Megafauna Monitoring Initiative (MMI) - January 2026

We are pleased to restart our MMI initiative this year. Its aim is to gauge population abundance and biodiversity levels by assessing numbers of large key species of fish, reptiles and mammals. This is achieved by our professional team counting and logging data on a daily basis from multiple dive sites in the Northern Mamanucas.

This is the first month of the MMI since reopening post covid in 2022. Undoubtedly many Green turtles were taken to eat; presumably others moved away for safety. However we are seeing numbers increase again as the turtles resettle on the reefs.

Also of interest is the reclassification of what we previously called the Coral Sea mask ray to the Fiji mask ray - In 2025 this was confirmed as a new separate species of Mask ray endemic to Fiji.

During January 2026 we recorded the following:

23 x White tip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus)

2 x Black tip reef shark (Carcharinus melanopterus)

9 x Grey reef shark (Carcharinius amblyrhynchos)

1 x Tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus)

2 x Zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum)

33 x Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

10 x Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate)

12 x Blue Spot ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma)

10 x Fiji mask ray (Neotrygon romeo)

1 x Devil ray (Mobula)

100+ Chevron barracuda (Sphyraena qenie)

20+ Pickhandle barracuda (Sphyraena jello)

2 Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)

20+ Bluefin trevally (Caranz melampygus)

4 Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson)

20+ Rainbow runner (Elegatis bipinnulata)

5 Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulates)

12 Brown marbled grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus)