Level: Resort nearby
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Last updated on September 4, 2023
The house reef of the Naqalia Lodge, located on the southern coast of Wayasewa, is one of the best snorkeling spots of the island. Along the coral reef which slopes gently in front of the beach, we can finswim accompanied by sumptuous angelfish, clownfish fiercely defending their anemone, yellow-lipped sea krait winding their way among the corals and, sometimes, sea turtles. Access to this spot is reserved to the lodge guests.
Naqalia Lodge is located south of Wayasewa Island, in the Yasawa Chain. It is one of the Yasawa islands closest to Nadi, where you can find Fidji’s main international airport.
From Nadi, go to Denarau Marina by taxi/shuttle or by bus in order to embark on Yasawa Flyer, the ferry that serves the archipelago (tickets are sold at the airport or at the pier). You must have a reservation on the island in order to buy the ticket.
There is a ferry trip to Wayasewa once a day and the trip lasts about 2 hours. The lodge will send a boat to pick you up directly on the Yasawa Flyer.
Get into the water from the sandy beach of the lodge.
The recommended snorkeling area covers the coral reefs facing the beach of the lodge (↕3-10ft/1-3m). A hundred meters away from the beach, the reef opens onto sandy beds (↕10-12ft/3-4m).
Naqalia Lodge house reef is covered with an interesting variety of corals, especially branching corals, digitate corals, tabulate corals and beautiful porites coral blocks. Pretty deteriorated here and there in the shallowest areas, the corals are better preserved at depths of over 6ft/2m.
This spot allows visitors to spot a very diverse marine life. The sea anemones found between the corals host several species of anemonefish, among which orangefin anemonefish and Fiji anemonefish.
There is no need to go too far to spot them: you can see clownfish on the reef flat, a few tens of meters away from the beach. Swim above the reef to come across filefish, triggerfish, butterflyfish and angelfish, which are among the many bright-colored tropical fish found here.
The Naqalia Lodge is also known for the presence of yellow-lipped sea krait, a species of sea snake that hunts on the reef. Don’t be surprised to see one winding among the corals, in search of its favorite meal, the small moray eels. This snake has a strong venom, but it is not aggressive, except if it feels genuinely attacked.
As always when snorkeling, do not step on the seabed and do not touch anything, all the more so since the reef hosts crowns of thorns, cones, and other stonefish.
On the reef front, the luckiest may swim with one of the green sea turtles that regularly visit the area.
The coral reef borders this whole stretch of coast of the island, but do not stray from the areas facing the beach. The bay is generally well sheltered. Nevertheless, do not go into the water if there are waves.
Naqalia Lodge offers full board packages.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
