Ultimate Encounter Snorkel with Sharks in Fiji
Description
See the majestic beauty of picture perfect Kuata Island on this full day, small group cruise and snorkel with reef sharks. Barefoot Kuata Resort is nestled along a white sandy beach on picturesque Kuata Island with magnificent tall peaks and huge honeycomb rock formations and transparent turquoise waters where you can go snorkelling with reef sharks. Just crystal clear water between you and the sharks, this is the ultimate adrenaline rush experience!
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please note that the departure time shown on your tour is the VESSEL DEPARTURE TIME FROM PORT DEANRAU, NOT YOUR COACH PICK UP TIME. If you require a hotel pick up, please select your hotel from the list of pick-up points in your booking process. All coach transfers must be pre-booked with our Reservations office at least the day before your tour. The coach pickups commence approximately 75minutes before the vessel departs from Port Denarau. Please check with our reservations team for your coach pickup time or refer to the South Sea Cruises coach timetable on our website for more info.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- You must contact South Sea Cruises at least 24 hours before your activity date to confirm your reservation and arrange Transport. Use the contact details on this voucher. Upon check in please present your confirmation or voucher in exchange for your tour boarding pass
- 7am Coach Pick Up - First Landing Beach Resort, Nila Resort & Landers Bay Resort
- 7:10am Coach Pick Up - Anchorage Beach Resort and Nalagi Hotel
- 7:15am Coach Pick Up - Nadi International Airport, Bamboo Travellers Beach / Beach Escape Villas / Bluewater Lodge / Aquarius on the Beach / Smugglers Cove / Ramada Suites / Sailor’s Beach / New Town Beach Motel / Matasawa Resort
- 7:20am Coach Pick Up - Club Fiji, Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa Fiji and Tokatoka Resort Nadi
- 7:30am Coach Pick Up - Fiji Gateway Hotel / Trans International Hotel and Oasis Palms
- 7:35am Coach Pick Up - Novotel Nadi
- 7:40am Coach Pick Up - Fancy Hotel, Tanoa International Hotel and Ratsun Nadi Airport Apartment Hotel
- 7:45am Coach Pick Up -Grand Melanesian Hotel and Tanoa Skylodge
- 7:50am Coach Pick Up - Mercure Hotel Nadi, Hexagon International Hotel /Capricorn Hotel Nadi / Travellers Apartments
- 7:55am Coach Pick Up -Nadi Bay Resort
- 8am Coach Pick Up - Wyndham Resort Denarau Island, Radisson Blu Resort Fiji, Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa and Hilton Fiji Beach Resort
- 8:10am Couch Pick Up - Sheraton Fiji Resort and The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa
- Is it safe?
- Yes. You’ll be provided with safety instruction from our experienced guides who’ve spent hundreds of hours getting to know our resident school of sharks. Our guides will be in the water with you the entire time and will closely monitor the sharks behaviour to ensure your safety.
- What type of sharks will I see?
- There are two main species of sharks encountered, White Tip Reef Sharks and Black Tip Reef Sharks, both are common in the tropical warm waters of the South Pacific. Each species can grow to a length of just over 1.5 metres although under the water they appear 25% larger, a snorkeling face mask optical illusion. White Tips are the dominant species and are by nature an inquisitive shark not frightened to check you out. Their Black Tip relatives are by contrast timid and will shy away if they feel threatened.
- How many sharks will I see?
- Numbers vary but it is common to see up to six sharks.
- How deep is the water?
- Both Black Tip and White Tip Reef Sharks prefer shallower waters making snorkeling easy with good visibility. It’s even possible to see the sharks from our boat before entering the water. Water depth varies between 4 - 6 metres depending on the tide.
- What if I’m not a good swimmer, haven’t snorkeled before or don’t want to snorkel but my travelling companion does?
- Buoyancy aids are available for less confident swimmers and because these sharks prefer shallow waters there’s no necessity to dive under the water to secure a thrilling view. Non-snorkelers can join the day but sit out the snorkeling experience.
