Wildlife in Fiji: Animals in Fiji & Where to See Them

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Marine Species in Fiji

With the abundance of coral reefs, the waters of Fiji are teeming with an array of tropical fish species and other marine animals. Fiji is home to more than 1,500 different fish and other aquatic species, so there are lots to see when boating, snorkelling or diving in Fiji’s warm waters.

In turn, this attracts larger marine wildlife, such as whales, dolphins and more.

Fish Species in Fiji

Fiji is known as the “Soft Coral Capital of the World”, so as you can imagine, there is a great deal of reef fish to be found. Colourful species like parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, anemonefish, unicornfish, ribbon eels, goatfish, lobsters, frogfish, sea horses, starfish, eels and many more fascinating aquatic species occupy the coral reefs of Fiji.

Localised fish include the Fiji anemonefish. Some of the bluewater fish found in the waters surrounding Fiji are yellowfin tuna, flying fish, wahoo, mahimahi, moonfish, Pacific barracuda, blue marlin and just about anything you might like to reel in on a fishing charter.

Find out more in our guide, Fishing in Fiji: The Types of Fish in Fiji.

Sharks in Fiji

One of the most breathtaking marine species that travellers can see while in Fiji are sharks. While white-tipped and black-tipped reef sharks are the most common shark species you are likely to see in Fiji’s reefs and inner waters, you could also see tawny nurse, grey reef, sicklefin lemon, silvertips, bull, tiger, leopard (zebra), scalloped hammerhead, great hammerhead sharks, and guitarfish.

Hammerheads and other shark species are likely to be seen in the open seas. Check out the 5 Best Places to See Sharks in Fiji for more information on shark encounters.

Sea Turtles in Fiji

Lesser seen than sharks, sea turtles also occupy Fiji’s waters. Unfortunately, due to human impacts, turtles are less abundant in Fiji than they once were. However, it is still possible to see around five different species of sea turtles: hawksbill, loggerhead, green, Pacific, leatherback and ridley.

The most common encounters with turtles in Fiji are with the green turtle, seen foraging on seagrass beds or nesting on sandy beaches (which happens from November until March). Learn more about turtle encounters in the 10 Best Places to See & Swim with Turtles in Fiji.

Manta Rays in Fiji

The largest species of ray in the world, manta rays are on everyone’s bucket list. Manta rays are seen seasonally through various passages around Fiji, particularly in the Yasawa Islands, Kadavu and between Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Other species you may encounter include reef manta rays, bluespotted ribbontail rays, bluespotted stingrays, giant reef rays, and spotted eagle rays.

Find out where and when to see them in The Guide to Swimming with Manta Rays in Fiji.

Marine Mammals in Fiji

Whales and dolphins are protected in Fiji’s waters, but sightings are largely dependent on luck. Pods of dolphins and pilot whales inhabit Fiji’s waters year-round, while species like humpback whales, false killer whales, sperm whales, minke whales and fin whales migrate through Fiji every year – see The Best Places to See Whales in Fiji to learn more.

Dolphin species you may encounter include spinner dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, which you can encounter on dolphin cruises as listed in the 5 Best Places to See Dolphins in Fiji.

Corals and Anemones in Fiji

Fiji has around 400 species of coral. This impressive number represents about 42% of all known coral species globally. The coral diversity in Fiji can be broken down as follows:

• Hard corals: Around 333 different species of hard (stony) corals have been recorded.
• Soft corals: Approximately 80 species of soft corals are found in Fijian waters

Needless to say, you should never touch corals, not only because they are easily damaged and takes a long time for coral to grow, but because coral cuts can give nasty infections – see our Fiji Safety Tips.

Giant Clams, Oysters, Crabs, Starfish and More

Our final aspect of marine wildlife in Fiji is hard-shell and soft-shell marine animals, starting with giant clams. There are four native species of clams and giant clams in Fiji: tridacna gigas, tridacna squamosa, tridacna derasa and tridacna maxima.

Due to the rapid depletion of clams that are harvested as a food delicacy, there are conservation efforts in place to keep the populations stable, for instance, the giant clam nursery at Makogai in the Lomaiviti Islands and Viani Bay Resort between Vanua Levu and Taveuni.

In the waters of Taveuni and Savusavu, black lip pearl oysters have their natural habitat and are also farmed for their black pearls used in jewellery.

Crabs are in abundance across the islands of Fiji; most commonly, you’ll see hermit crabs scuttling across the beaches, while, although not a marine mammal since they always stay on land, coconut crabs are the largest species of crab in the world – now only found on remote islands in the Lau Group like Vatuvara. Crayfish (lobsters) are prolific on the reefs.

A few other honourable marine species mentions include the blue starfish, which you’re likely to see on just about any scuba diving trip. There are also octopus and the bluebottle jellyfish known as the “man-o-war”, whose venomous tentacles are unlikely to be seen in the lagoons where most people swim.

Learn more about the whale and dolphin seasons in Fiji in The Best Seasons for Seeing Wildlife in Fiji.

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Birds in Fiji

Travellers to Fiji will get the chance to encounter some of Fiji’s colourful and fascinating bird species.

Fiji is home to approximately 76 native bird species, 27 of which are endemic to the country. Parrots, petrels and doves make up some of the incredible bird species that you could see while exploring the forests of Fiji’s larger islands.

