Naviti Island: Manta Rays, Marine Conservation and Soso

Naviti Island is part of Fiji’s Yasawa Islands. Mai Sunset Beach Resort is also located on Naviti Island. For planning your trip, three specific topics are covered here: the seasonal gathering of manta rays, marine protected areas, and Soso village tours. They address different interests and timing considerations. When it comes to wildlife watching, it is particularly important to distinguish between a known season and a guaranteed sighting.

Soso Tours and Island Culture

Soso village tours include visits to the village church and local school. Guides explain Soso’s customs and history. This combines specific stops with insights into local culture and offers a different focus from seasonal wildlife watching. If you are interested in village history and customs, you can include this tour in your travel plans.

Manta Rays: The Seasonal Window

Manta rays gather in the passage between Drawaqa and Naviti from May to October. This time frame refers to a seasonal gathering area; individual sightings are not guaranteed. In the mid-2000s, local resorts established tourist snorkeling trips to Manta Channel to observe manta rays. Two dates are therefore relevant when planning your trip: the May-to-October season and the historical establishment of these trips in the mid-2000s. If you are considering a snorkeling tour, check availability for your travel dates in advance.

Marine Protected Areas and Their Development

In 2008, Botaira Resort established a marine protected area of approximately 53 hectares. Botaira Bay is a tabu area with a shallow fringing reef and deeper open water. In 2013, traditional resource users and the Fisheries Department recognized the Drawaqa–Naviti Manta Channel and its surrounding area as a tabu area. These details refer to two protected designations: Botaira Bay and the channel with its surrounding area.

In September 2025, Tui Naviti, the paramount chief of Naviti Island, and the chiefs of Naviti’s eight villages agreed to expand the protected area to more than three times its previous size. The planned expansion was to include additional marine habitats and the channel, described as an important feeding area for manta rays. As boundaries and management may continue to evolve, check locally for the rules currently in effect.

Getting to Mai Sunset Beach Resort

For 2026, Route 7 of the Yasawa Flyer lists a departure from Port Denarau to Mai Sunset Beach Resort on Naviti Island at 8:45 a.m. This time is an estimate and depends on sea conditions, so check the schedule before departing. If you are coordinating your arrival with your stay, plan around this variable timing rather than treating it as a guaranteed departure time.

Discover more destinations: Nakorokula, Nanuya Balavu Island, Nalauwaki, Yaro, Somosomo, Viseisei, Nabila, Tonge

For the broader travel overview: Western Division.