Likuliku's Crested Iguana Program on Monuriki Island

To learn more about the bold ecological initiatives impacting the ecosystem of Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands, I embark on a private voyage to explore Monuriki. Perhaps this ethereal heaven-on-earth deserted isle would be best recognized as the setting where Tom Hanks befriended a volleyball named Wilson in the film Castaway. For posterity sake, there are still stones spelling “help” in the sand as they’d been laid out in the fictional story.

Almost two decades later, the island remains uninhabited, enabling it to maintain a pristine environment that’s even more astonishing off camera. I’ve traveled the world and seen many beautiful sites, yet I’m overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance and wonder of Monuriki.

The clear blue sky sparkling upon turquoise waters seems almost surreal as it gently laps upon the velvet white sand. So perfect and picturesque is the unspoiled landscape, being there is like an out of body experience. Induced by an overwhelming sense of awe and euphoria, I have to pinch myself to be sure I’m not dreaming.

I’m joined by environmental specialist Sia Rasalato, who oversees a program for sustainable eco-tourism that’s being funded by the nearby LikuLiku Lagoon Resort. For over a decade, Sia had worked on various conservation efforts to restore natural habitats, which enables endangered species to recover. Now, Sia is responsible for overseeing Likuliku’s program to ensure the survival of the Crested Iguana on Monuriki.

“[Both] the dry forest program and the captive breeding program sow the way forward for sustainable eco-tourism,” he says, explaining how Likuliku’s concurrent project to restore dry forests has had a positive impact on endemic species by contributing to the ecosystem’s recovery.

For over a quarter of a century, the crested iguanas were thought to be extinct. That all changed in 2010 when a few were discovered near Likuliku. In the resort’s commitment to sustainable tourism, they launched a catch, tag, and release program that grew into the captive breeding program that Sia’s supervising today.

“This has never been done before by a resort,” he observes, “You hardly ever see hoteliers or tourism investing into this kind of project. The captive breeding program of the Crested Iguana—which is endemic to this group of islands—is the second of its type in the South Pacific.”

Sia describes how the first step was to remove non-native species from the island, including rats, cats, mongoose, and goats. At some point, these animals were introduced by humans, which disrupted the island’s delicate ecosystem. While many of the iguanas became prey to new predators, the competition for their own food sources increased.

While the relocation of these animals was being accomplished, the resort established a program for breeding the Crested Iguanas. Now that their natural habitat has been restored, Sia and his staff have been implementing the next step of reintroducing the iguanas to Monuriki. Void of development, the island offers a sanctuary for the species to recuperate [relatively] undisturbed. Also working with Sia is a team of scientists from the San Diego Zoo who visit several times a year to provide more assistance.

“They are our number one partner and provide us with advice,” he tells me, gesturing to markers that indicate where iguanas have been released so their progress can be monitored, “they do records on measurements, weight, [and take] DNA samplings.”

So far, it would seem the program has been a success. With great enthusiasm, Sia tells me how he’d just released ten captive-bred iguanas two weeks prior to my visit. It’s not uncommon for guests of Likuliku Lagoon Resort to visit Monuriki, where they can enjoy snorkeling from the beach along with learning about the captive breeding program. As our discussion continues, an iguana crawls onto Sia’s arm. He identifies it by the name of Mololo.

“We’re so fortunate that the whole management team [at Likuliku] is behind these conservation efforts,” Sia declares as Mololo peacefully settles in to relax on his shoulder, “I’m really proud to be here, we are pioneers.”