Hello! My name is Christina, and I’m the new Reefscapers intern at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa.
My marine journey started aged 7 with my diving-instructor father, when I saw a whale shark on my first ever snorkel! My first dive was here in the Maldives as a child, and I vowed to return someday… Having only just graduated with a Master’s in Marine Biology, I feel so incredibly lucky to be here. 💙
Hello there! My name is Alex, the newest Marine Biologist to have joined the Marine Savers team. In no time at all, I was enjoying the crystal-clear waters, exploring stunning new reefs.
On board the magnificent Four Seasons Explorer catamaran, I was privileged to traverse the atolls, exploring local islands, visiting picturesque sand banks, and descending to some of the world’s top dive sites with SCUBA lovers from around the globe. 💙
Hello! My name is Gabriele, marine biology intern for Marine Savers at Kuda Huraa.
Things have been hectic, with the admission of injured Olive Ridley turtles, rescued from entanglement in ghost nets.
I’ve been monitoring for coral spawning, and it’s amazing to see the secret nocturnal underwater marine life.
My 3D models of the island and reefs are starting to take shape.
What a month it has been! I have spent most of my time in the water, monitoring hundreds of coral frames around the island, and leading snorkel trips with guests. 🤿
Then there’s the seasonal coral spawning: tagging, gamete checks, checking for bundling, and literature research on spawning cues (tides, sunset, moonrise, temperature, etc). And then finally… the amazing spawning events themselves! 🧡🟠
As I finish my marine internship, I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone! 💙
Kuda Huraa now feels like home, and my days are spent monitoring coral frames, caring for our injured turtles, and leading snorkel trips. I am also researching ‘sea turtle buoyancy syndrome’ to improve our rehabilitation protocols to aid more turtles in the future.
A warm hello from our Marine Discovery Centre at Landaa Giraavaru. 💙 My name is Gesa, the new marine biology intern, supporting the Reefscapers coral team during their second spawning season of the year.
My first few weeks on site were packed with new ideas, from turtle care to Artemia production and dolphin cruises – it’s always great to broaden your skill set!
I’m Kelly, the newest Marine Biology Intern at Marine Savers. 👋
When I first caught sight of the turquoise-blue waters outside the plane window, I was speechless … photos cannot do these beautiful Maldivian islands justice. After a quick ferry ride, I was welcomed by the friendly faces of the people who would soon become my good friends. My marine adventures started the very next day, and there hasn’t been a dull moment since …
My time as a Reefscapers marine biology intern has come to an end in the Maldives, but I still have some adventures to share!
I continued caring for our sea turtle patients, made new coral frames with guests, swam with mantas in Hanifaru Bay, and encountered hundreds of dolphins. 🐬
Thanks everyone at Marine Savers, for embracing me as part of their team, and for all their patience and knowledge shared. 👋
It is now the final weeks of my marine internship, and the past three months have flown by!
We’ve been busy prepping to commemorate some special days for Shark Awareness, World Mangroves, and a PADI Womens’ Dive.
During our scuba and freediving sessions I have experienced some awe-inspiring encounters with marine life, including my first ever manta encounter, which was truly breath-taking!
Enjoy a video tour of our facilities, and learn about some of our marine conservation projects. 🐢
Simon welcomes you to our Marine Discovery Centre at Landaa Giraavaru, then Aku shows you around the Fish Lab. 🐡
You will also meet Kat (our turtle veterinarian) and Margaux (coral biologist) before joining Helen (marine biologist) on a cruise, taking photos for our Dolphin ID project. 🐬
Read Kat’s Diary, to find out what it’s like to be a veterinarian working in the Maldives!
Firstly, every day is different … we treat Olive Ridleys rescued from entanglement in ghost nets (discarded fishing gear), Hawksbills covered in barnacles, and Green turtles unable to dive below the water surface.
Recently, we’ve even been caring for two orphaned fruit bats! 🦇
My first month in Landaa went by so fast, and I’m back to tell you about my recent adventures. 🤿
I have started to lead snorkel and dolphin tours for the guests… my favourite activities include taking photographs of the dolphin fins for our ID Project. 🐬
Many Spinner dolphins later, I’ve been able to improve my photo skills, and now I even have a dolphin with my name! 📷
Environmental enrichment is the practice of adding objects and other stimuli to the surroundings of captive animals to encourage them to express natural behaviours. Enrichment aims to improve quality of life and promote positive animal welfare by providing both mental and physical stimulation.
In our latest study, we aim to find out how our turtle patients interact with various diverse types of environmental enrichment.
The past 6 weeks have been a fantastic learning experience. Our coral work has really stepped up a gear, and I’ve been helping to relocate new coral frames to the House Reef. We’ve been busy retransplanting coral fragments onto the shallow-water frames, and monitoring for signs of coral spawning in the evenings.
It is very encouraging to see how many of our corals have survived this year’s seasonally warm ocean temperatures.
Hi, I’m Mônica, the new marine biology intern. Sea turtle conservation is one of my passions, and taking care of the turtles is one of my daily tasks here at Landaa’s Rescue Centre.
We currently have 5 patients, 3 Olive Ridley’s, an adult Hawksbill and a small Green turtle. Unfortunately, 3 of them cannot ever be released back to the wild due to permanent injury caused by entanglement in ghost nets.
Hi, my name is Shona and I am the new Marine Savers intern at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa. I am super excited to be diving (quite literally) back into the world of marine biology, and have so far been welcomed by eagle rays and blacktip reef sharks!
I continue to be amazed by the incredible diversity of marine life, although I do have a long way to go before becoming an expert in species identification.
“Just how did a winter-sport-loving Canadian become a tropical marine biologist?” I always enjoy sharing the unorthodox path that brought me from snowy mountains to these coral reefs. 🧜
It’s a serenely beautiful experience to walk the length of our island each morning, watching the sting rays and marvelling at the sunrise, and it’s a privilege to be working in these world-renowned turquoise-blue waters every day. 💙
The Maldives had always seemed a mythical place of manta rays and whale sharks, but when I boarded the Four Seasons boat and saw the brilliant blue ocean (and several flying fish!) … I knew that I had finally arrived.
Within minutes of starting my very first snorkel, I spotted 3 blacktip reef sharks and 2 hawksbill turtles swimming on the reef. I was well and truly hooked on this magical underwater world …
March has flown by, and I can’t believe I have been here two months already. We have had the arrival of my first turtle patient, an Olive Ridley amputee named Ari, with a BIG personality!
Having dug my first relocated beach nest (hard work!), I now have a new found respect for female turtles’ excavation capabilities.
And I find time to visit the local island of Bodu Huraa, to explore the rock pools and mangroves.
Hi, I’m Bethany, the newest marine biology intern at Kuda Huraa. Leaving on a rainy February day in Scotland to arrive in the Maldives with blue skies, white sands, and thirty-degree heat felt like I was dreaming!
I have seen marine life of all colours, shapes and sizes … from sharks and eels, to spinner dolphins and sea turtles, plus all the reef fish you can imagine… it’s difficult to know where to look!
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