Meet Diana Vergara- Newly Appointed Marine Biologist At Vakkaru Maldives
Tuesday 20th of September 2022
Tucked away in the scenic Baa Atoll, Vakkaru Maldives lies in the world renowned UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to a plethora of teeming marine life and endless blues. Joining to be part of this pristine underwater sanctuary is Diana Vergara! The fresh new face at Vakkaru Maldives is a resident marine biologist who is here to take guest experiences to the next level through the resort’s extensive marine biology programmes.
Her role at the resort includes conducting environmental awareness sessions for guests and carrying out research and monitoring of house reefs and coral gardens around the island. Apart from this, Diana would also be leading snorkelling excursions at Vakkaru while still bringing conservational efforts into light through lectures targeted at mature audiences.
On being appointed, an enthusiastic Diana remarked that her goal at Vakkaru is to communicate, create awareness as well as share her passion with others so that they can fall in love with the amazing underwater world too. She expressed her delight in being part of the Vakkaru team and renewed her aspirations to protect the ocean and nature especially in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa. In this regard, Diana added that more marine educational activities will be conducted for guests including kids and shared her belief that ‘every seed counts’.
Growing up in Colombia, Diana was always near the ocean, fostering in her a passion for all animals. She was particularly fond of marine life like orcas, whales, turtles and sharks and her inquisitive mind was curious about their behaviour. As a result, she became passionate about helping in preserving the rich biodiversity of the underworld and went on to study marine biology. She now holds a Master’s Degree in Marine Biology and Coastal Environments from the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Brazil.
Diana is also a skilled scuba diver certified in Open Water PADI and an experienced Project AWARE instructor. Currently she is also getting certified as an instructor in other notable areas like Enriched Air Diver, Deep Diver, Digital Underwater Photographer, Wreck Diver and Fish ID.
Talking about her work, Diana said “For the past 7 years, I’ve been working in marine biology, performing ecosystem monitoring, analysis of benthic community, invasive species, coral gardening and photo identification of some marine animals in Colombia, Brazil and Maldives.” Prior to her posting at Vakkaru Maldives, Diana has worked alongside other esteemed resorts in the country.
On the occasion, General Manager of Vakkaru Maldives, Iain McCormack commented “As our new resident marine biologist, Diana will play a big role in enhancing our guest experiences through a variety of programmes that raise awareness about the ocean and the need for their conservation”.