Castaway Island, Fiji has been recognised on the global stage, winning a 2025 Travel Weekly Magellan Award in the category Hospitality Marketing: Live Installation/Activation Program for its groundbreaking Sculptural Coral Gene Bank initiative.
The prestigious Magellan Awards celebrate the best in the travel industry, honouring outstanding achievements in design, marketing and service across sectors including hospitality, cruise, tourism and aviation. Winners are selected by a distinguished panel of top travel professionals and judged against a benchmark of industry excellence.
Launched in June 2025 to mark World Ocean Month, the Sculptural Coral Gene Bank was developed in partnership with non-profit organisation Counting Coral and represents a visionary fusion of art, science and sustainable tourism. Built from marine-grade stainless steel and over 3,000 precision components, the installation serves as a living underwater art piece and a long-term Gene Bank, housing a diverse collection of resilient, rare, and opportunistic coral species, and providing a testing ground to study their growth and adaptability.
Positioned 600 feet offshore, the installation offers guests a first-hand opportunity to engage with conservation in action. Visitors can snorkel above the sculpture, join guided marine biology tours, participate in live coral planting sessions and learn about reef ecology through educational briefings, with proceeds from snorkel trips supporting Counting Coral’s restoration work.
“This award is a testament to Castaway Island’s commitment to regenerative tourism and protecting Fiji’s marine environment,” said Steven Andrews, General Manager, Castaway Island, Fiji. “The Sculptural Coral Gene Bank enhances our reef and creates a meaningful, memorable experience for guests. We’re honoured to see our sustainability and community efforts recognised on the world stage.”
The project marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between OUTRIGGER and Counting Coral, with plans to expand the initiative in 2026 through the addition of a secondary coral nursery, enabling coral fragmentation and propagation to ensure sustainable regeneration across Fiji’s reefs.
“This recognition highlights what’s possible when art, science and tourism unite for the health of our oceans,” said Brooke True, Executive Director of Counting Coral. “Our partnership with Castaway Island and OUTRIGGER shows how reef restoration can inspire travellers, support communities and protect Fiji’s marine ecosystems for the future.”
The Sculptural Coral Gene Bank forms part of OUTRIGGER’s global OUTRIGGER Zone conservation initiative, which encourages ocean stewardship through guest experiences, education and community engagement. Since its inception in 2014, OUTRIGGER Zone has helped to plant and protect more than 100 football fields of coral worldwide.
At Castaway Island, the OUTRIGGER Zone program offers weekly coral planting sessions, mangrove reforestation, and environmental education activities, including snorkelling lessons, fish house making and herbal medicine walks. The resort has also partnered with the Mamanuca Environment Society, planting over 10,000 mangroves to safeguard coastlines and support marine biodiversity.
In addition, Castaway Island has implemented Green Seal-certified sustainability practices, focusing on reducing waste, conserving water and energy, and prioritising local employment and procurement. These initiatives reinforce OUTRIGGER’s mission to create a positive environmental impact while enriching the guest experience.
With the resort preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2026, the Magellan Award underscores Castaway Island’s enduring legacy as one of Fiji’s most beloved and forward-thinking private island resorts, where heartfelt hospitality meets a deep respect for the ocean that sustains it.
