Hi, my name is Shona and I am the newest Marine Saver’s Intern here at Four Seasons Resort Kuda Huraa. I graduated from university in 2020 with a Master’s in Marine Biology and have spent a lot of the past two years honing my molecular techniques while working for the NHS in the UK.
I am now super excited to be diving (quite literally) back into the world of marine biology, and am eager to learn all that I can from the amazing Marine Savers team here at Kuda Huraa!
![Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona] Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona]](https://marinesavers.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Marine-biology-internship-Maldives-Shona-3-e-800.jpg)
Hanging out with a very chilled Green turtle!
![Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona] Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona]](https://marinesavers.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Marine-biology-internship-Maldives-Shona-1-800.jpg)
Watching over our coral frames on their journey to the house reef
Since my arrival in the Maldives, I have continued to be blown away by the incredible diversity of life here. During my first snorkel, I was lucky enough to be welcomed by two eagle rays and since then I have had the opportunity to swim with countless marine creatures, including sharks for the first time! I definitely have a long way to go before I become an expert in marine life ID, but I am eager to learn all that I can.
![Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona] Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona]](https://marinesavers.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Marine-biology-internship-Maldives-Shona-2-800.jpg)
Freediving on the house reef …
![Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona] Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona]](https://marinesavers.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Marine-biology-internship-Maldives-Shona-6-800.jpg)
… and coming up for air.
A Day In The Life
In the mornings, I enjoy a peaceful walk along the boardwalk, watching the sea life around our coral frames come to life as the sun rises above the horizon. Next, I head to the Marine Discovery Centre to clean and feed our aquarium fish and resident Olive Ridley turtle, Ari. She was found entangled in ghost fishing gear in October 2021 and unfortunately lost both of her front flippers. Despite this, she is a speedy girl and her sassy, playful attitude brings so much joy to my mornings.
After this, my tasks can go pretty much anywhere! Some days, I may grab my snorkel gear and head out to one of our coral reef sites to help monitor and maintain our frames. Other days, I may stay at the Resort and help some guests build their own coral frame, give Ari’s pool a scrub and provide her with some new toys to help with her enrichment, or simply catch up on some scientific data entry.
In the afternoons, I often get to join the guest excursions – themed guided snorkel adventures and sunset dolphin cruises. These often end up being the highlight of my day because I love sharing my passion for marine life with others, and hope to inspire lots of new ocean advocates during my time here!
![Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona] Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona]](https://marinesavers.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Marine-biology-internship-Maldives-Shona-4-800.jpg)
A Spinner dolphin leaping from the ocean on a sunset cruise
![Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona] Marine biology internship Maldives [Shona]](https://marinesavers.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Marine-biology-internship-Maldives-Shona-5-800.jpg)
A family of Spinner dolphins spotted on a dolphin cruise
World Ocean Day
I was lucky enough to arrive in time for this year’s World Ocean Day on 8 June. It was a super hectic day, but the results of all that we achieved speak for themselves! To kick the day off, we teamed up with our Dive Centre colleagues to for an underwater clean-up of our House Reef, a site that hosts 3,000 of our coral frames!
Next, we joined a team of Resort colleagues on a lagoon clean-up; it was great to see all the different departments working together. To finish the day, we visited a school on the local island of Bodu Huraa, to help educate the next generation about the main threat to our oceans, and to inspire the youngsters into action. After this, we headed out onto the beach for one final clean-up.
Throughout the day I was in awe of everyone’s enthusiasm and dedication, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of such an incredible team.
My first few weeks on this island have been both physically and mentally challenging, but also incredibly fun and rewarding. Everyone has made me feel very welcome and this small island is starting to feel like home. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for me in this little adventure!
More updates in chapter 2 !
Shona 💙
![Marine biology internships Maldives [callumswildlifephotography] Marine biology internships Maldives [callumswildlifephotography]](https://marinesavers.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Marine-biology-internships-Maldives-callumswildlifephotography-6-marine-life-800.jpg)
![Marine biology internships Maldives [callumswildlifephotography] Marine biology internships Maldives [callumswildlifephotography]](https://marinesavers.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Marine-biology-internships-Maldives-callumswildlifephotography-7-batfishes-800.jpg)

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.