Wakaya Island
The islands of Wakaya (left) and Makogai (right) as seen from space | |||||||||||||||||
| Geography | |||||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 17°37′S 179°0′E / 17.617°S 179.000°E | ||||||||||||||||
| Archipelago | Lomaiviti Islands | ||||||||||||||||
| Adjacent to | Koro Sea | ||||||||||||||||
| Area | 8 km2 (3.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||
| Highest elevation | 181 m (594 ft) | ||||||||||||||||
| Administration | |||||||||||||||||
| Division | Eastern Division | ||||||||||||||||
| Province | Lomaiviti | ||||||||||||||||
| District | Wakaya | ||||||||||||||||
| Largest settlement | Wakaya Island Staff Village | ||||||||||||||||
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Wakaya is a privately owned island in Fiji's Lomaiviti Archipelago. Situated at 17.65° South and 179.02° East, it covers an area of 8 square kilometres (3.1 sq mi). It is 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the east of Ovalau, the main island in the Lomaiviti Group. Two other islands close to Wakaya are Makogai to the north, and Batiki to the south-east.
The coastal-marine ecosystem of the island contributes to its national significance as outlined in Fiji's Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Since 1840, the island has been privately owned. In 1862, Wakaya became the site of the first attempt at commercial sugar production in Fiji. In the early 1940s, Wakaya was proposed as a new home for the Banabans. In 1973, Wakaya was purchased by businessman David Gilmour who also developed the island, building a resort, the Wakaya Club & Spa. In 2016, it was sold to the now-convicted Seagram's heiress Clare Bronfman who now owns most of the island.