- Our Shark Guarantee
- As Sharks are wild animals we cannot guarantee sightings however we have a 95% +success rate of sighting sharks. In the event that you don’t see any sharks we are happy for you to return for a complimentary “Ultimate Encounter - Snorkel with Sharks” within 3 days of your original cruise.
- If poor weather and sea conditions result in the cancellation of the 'Snorkeling with Sharks experience,' a substitute snorkeling safari will be provided.
- Please bring swimsuit, towel, protective clothing from the sun including a hat and sunblock, light jacket or sweater during the cooler months, money or credit card for optional purchases, your camera and sense of fun!
Reviews(182)
Had a great experience snorkeling with the reef sharks, was definitely a highlight of our trip. These are memories our kids will have for a lifetime. The food was a bit cold and not many options for kids, we took our own snacks which saved the day.
Great excursion and tour operator was extremely professional and responsive. It was great seeing all the fishes and sharks in the water
We had the best day . As grandparents we went with our teenage granddaughters who had talked as into it. So many fish and reef sharks. So much fun
The tour was amazing and staff were super friendly, knowledgeable and were happy to answer any questions we had. Made us feel comfortable and taken care of, especially as we were tourists from another country. We saw two reef sharks when snorkelling! The environment and scenery is beautiful and the man dancing on top of the mountain when we were returning to the boat home was incredible! One thing I would note is that you are only out snorkelling for 45minutes. It was a good amount of time for us, it’s just not mentioned anywhere when you’re booking.
Really great for people who have never seen the coral reefs or snorkeled. A little frustrating that we boated past the coral reef to Kuata island, then went half way back to Nadi, it felt like a waste of time because i only got 40 minutes in the water with the sharks. Lots of sharks tho, loooved that i could rent a gopro and take my own photos and videos. I cried because it was so amazing but also because it was too short for so much money. Then i was basically forced to waste time on the beach resort. I am a traveler, not a vacationer. Adhd HATES sitting beside the pool its a waste of time. Make sure to bring a book or a phone charger if you dont use usb-c. Spent more time by the pool and bar than in the water with the sharks. Great if thats what you like, but I need more action.
Excellent experience! We had a transfer to Port Denarau from Marriott Momi Bay, about 45 min (arranged with the hotel, not included). You checked in with South Sea cruises at the Passenger Terminal. ATMs are available at the terminal. We started with a high speed catamaran from Port Denarau to Kuata Barefood Island with South Sea Cruises (2nd stop), about 1h 30-45 min. They put a wrist band on you identifying that you’re with the shark tour. The helpful crew made it clear where you’re getting off. Once you get near the island, a motorized boat takes you to land and the resort part. Bar, tables, lounge chairs, and bathrooms (roomy and clean) available. Then, the shark tour crew go over the day with you and check in. Snorkel equipment available (included), waivers are signed, options for video packages (underwater GoPro), and lunch buffet are discussed. We were separated into 2 groups. First group was able to go out on motorized boats (bumpy), about 10-15 min to do the actual shark tour, which lasted about 30-40 min before you head back to the resort. It seems short, but just enough time for us. When you get back, you walk back across the rocky/pebbly beach for lunch (served between 12-2, very delicious). Then the 2nd group goes. We were lucky to be in the first group, eating after the excursion was better and more rewarding. Also, we found out there’s an easier walk behind the beach on the resort part, no rocks/pebbles, which is the way we walked back later for pick up. Lots of time to relax, eat, drink, and tan (especially from 1st group). Then, you can walk to a small cave nearby to explore (artifacts in cave) and at 2pm, the women from Wailea (island across) bring over their small crafts market for souvenirs. They had jewelry, sarongs, and other small cute souvenirs. They only accept cash. The other part of the resort accepted card/tap. Wifi available on South Sea cruises and the resort. No ATM on resort, so get cash before boarding. Overall, a great Fijian experience. Highly recommended! Oh, and for us, we did see a lot of sharks!
