Guests can leave a positive impact on the Maldives’ delicate ecosystems long after their holiday ends
With Baa Atoll’s Manta Season kicking off and World Oceans Day just around the corner (June 8), Seaside Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives has launched a new Marine Conservation Package. It is aimed at eco-conscious travellers with a passion for the underwater world. A spokesperson for Seaside Finolhu resort said the package promises to “seamlessly blend adventure, natural beauty and meaningful connection”.
Set on a long, thin island on the southern side of Baa Atoll, Seaside Finolhu is an ideal base for manta spotting and snorkelling. The area is famed for manta rays and the entire atoll is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in recognition of its remarkable marine biodiversity. Manta Season in Baa Atoll runs from roughly May to November/December.
The resort island of Finolhu already has an ongoing Coral Reef Propagation Project that guests can be a part of. But now, guests can take their interest in the environment one step further with the new, purpose-driven Marine Conservation Package. The Marine Conservation Package is designed for two people. This could be a couple, although a parent could also use it to share their love of the underwater kingdom with their child. The experience will blend guided tours of the reef with marine education and hands-on coral restoration.
Highlights include a snorkelling excursion to the world-famous Hanifaru Bay. The site is renowned for attracting some of the world’s largest aggregations of manta rays. Hanifaru Bay’s funnel-like shape traps zooplankton, which in turn attracts mantas. Sometimes these gentle giants aggregate in huge numbers to feast on the ‘zooplankton soup’ in what has been described as a ‘feeding frenzy’. Guided by an expert marine biologist, you can search for mantas while learning about the delicate ecosystem.
As part of the Marine Conservation Package, guests can also take part in Finolhu’s coral propagation project. This provides a unique opportunity to play an active role in the resort’s reef regeneration efforts. The overall aim is to help strengthen and expand Finolhu’s house reef. Coral reefs are extremely vulnerable to damage from humans as well as environmental factors such as global sea temperature increases.
Seaside Finolhu’s house reef is being repaired and expanded by a method of attaching tiny fragments of coral to frames. These frames are then placed on the edges of the reef. The coral fragments slowly grow and expand over the frames, eventually becoming part of the natural reef.
“It’s a rare opportunity to contribute directly to the health of the ocean, gain a deeper understanding of marine biodiversity, and leave a positive impact long after the holiday ends,” Finolhu’s spokesperson added.
For more information on the Marine Conservation Package and took book, visit the Seaside Finolhu website here.
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