wind and current. Reviewers describe being placed in calm water on good coral rather than dropped at a fixed buoy, which is what a small boat can do and a scheduled catamaran cannot.
Expect hard coral, giant clams, parrotfish, wrasse, butterflyfish and the sergeant major swarm. Turtles turn up around Treasure.
- Beachcomber reef: shallow coral and the fish feeding stop
- Treasure Island: turtle sanctuary, iguana enclosure, beach time
- Guided snorkelling with the crew in the water, gear supplied
- Two hours of the trip are spent on Treasure Island itself
- Visibility 15 to 25 metres in settled weather
Price, Fees and What You Carry
Included in the $90
The boat, the guided snorkelling and all the gear. That is the trip: a small catamaran, a skipper, guides who get in the water, masks, snorkels and fins.
What is not in the price is food. The island restaurant on Treasure serves lunch at your own cost, and the resort charges a FJ$15 landing fee per person on arrival, about US$7 at the July 2026 rate of FJ$1 to US$0.44.
You can bring your own snacks and drinks instead, which the operator explicitly allows. Carry Fijian dollars either way, because the landing fee is collected on the beach.
- Included: boat, guided snorkelling, snorkel gear
- FJ$15 landing fee on Treasure Island, paid on arrival
- Lunch at the island restaurant, paid separately
- Own snacks and drinks allowed on board
- No hotel transfer: you make your own way to Wailoaloa Beach
Finding the meeting point
This is the one thing to get right. The trip starts at Ramada Suites by Wyndham on Wailoaloa Beach, and the boat waits on the seaward side. You walk through Smugglers Cove bar to reach it.
More than one review mentions hunting for the meeting point in the morning. Wailoaloa is a 10-minute drive from Nadi town and about 15 minutes from the airport, and taxis know the Ramada.
Allow a buffer. A small boat with 13 people on it does not wait long for a missing passenger.
- Meet at Ramada Suites by Wyndham, Wailoaloa Beach
- Walk through Smugglers Cove bar to the seaward side
- 10 minutes by taxi from Nadi town, 15 from the airport
- Arrive early: the boat is small and leaves on time
How the 5.5 Hours Run
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Start
Wailoaloa Beach
Meet at Ramada Suites by Wyndham and walk through Smugglers Cove bar to the boat on the seaward side.
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30 min
Catamaran crossing
Out to the inner Mamanuca cays. Calm water inside the lagoon most mornings.
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45 min
Treasure Island
First stop: swimming and free time on the beach, landing fee paid on arrival.
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30 min
Beachcomber Island
Guided snorkelling on the reef plus the fish feeding, where the sergeant majors swarm.
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2 hours
Treasure Island again
The turtle sanctuary and iguana nesting area, lunch at the island restaurant, then beach time.
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Return
Wailoaloa Beach
Back to the same beach in the early afternoon.
Before You Book
Practical notes
Bring cash in Fijian dollars for the landing fee and lunch, since a beach restaurant on a small island is not the place to discover your card does not work.
The trip runs rain or shine within reason, and the skipper moves the snorkel site rather than cancelling when the wind builds. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours ahead if the forecast turns before that.
Sun protection matters more here than on the bigger boats. A small catamaran has less shade, and two of the 5.5 hours are spent on an open beach.
- FJ$15 per person in cash for the landing fee
- More cash or a card for lunch at the island restaurant
- Reef-safe sunscreen and a shirt: shade is limited
- Towel, hat and a dry bag for phones
- Your own snacks and drinks if you would rather not buy lunch
Where the Boat Leaves From
Who the Trip Suits
Suitable for
Families with children old enough to snorkel, first-time snorkellers, and anyone with half a day rather than a whole one. The wildlife stops give non-swimmers something to do while the rest of the group is in the water.
It is also the cheapest way into the Mamanucas on this site at $90, and the only trip that puts you on a resort island with a restaurant, a bar and shade.
One family with teenagers rated it five stars and called the fish feeding the highlight of the day.
- Families with teenagers and confident younger swimmers
- First-time snorkellers, with guides in the water
- Travellers with a spare morning before an evening flight
- Anyone who wants turtles and iguanas, not just reef
Worth knowing
Lunch is not included, which catches people out. Budget FJ$15 for the landing fee plus whatever the restaurant charges, or pack your own food.
This trip does not go anywhere near Monuriki. If the Cast Away island is the point of your day, take the eight-hour cruise to Monuriki and Mana Sand Bar instead.
There is no hotel pickup. Factor a taxi to Wailoaloa into the cost if you are staying on Denarau or the Coral Coast.
- No lunch included, no hotel transfer
- Does not visit Monuriki or the outer islands
- Small boat: limited shade, limited space for bags
- Landing fee is per person, including children
Questions About the Turtle Sanctuary Trip
Where is the turtle sanctuary in the Mamanuca Islands?
On Treasure Island, one of the inner cays about 45 minutes from Wailoaloa Beach by catamaran. The resort raises turtle hatchlings there before release and keeps an iguana nesting area beside it. Both are part of the guided visit on this trip, which spends around two hours on the island.
How much does the trip cost in total?
$90 per person for the boat, the guiding and the snorkel gear, plus a FJ$15 landing fee paid on Treasure Island, about US$7 at the July 2026 rate. Lunch at the island restaurant is extra and paid on the day. Bring Fijian dollars in cash for both.
Is lunch included?
No. The operator is clear about it: a meal at the island restaurant costs extra, and you are also charged the FJ$15 landing fee. You are allowed to bring your own snacks and drinks on board instead, which several passengers do.
Where does the boat leave from?
Ramada Suites by Wyndham on Wailoaloa Beach, not Port Denarau. The boat sits on the seaward side and you reach it by walking through Smugglers Cove bar. Reviewers mention struggling to find it, so allow extra time. Wailoaloa is about 10 minutes by taxi from Nadi town.
Can beginners snorkel on this trip?
Yes. The sites sit inside the lagoon where the water is shallow and calm, gear is supplied, and guides snorkel with the group. One review describes the skipper choosing calm water on good reef rather than dropping everyone at a fixed spot.
How does it compare with a full-day cruise?
It is half the length and $49 cheaper than the eight-hour Monuriki cruise, but it stays in the inner cays and does not include food. The full-day boats reach the western islands, feed you a lovo or buffet lunch and include hotel transfers. This one buys wildlife and a short crossing.
What Passengers Say
The snorkelling was awesome, lots of coral and fish. The skipper made sure that he put us in nice calm water on very good reefs. The turtles and iguana were an awesome experience. We like that the group was small with only 13 all together. We enjoyed a very nice lunch on Treasure Island. We had a little trouble in the morning finding the meeting point, it is just a walk through Smugglers Cove Bar on the seaward side.
Such a great tour. Our guides Manoa and Lombao were the best; super lovely and helpful and the fish feeding was definitely a highlight. SO many fish! Overall really awesome day and would totally recommend!
The snorkeling itself was definitely the highlight of the trip, it's like going into another world. The bright tropical fish, the blue pristine waters and the contrast of the coral.
Verified GetYourGuide reviews for this trip, reproduced as written.