FIJI | Plantation Island Resort has unveiled its plans for World Oceans Week, honouring BULA Reef's first year.
Plantation Island Resort is proud to announce the launch of its inaugural World Oceans Week, a resort-led initiative running from the 2nd to 8th of June 2025 in Fiji.
Timed to coincide with World Oceans Day on Sunday, the 8th of June, the inaugural World Oceans Week will celebrate Plantation Island Resort’s deep commitment to sustainability and community collaboration. The week-long program features a series of engaging events, guest workshops, and activities, all anchored by the one-year anniversary of the BULA Reef, the world’s largest underwater world and one of the South Pacific’s most ambitious coral restoration projects, located just off the resort’s coast in the stunning Mamanuca Islands.
Launched on World Oceans Day last year (June 8th, 2024), the BULA Reef was developed in partnership with local NGO Corals for Conservation as part of the UNESCO-endorsed Ocean Decade Reefs of Hope program. Spelt out beneath the sea in over a thousand heat-adapted “super corals,” the reef was designed as both a scientific intervention and a cultural symbol of resilience. “BULA”, Fiji’s word for “life”, now lives beneath the waves as a beacon of climate adaptation, sustainability, and hope.
“The progress of the BULA Reef reflects our unwavering commitment to sustainable tourism and meaningful community collaboration. What began as a few coral fragments has grown into the living word ‘BULA,’ nurtured by natural processes, visiting marine scientists, and our own dedicated marine team,” said Rodney Samuels, General Manager of Plantation Island Resort.
“By working closely with our local partners, we’re not only protecting this remarkable marine ecosystem, we’re also inspiring future generations to care for our oceans. World Oceans Week is our celebration of that collective effort and the journey ahead.”
Plantation Island Resort’s resident marine biologist, Luisa Nadavobalavu, said that although the resort was still in the early stages of this important journey, it was exciting to celebrate this important one-year milestone.
“Sometimes it can feel like one step forward and two back when dealing with climate issues, but we’re fortunate to have already seen encouraging signs of coral survival, adaptation, and signs of growth over the past 12 months, which is reassuring,” said Nadavobalavu.
“Of course, there have been valuable lessons along the way, but the team is buoyed by our learnings as the reef continues to mature.”
As part of the resort’s long-term vision for BULA Reef, Plantation Island Resort is working alongside Dr. Austin Bowden-Kerby and the United Nations to make BULA Reef a UN Coral Adaptation Reef. This project would be the first of its kind globally and aims to provide a model for coral restoration that can be applied worldwide.
Throughout Ocean Week, Plantation Island Resort guests will be invited to engage in a wide variety of immersive, marine-themed activities. This includes marine biology workshops, snorkelling tours to BULA Reef, and Kids in Conservation programmes.
Further cementing its dedication to sustainability, Plantation Island Resort will be introducing reef-safe sunscreen products for sale at the resort, ensuring that guests can protect themselves while preserving the delicate marine ecosystem.
As part of the broader sustainability program, the resort will also welcome two new Fijian marine biologists onboard as its onsite ocean experts, ensuring the continued growth and health of the BULA Reef, and to consult on ocean education and awareness activities for resort guests.
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