Sandies Bathala Maldives Kick-Offs Coral Conservation Program

Wednesday 22nd of February 2023

Tucked away in North Ari Atoll, Sandies Bathala Maldives is pushing the boundaries for ocean conservation further in line with its continuous pledge to protect the natural environment. Under this pledge, the resort is initiating a Coral Garden restoration program on the property to safeguard and preserve the vibrant coral reefs for the future.

Since coral restoration requires immense knowledge, planning and scale, the Marine Biologists at Sandies Bathala are opting for the Coral Gardening technique, where coral fragments are grown under suitable conditions in a nursery until they reach a certain size, before outsourcing them to the reef. As such, the resort has established its first-ever mid-water coral nursery to experiment and trial the propagation of corals. This would then be further expanded to coral production which would help repopulate the reef.

The two-step Coral Gardening technique has several benefits over other similar methods. This technique will enable the production of thousands of new corals at the end of a year, which are likely to have a higher survival rate in the reef. At the moment, the biologists in Sandies Bathala are trying to streamline the process and are carefully monitoring the progress of coral growth on ‘Bathalantis’.

The coral cookie project will be carried out with the active engagement of guests. Guests staying at the resort can adopt and name coral fragments and can participate in rescue missions. This includes rescuing broken corals from shallow areas of the house reef and attaching them to ‘Coral Cookies’ before cementing them to the reef. Through participating in these conservation efforts, guests can gain a better understanding of coral reef ecology and how to support coral reef health. Moreover, they will also be getting a certificate and photos of the activity to take back home as mementoes from this unforgettable experience.

The coral nursery called ‘Bathalantis’ can be experienced by guests staying at the resort too. Suitable for diving and snorkelling excursions, environmentalists and oceanholics can tour the program together with the Sandies Bathala biologists.