Endemic Birds in Fiji

Some noteworthy birds to look out for in Fiji include:

• Fiji Woodswallow – These white and black birds, endemic to Fiji, are seen in lowland forests and even in some urban areas.
• Musk Parrot – With bright red, green and blue plumage, the musk parrot, otherwise known as the crimson shining parrot or red shining parrot, is one of the most recognisable birds in Fiji.
• Collard Lory – Similarly coloured to the musk parrot, the collard lory is a smaller bird that is usually seen in groups.
• Sukphur-breasted Myzomela – These are some of the smallest birds in Fiji. The sukphur-breasted myzomela has a yellow chest and a red crown.
• Fiji Goshawk – This raptor bird occupies forested areas of Fiji and is about 30-40 cm (11-15 in) long.
• Red-Throated Lorikeet – One of Fiji’s rarest birds, the red-throated lorikeet is a small lorikeet found on Fiji’s larger islands.
• Orange Fruit Dove – You’ll know it when you see it with its orange “flame-like” body and olive-coloured head.
• Fiji Parrotfinch – Look out for this colourful bird with a bright green body and red head and tail, commonly seen throughout Fiji.

Seabirds in Fiji

Unsurprisingly, the islands of Fiji are a refuge for many seabirds. Some of the commonly sighted seabirds include white terns, sooty terns, red-tailed tropicbirds, white-tailed tropicbirds, lesser frigates, great frigates, red-footed boobies, masked boobies, black noddies and brown noddies.

For more information on the birds in Fiji, take a look at the 10 Best Places to See Birds in Fiji and the 20 Animals & Birds Only Found in Fiji.

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Amphibians and Reptiles in Fiji

A number of amphibians and reptiles can be found in Fiji, including snakes, iguanas, frogs and geckos.

Frogs in Fiji

There are two endemic species of frogs in Fiji, the ground frog and the tree frog. The ground frog is a threatened species, while the tree frog is known for both males and females producing mating calls (in contrast, it’s typically only the male that calls in other frog species). Otherwise, the introduced cane toad is very commonly seen in Fiji.

Iguanas in Fiji

Probably one of the most impressive lizard species found in Fiji is the Fiji banded iguana. The males of this large emerald-green lizard have vertical stripes, while the females are all green.

Their long tails make up for more than two-thirds of the iguana’s total length. Another iguana species is the critically endangered Fiji crested iguana, which is found only in the dry forest on the northwestern islands or in captive breeding programs at Kula WILD Adventure Park and the iguana sanctuary at Malolo Island Resort and Likuliku Lagoon Resort.

Snakes in Fiji

Fiji has a number of snake species, including three species of sea snakes. The black and white banded sea snake is the only venomous sea snake but are usually relaxed and will not attack people unless severely provoked.

On land, the Pacific boa is a nocturnal and well-camouflaged snake, so you’ll be lucky to see one. This snake is not poisonous and only feeds on mice and lizards.

Skinks and Geckos in Fiji

Small skinks are one of the most common types of wildlife you’ll see in Fiji, not afraid to inhabit resorts (or pretty much anywhere else). They’ll hurry away if approached. Geckos are more commonly seen at night and the species in Fiji are the Rotuma forest gecko and Fiji forest gecko.

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Land Mammals in Fiji

Fiji’s only native land mammals are six species of bats. Only one of those bat species is endemic to Fiji, the Fiji monkey-faced bat. This bat species can only be found in the highland region of Des Voeux Peak (Koroturanga Mountain) on Taveuni. There’s also an amazing bat colony on the beach of Garden Island Resort.

Out of the six species of bat found in Fiji, four of them eat fruit. The other two species, the Polynesian sheath-tail bat and the Fijian mastiff bat, eat insects.

All other land mammals found in Fiji, like dogs, cats, rats, pigs, etc. are introduced species.

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Insects in Fiji

First of all, there are no dangerous insects in Fiji. While there are mosquitoes, you will want to wear insect repellent to avoid bites (see our 10 Ways to Avoid Mosquito Bites), they do not carry malaria.

For all you bug lovers, you can expect to see butterflies, moths, spiders, and stick insects in Fiji.

Endemic butterfly species include the Fiji swallowtail, while a common moth species is the sphinx mot,h which can grow a wingspan of up to 15 cm (6 in) – the Natewa swallowtail butterfly was recently discovered on the Natewa Peninsula on Vanua Levu. There are also several species of large spiders however, they tend to make their webs high in the forest canopies, so it is not often that you will see them.

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Plants and Vegetation in Fiji

Fiji’s iconic beaches are lined with a variety of pine tree species, while more vibrant flowers and vegetation can be found in the interior tropical forests.

Trees found on Fiji’s beaches include fishtail, silver, umbrella and coconut palms. Look out for trumpet-like flowers of the beach morning glory trees.

Fiji’s coastlines are also lined with mangrove forests. These flooded forests are crucial for the ecosystem of Fiji, while also strengthening and protecting the coastline from the warm waters.

Other common tree species include Mallotus tiliifolous, which has hairy leaves and spiny fruit, and the Indian-beech with aromatic flowers. The Tahitian gardenia is also an attractive plant with white blossoms.

A great example of tropical flowers and vegetation lies just a short drive from Nadi on Viti Levu; the Garden of the Sleeping Giant is a fine representation of the tropical Fiji forest, hosting 30-40 native orchids and cattleya hybrids.