Soneva and non-profit charity, Olive Ridley Project, have opened a new sea turtle rehabilitation centre at Soneva Jani in the Maldives.
The Noonu Atoll Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is the largest of the charity’s three sea turtle rehabilitation centres in the island nation, and gives visitors a chance to learn about the turtle rehabilitation process.
Expert-led discussions will offer behind-the-scenes insights into the threats that sea turtles face, and the care they receive at the centre.
Sea Turtle Biologist, Neus Segura has been appointed to manage the centre, help remove ghost nets from the ocean, assist in the rescue of injured sea turtles, monitor nesting activity, and build a database of sea turtles in the Noonu Atoll.
Soneva says having travellers visit the centre will, “provide a platform for guests to engage with local marine conservation efforts, promoting greater awareness of sea turtle conservation and an understanding of the crucial role of rescue and rehabilitation centres around the world”.
Just weeks ago, the centre welcomed its first patient, Nakaiy, an adult female olive ridley sea turtle who was found entangled in a ghost net in the Lhaviyani Atoll.
Nakaiy suffered injuries to her neck, mouth and left front flipper, but since her rescue, she is “making remarkable progress in her recovery”.
However, she still suffers from a buoyancy disorder and continues to undergo tailored dive training at Soneva Jani with submersible buoy feeding sessions to promote natural diving behaviours.
Soneva is synonymous with making a positive environmental, social and economic impact through its eponymous foundation.
The foundation is involved in multiple projects, including the Myanmar Stoves Campaign that distributes fuel-efficient cook stoves to thousands of families; providing access to clean water or basic sanitation services to more than 750,000 people worldwide; and multiple efforts in forest and coral restoration projects.
For more information, visit Soneva.
