Coral frame planting: How this Maldives resort helps conserve nature
MANILA, Philippines — On World Conservation Day last July 28, one luxury resort in the Maldives stood out for all the efforts that it is making towards environmental conservation.
A five-star beach resort located on the South Ari Atoll, Nova Maldives focuses on wellness, offering memorable experiences for guests, such as the chance to swim with whale sharks, manta rays and other marine creatures.
South Ari Atoll is special because it is the only region in the Maldives where guests have a chance to see whale sharks all year round. It is one of the best locations for diving and snorkeling because it has over 30 manta points, whale shark points, ship wrecks and dive locations. These are all within a 40-minute range from the island resort.
It also offers fluoro snorkeling in the dark. Fluoro snorkeling is short for fluorescent snorkeling, which is a variation of fluorescent diving, a guided night dive that allows guests to see life on a coral reef after dark.
Guests also get to experience a rare kind of accommodation in the resort’s 78 overwater villas, which are creatively positioned on the shallow side of the island.
For tired and weary guests who need some pampering and perk-me-up, Nova’s Eskape Spa is ready to pamper with its very own range of curated spa treatments, as inspired by “Dhivehi Beys” rituals. “Dhivehi Beys” are natural remedies and healing traditions developed over the centuries.
Nova Maldives takes its commitment to the conservation of the environment seriously through its sustained initiatives, one step at a time.
The resort runs several sustainability initiatives, including regular coral clean-ups for its house reef, and a Coral Frame Sponsorship program, which invites guests to plant their own coral frame in Nova's coral garden and follow its growth real-time through annual online updates.
Throughout the year, the Maldives destination also hosts flora and fauna workshops to help raise awareness of the ecosystem on the island and how to give back to nature.
The resort introduces guests to the creatures and plants native to the island, such as fruit bats, herons and raa bondhi, as well as plants, such as coconut palms, ficus, screw pines and pink roses. Participants are invited to make a charitable donation to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to help train and equip wildlife protectors.
It is also an accredited safe Manta Tour Operator, providing guests with peace of mind when paying these gentle underwater giants a visit.
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