
Lagoon swim with our turtle patient, Ari
Hello! My name is Hailey, and I am the latest Reefscapers intern at Four Seasons Resort Kuda Huraa. I flew halfway around the globe to get here, and I can definitely say that it has been absolutely worth it. But first, let me introduce myself before I tell you about my first month here in paradise!

From Utah to Maldives … what a contrast!

Beautiful marine biodiversity on every snorkel
I grew up close to the beach in Florida, spending my weekends happily running around the beaches of New Smyrna and Sanibel Island with my family. Some of my happiest memories as a kid include collecting shells, catching small fish and other critters in my sand buckets, and watching the waves for dolphins around sunset.
Eventually we moved to Utah, a landlocked desert state, but I never lost my interest in marine science. I volunteered at the local aquarium, and eventually decided to study biology at Utah State University. For my undergraduate thesis, I studied the ecology of plant-microbe-insect interactions. My microbiology experience then led me back to Florida, where I fell in love with corals at the Coral Health and Disease Program (Mote Marine Lab).

Scanning the horizon for dolphin fins

Our daily commute!
So, what better place to end up, than here in the Maldives! I am getting hands-on experience in coral restoration and field work, and it is a real treat to work with fellow marine biologists who share my passion for corals.
My first week started with photographing dolphins for our Dolphin Identification Project, feeding our sea turtle patients, and monitoring coral spawning under a full moon. I couldn’t believe the amazing things I was getting to do! I even saw pilot whales on my second dolphin cruise, which was so lucky because they have such a short season here in the Maldives.

Chilaxing at sunset, water villas boardwalk

Monitoring for coral spawning – checking for gametes
I have now been here for two coral spawning events, and I feel so grateful for the opportunity to witness such a magical phenomenon. There is something exhilarating about snorkelling through dark waters under a full moon, while waiting for hundreds of colonies of corals to all simultaneously release tiny little colourful bundles.
During April, I had the invaluable experience assisting with large-scale coral transplanting. Coral colonies had been rescued from a government dredging site and brought to Kuda Huraa, where we attached them to huge coral pyramids. It took our team six whole days of scuba diving to complete the project, and I spent 16 hours underwater (in addition to the time spent monitoring for coral spawning).

Helping to treat Noonu, who arrived with injured flippers after prolonged entanglement in ghost netting

Lagoon swims are important for the rehabilitation and well-being of our injured sea turtle patients
See you soon
Hailey 💙

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.