Spinner dolphins photographed as part of our Dolphin ID Project
Hello, I’m Laura, the new Marine Biologist Intern here at Marine Savers, Four Seasons Kuda Huraa. Arriving in the Maldives after almost two years of being locked down in England was like a breath of fresh air. The vastness and the beautiful nothingness of the horizon was simply enchanting. My three quarantine days upon arrival was the most inspiring experience, as sharks and rays and fish of every imaginable colour, living right on my doorstep, welcomed me to my marine biology internship. It was utter bliss.
I quickly became aware of the contrast between the sublime simplicity of the scenes above water and the explosion of life and colour beneath the waves. I was filled with a need to be able to identify every single species of fish that I saw, and one month in, I still have a lot to learn! The crescent wrasse, the humbug damselfish and the beautiful parrot fish are among my favourites, and I find myself getting distracted from my work to catch a glimpse of them. I still get excited whenever I see a shark or ray or octopus, and was very excited to see my first nudibranch!
I also have a soft spot for the astonishingly ugly stonefish which, granted, are quite venomous if you were to step on one, and yet I find them simply adorable! Unfortunately, there are areas in which the coral is suffering, and it was all too clear that climate change and human impact are the responsible factors. My work here as a marine biologist was just beginning…
Our hungry rescue turtles need feeding twice per day
A day in the life of a marine biology intern
- Treat myself to a delightful breakfast, open up the Marine Discovery Centre, check the turtles and start preparing their breakfast. Feed the turtles and the aquarium fish. Spend a little time cleaning and maintaining the aquaria.
- Then I might enter the lagoon to monitor our coral frame sites, and collect coral fragments to create new frames with guests; remove any reef predators such as the crown of thorns starfish; try to avoid getting bitten by troublesome triggerfish (thank goodness we wear gloves!)
- The afternoon might consist of practising the marine presentations for guest excursions or checking turtle IDs on our database (designed to study local sea turtle populations and migration patterns). And then we will partake in guest excursions, such as the shark safari snorkel trips and dolphin cruises, which I find fascinating and exciting!
Educational marine conservation presentations given to Resort guests
I often lose myself in the work here: taking care of the turtles; accompanying guests on boat trips and snorkelling excursions; showing young children the excitement of what it is to be a marine biologist; the positive impact that we are making here… the days are flying by, and I sometimes look forward to a quiet evening! I find it very rewarding to engage with the Resort guests, sharing wisdom on how to protect and conserve our precious oceans with the oft-repeated mantras of “reduce, reuse, recycle” and “say no to plastic”. We also teach less-known issues, such as explaining the toxicity of sunscreen on corals, and the need to buy reef-safe products.
Xmas coral frame! Transplanting corals and decorations as part of our festive celebrations
The coral propagation work is fascinating. By simply taking a small fragment from an existing and thriving coral colony, we can attach this fragment to our prepared coral frames (along with 40 others) and place it back in the sea to grow new colonies. Presently, one environmental threat to our frames is the shifting sands brought in by the changing seasonal currents. We work hard to unbury and relocate any threatened frames, to keep the new coral colonies alive: the fish are very grateful and often keep us company.
Before arriving here, I thought that I would find a big culture shock living in the Maldives, and yet I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Maldivians are warm and welcoming, and life on an island resort is beautiful. Living within the work areas can feel limiting at times, but the staff come from every corner of the world and are so interesting and friendly.
The festive month has been my first Christmas away from home and spent in the sun, compared to the cold and rainy Christmases that I’m familiar with in the UK… and it’s been lovely! At the Marine Discovery Centre, we organised a game around the sea turtle’s life cycle, inviting guests to dig in the sand for fake turtle eggs, and run along the beach for the next scavenger-hunt clue! For the Christmas Day island parade, I was somehow cast as ‘Mrs Claus’, delighting children with gifts and shouts of “Merry Christmas!”, while perched on top of the sleigh, trying not to overheat in my festive outfit! It ended up being a very enjoyable Christmas, and I look forward to what the next two months will bring…
See you in Chapter 2
Laura 💙
🎵 Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow … 🎶
Do you want to experience life as a marine biologist
here in the Maldives ?
Head over to our Employment page to read about the different ways you can work with us - full time, apprentice or intern.
And see more from our Interns in their very own words & photos as part of our Diary / Blog series.