Hello again, everyone! So much has happened since my last blog and I’m very excited to be able to share it with you.
Firstly, I was given the opportunity to come up with and lead my own project/event for Valentine’s Day! Drawing inspiration from the ‘Lock Bridge’ in Paris, I proposed that staff members could submit the names of their loved ones to be printed on a tag for hanging on a heart frame, along with a coral fragment of their own. I was delighted by the overwhelming amount of support I received from our Resort colleagues, and by the eventual number of people that took part in the event.
We all met up on ‘Secret Beach’, and each person attached their tag and coral fragment onto the frame; it was a joyous event and a great way to celebrate our loved ones on a special day. A video of my event was even featured on Four Seasons Instagram page, which I am very proud of! It was incredibly rewarding being able to lead and execute an event of my own and on such a large scale.
Freediving to perform coral maintenance work has greatly improved my freediving abilities, and I can now work calmly underwater. I also started diving with the Reefscapers team to retransplant coral fragments on some deep frames, which proved to be a great opportunity to apply my skills in a new environment and different conditions. By placing full focus on the task at hand, I was able to retransplant several frames successfully and efficiently, and was given high praise for my work, which I was very pleased with!
A dive was also organised for International Women In Science Day, and I was honoured to take part. It is such an important day for women around the world to feel empowered in their chosen fields, and to encourage the future generation of strong and independent women to gain confidence in their abilities for securing their deserved place in the world of science. The chosen dive site was known for large tiger sharks, bull sharks and hammerheads, and it was an exciting and fun way to spend the day surrounded by my amazing work colleagues.
We 💜 corals!
Our personalised Valentine’s frame
There were many exciting developments at our Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. One big event that I was pleased to witness before my departure was the release of our turtle patient, Michelangela, whom I had been taking care of since her arrival. I helped to set-up the satellite tag, affix it onto her shell, and then to advertise her release event to guests. We released her during a Dolphin Cruise, and it was bittersweet to see her leave, but great to see her dive down so confidently into her proper ocean home.
Emma also had an important breakthrough, as we found her one day resting at the bottom of her pool! She now has her own ‘cave’ she likes to rest in, and happily eats off the bottom, which is an important milestone to recovery! Working so closely with the turtles has made me so proud of their achievements, and I hope Emma can also be released soon. While Bethany (our turtle biologist) was away, I was given the responsibility of looking after the turtles. This included applying ointments on some of the turtles’ injuries, performing physiotherapy on Emma’s front flipper, and going through the turtle ID submissions on the Facebook page.
Learning new skills on my off-days, thanks to Tropicsurf
Michelangela on release day
I also enjoyed discovering new things to do during my days off, which included surfing, going to the spa, and watching local volleyball tournaments! Catching a wave while surfing for the first time was exhilarating, and meeting and befriending the Tropicsurf team was great fun. I would highly recommend surfing to those who have not yet tried it, and what better setting than the Maldives to try new things!
The spa was also very relaxing, and well-deserved after the weeks of hard work. Volleyball in the Maldives is a big sport, and as a sports lover (both to play and watch), it was fun to watch the tournaments on the neighbouring local island of Huraa.
All in all, this has been an incredible experience and I am sad to be leaving. I will miss the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the crystal-clear waters, the fascinating marine creatures, and of course our adorable turtle patients.
Tina 💙
Everything is measuring up nicely!
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.