Bula Vinaka Agnes_D, Vinaka vakalevu for taking the time to share such a detailed review of your Ultimate Encounter Snorkel with Sharks experience! We're thrilled to hear you had such a memorable day and that you enjoyed the shark encounter, delicious lunch, time to relax at Kuata Island, and exploring the local cave and handicraft market. It's wonderful to know our crew helped make the experience smooth and enjoyable from start to finish. Thank you also for sharing your helpful tips for future travellers. We're especially delighted that you saw plenty of sharks and that the experience lived up to your expectations! We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure in Fiji. Warm Regards!
You get a whole new view on sharks 🦈. They are amazingly streamlined and swim so effortlessly. I. Really pleased I went outside my comfort zone to do it. Everything and everyone was wonderful
Bula Vinaka 469gwendam, Vinaka vakalevu for sharing your wonderful feedback. We’re delighted to hear that the Ultimate Encounter gave you a whole new appreciation for sharks and that you enjoyed watching them in their natural environment. It’s fantastic to know you stepped outside your comfort zone and found the experience so rewarding. We’re also pleased to hear that everything, including our team, helped make your day memorable. Thank you for choosing to travel with us, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable Fiji adventure. Warm regards!
As much as I would love to give this a 5/5 I just cannot. The boat ride to the island was great we sat up top and has a great view of all the islands. However whenever we got to the island and they called us downstairs to wait is was absolute chaos. There was no communication about where to stand who was going where and there were people getting on the boat that were leaving the island. They really needed one side for the day trip people and one side for the people staying at the resort. After we got onto the little boat and got to the island AGAIN there was no communication about where to go all the staff said just follow those people so we walked a good 200 yards to an area of the resort where we were all meeting up. They gave us time to change and get ready however they were overbooked by at least 20 people so they had to split us up into two groups the first went snorkeling and the other group that I was in we had to wait until after lunch to go on the second trip. They allowed us to use the pools there but there was no direction as to where the dive shop was to use the paddle boards. Lunch was very good I will give that a 5/5. When the first group finally came back it was time for us to go. The boat ride on those small boats is definitely terrifying if you haven't been on a small boat before. We got to see tons of sharks which was a one of a kind experience. After we got back we basically sat around waiting for the boat to come back. Since we had to go on the second snorkel trip we missed out on the trip to the village. Very disappointing in the lack of and the overbooking. If our trip was not overbooked by so many people I think this would have been a great experience for everyone. The island from what we could see in our area was very beautiful. If you want to see sharking in Fiji I would recommend this but be conscious it could be overbooked again
Bula Vinaka Sarah_M, Vinaka vakalevu for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We’re pleased to hear you enjoyed the boat journey, the beautiful island surroundings, the lunch, and especially the unforgettable shark snorkelling experience. We are, however, very sorry to hear that aspects of the day were impacted by communication gaps, organisation on arrival, and delays in the activity flow. This is not the standard we aim to deliver, and your comments regarding boarding coordination, guest flow management, and group capacity have been noted seriously. We would appreciate the opportunity to review this further. Please contact our Customer Service team at customerservices@ssc.com.fj with your booking details so we can investigate what occurred on your trip. Thank you again for your honest feedback—it is invaluable in helping us improve the guest experience. Warm regards!
Awesome experience snorkeling with sharks in super clear water
Bula Vinaka GrandTour44690701340, Vinaka vakalevu for your great feedback. We’re delighted to hear you had an awesome experience snorkelling with sharks in Fiji’s clear waters. Thank you for joining us on the Ultimate Encounter and for taking the time to share your review. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure. Warm regards!
As an avid ocean lover I loved this experience. Greated by locals signing the Island was beautiful and although I was skeptical from previous reviews about the amount of time in the water with the sharks it was a fair amount of time for a scheldued day trip. We had free time after our shark dive / lunch and was able to utalise this to snorkel off the beach and enjoy the ocean even more (although no sharks in that close unfortunetly!).
