Marovo Lagoon and Uepi Resort

My experience I have visited this resort three times on two different expedition ships, Oceanic Discoverer (with Coral Princess Cruises) and Orion. During these to short one day visits, I have visisted the Upei resort and snorkeled at several different sites close by.

Location and access Marovo Lagoon is an area of coral reefs in the nation of Solomon Islands. Within this country, it is found in a group of islands known as the New Georgia Islands (which also include Gizo/Ghizo).

On land there are various parrots overhead and there are usually a couple of monitors that inhabit the gardens.

These appear to be the the 'Mangrove Monitor' (Varanus indica); this is one of the more attractive goannas, with the younger ones having a covering of sulphur coloured spots; as they get older this fades into more a of a uniform grey colour. They are also one of the most widespread monitor species.

One of the most famous aspects of a visit to Uepi has been the shark feeding. This used to occur near one of the jetties, and food thrown in would attract dozens of sharks, which would be thrashing in the water. There were several species involved, incuding Black-tip Reef sharks. None of these species eat human beings, however they can bite. However, I believe they no longer conduct this activity, due to someone getting bitten. Nevertheless sharks are now a common sighting around the lagoon, including in the shallows around the resort.