Coral gardens and reef fish in the Lapita Beach private marine reserve

The differentiator

Your own private marine reserve

The estate protects its own stretch of reef — coral gardens, reef fish, and turtles, with rarely another soul in the water.

Wild, and kept that way

A reef worth protecting

This isn’t a roped-off attraction — it’s a living reef the family chose to protect, so the snorkelling stays extraordinary and the marine life keeps coming back.

Spanning over 800 acres of pristine coral reefs along 6 km of Aore Island’s coastline, the Lapita Beach Private Marine Reserve is a snorkeller’s paradise. Just metres from the shoreline, you enter an underwater garden filled with colourful soft and hard corals, abundant tropical fish, and the occasional sea turtle gliding by.

The reserve is carefully protected to preserve its healthy ecosystem, offering excellent visibility and easy snorkelling suitable for beginners and experienced snorkellers alike. Many visitors describe the waters as “aquarium-like,” with vibrant marine life thriving in this pristine environment.

Offshore
A protected reef fronting the estate
Year-round
Warm, sheltered water for snorkelling
Guided
Led by people who know the reef

Aore Wall

Dramatic coral walls

Drift along vertical coral-covered walls and sloping reefs. Schools of tropical fish move in shimmering clouds; the structure makes a spectacular underwater landscape where fish life is always on the move.

Nemo Bay

Calm coral gardens

Shallower in places, revealing coral gardens and bommies packed with life — parrotfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, and clownfish darting among anemones.