Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, in partnership with Baa Atoll council, has just completed a week-long series of marine ecosystem workshops at schools on all 13 Baa Atoll islands.
The workshops highlighted the significance of the marine environment and its fragile nature. Reefscapers from Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru’s Marine Discovery Centre conducted visits to all the schools in the atoll to promote awareness about marine ecosystems, with a special focus on turtles, including Noonu, a turtle rescued by resort staff from South Malé Atoll in June 2023.
Noonu is currently receiving treatment and rehabilitation under the expert care of Veterinarian Dr. Katrina Himpson and Edward Hodges, the marine biologist who is leading the turtle program at Landaa Giraavaru. Noonu has shown remarkable progress in recovering from extensive cuts and injuries caused by ghost nets. The Marine Discovery Centre at Landaa Giraavaru is set to release Noonu into the open ocean in late October, equipped with a state-of-the-art tracking device.
A competition was announced inviting Grade 9 and 10 students from all 13 schools in the Baa Atoll will participate in an this educational guessing game. Each class will submit their prediction on Noonu's direction, which will then be sent to the Marine Discovery Centre at Landaa Giraavaru. The class that can accurately guess Noonu's course will be awarded a special prize.
Landaa Giraavaru’s Marine Discovery Centre has been instrumental in rescuing and rehabilitating more than 300 turtles, releasing them back into the ocean. Reefscapers, the organization responsible for the rehabilitation efforts, has assessed over 460 turtles from various regions of the Maldives.
The students who attended these sessions expressed their enthusiasm for the valuable knowledge gained. "Understanding the ocean's intricacies is vital, especially for fishermen, to prevent overfishing in certain areas," said Naail Abdulla Zubair, a student from Kudarikilu.
Several students echoed Naail's sentiments, sharing their newfound passion for exploring the depths of the ocean. Some even expressed aspirations to become marine biologists in the future.
Dr. Katrina highlighted the students' genuine interest in learning about marine ecosystems and the shared commitment of the Baa Atoll Council and Reefscapers to nurture a generation that is more environmentally conscious and well-informed about the oceans surrounding them. She stressed that this initiative signifies the commencement of an educational journey aimed to ignite passion among young individuals for the environment and to introduce them to potential career opportunities in this field.
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