AQUACULTURE – ‘SEAWEED’ AS A SUSTAINABLE FOOD

• Sea Grapes (Caulerpa racemosa) – At the beginning of June, we completed part of the new Marine Landaa Garden cultivation area. The sea grape biomass was quantified and the culture redistributed to optimise growth conditions. Biomass growth from 6th to 28th increased by an impressive 35kg! We were able to continue our daily deliveries (50g) to the resort kitchen, and weekly deliveries to Blue, supplying a total of 2.5kg of sea grapes for the month.
• Elkhorn Sea Moss (Kappaphycus alvarezii) – The current total Kappaphycus biomass is 3.6kg across the three morphotypes. The green morphotype is being negatively affected by grazing herbivores.
• Crunchy Hair Grass (Boodlea sp.) – The algae continue to grow well, although some epiphytic organisms remain attached to the thalli and are being monitored as part of the culture management process.

Guest Excursions

At Landaa Giraavaru, we conducted 21 guided tours of our Marine Discovery Centre for a total of 150 guests representing 13 different nationalities.
Our 12 guided snorkel excursions were enjoyed by 48 guests. Across 10 separate Dolphin Cruises for 51 guests, we recorded sightings of 260 Spinners, 22 bottlenose, and 40 Risso’s dolphins.

At Kuda Huraa this month, a total of 257 guests enjoyed 43 different excursions to 7 different marine sites in the area, where we recorded 15 different megafauna species. 

Student Visit

This month, our Marine Discovery Centre at Kuda Huraa welcomed students from the Maldives National University Ocean Science programme for a special educational visit in celebration of World Environment Day. The visit began with a presentation delivered by our Coral Biologist and Assistant Manager, detailing the importance of coral reefs, the major threats they face, and the restoration techniques we use to support reef recovery around Kuda Huraa.
Following the presentation, the students had the opportunity to visit our Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, where they learned about the rehabilitation journeys of our turtle patients and assisted with feeding. The group then participated in a guided snorkel at our Blue Hole restoration site, where they observed our coral restoration efforts firsthand and witnessed the impacts of coral bleaching on the reef. The visit concluded with lunch, before we waved the students farewell at the jetty, marking the end of a day of learning and hands-on marine conservation. We hope to have inspired these bright, enthusiastic students to choose marine science as a possible career path in the future.

Ocean Fest

The second annual Ocean Fest was a great success! Organised by our Kuda Huraa team along with members of the local school board and community, we were able to provide educational and fun activities for 150 children! The purpose of this event was to raise awareness for how connected we are to the sea, and to improve ocean literacy from a young age. By teaching children the importance of healthy ecosystems, we empower them to understand, appreciate, and protect the natural world around them.

The festival began with an interactive presentation exploring our extraordinary oceans, the threats they currently face, and the simple actions everyone can take to help protect them, regardless of age or ability. Following the presentation, the children were invited to enjoy a variety of ocean-themed, environmentally conscious activities prepared by our team. From ‘Trash Toss’ and ‘Memory Games’ to ‘Face Painting’ and ‘Turtle Shell Colouring’, each activity was designed to be both fun and educational, inspiring the next generation of ocean stewards. After learning more about how they can help the planet either by picking up litter, or by spreading awareness, everyone got to put their mark on the pledge board, ensuring that they will continue to be an ocean advocate! We look forward to hosting another ocean fest next year!

Clownfish Tumour Excision Procedure

On 11 June, a clinical intervention was carried out on one of out Clark’s clownfish that had been presenting external tumorous growths over an extended period. In collaboration with Dr Ale, our resident veterinarian, a surgical procedure was performed for tumour removal. The fish was first anaesthetised under controlled sedation prior to the procedure. A total of four tumours were successfully excised, the largest of which were located in the latero-ventral region, near the pelvic fins. Following extraction, transverse sections were made on the excised tumours to allow a preliminary macroscopic assessment of the internal tissue structure. The procedure was completed successfully, and the fish recovered well from anaesthesia before being returned to its original tank.

Animal Releases

On 5 June, as part of our World Environment Day celebrations, Britney, the yellow boxfish, was successfully released after spending three years under the care of the Marine Discovery Centre. Following her release, a new juvenile yellow boxfish joined the MDC, continuing to represent this species in our educational displays.

Junior Marine Savers

We had 6 Junior Marine Savers in June, as part of our guest activities for children. We fill the eager young minds with talks of turtles, dolphins and corals, and how they can help with marine conservation. The kids have the opportunity to help feed our turtle patients in the Rehabilitation Centre. This is followed by reef-building their own coral frame, and a lagoon snorkel full of fish, corals, baby sharks, and  … plenty of smiles! It is always a pleasure to show the next generation how impressive our underwater world is, and to teach them the importance of protecting marine biodiversity.

Shark Spotlight

Sharks appear in fossil records over 400 million years ago, so they have had ample time to evolve to fill many niches, both prehistoric and present day. One of the most famous sharks is the hammerhead, and here in the Maldives we are lucky to encounter the Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran). These giants reach lengths of over 6 metres, and can be found across tropical ocean environments. This is one of the 10 species of hammerhead, belonging to the family Sphyrnidae, which have characteristically elongated head shapes. This is called the ‘cephalofoil’, and gives great advantage to these sharks.

The cephalofoil is a specialised adaptation that can reach widths of up to a quarter of their body length. This allows for higher sensory intake, acting also as a hydrofoil for mobility, and wider vision range with depth perception. Any blind spots aren’t truly blind, for their head shape gives a canvas for their olfactory receptors and electroreceptor sensors (‘ampullae of Lorenzini’) to spread out. This increases their ability to detect even the smallest electrical impulses put out by living bodies and to quickly react to hunt. They will hunt along the reef and in the sand for benthic creatures, such as rays, fish, and lobster, and have been known to be cannibalistic, feeding on smaller sharks.

The Great Hammerhead is elusive and does not tend to be recorded engaging in schooling behaviour, like the Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini). Being a highly migratory species makes conservation difficult, for they can venture from protected areas to danger zones where they are at risk of being bycatch or finned. These sharks are viviparous, meaning they carry fertilised eggs until ready to birth live young. The females of S. mokarran tend to be larger than the males, most likely due to reproduction success. They can birth up to several dozen pups, often in shallow coastal waters.