With its crystal clear waters and vibrant marine life, Maldives is often considered a paradise on earth. But what does it take to keep this paradise a haven for people? Beneath the surface, this paradise faces various threats from climate change, pollution and over shing. At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa and Landaa Giraavaru, the latter located at Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve is committed to safeguarding the future of the oceans through various projects.

Established in 2001, the Marine Discovery Center (MDC) is a pioneering, on-island research facility at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru with 13 full-time marine biologists who partner with interns, apprentices, the Maldivian Ministries of Environment and Energy, Fisheries and Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency to host a multitude of initiatives on marine conservation and sustainability to preserve the fragile beauty of its UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve home.

The Trainee Marine Biologist module is another one of the innovations of marine research and education at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. Some of the resort’s other successes include the introduction of the country’s rst and most successful coral propagation project in 2001, a project that now spans more than 8,500 transplanted reef structures; establishing the Maldivian Manta Ray Project in 2005 (the founding project of the now worldwide Manta Trust); inaugurating the Maldives rst Turtle Rehabilitation Centre in 2010 which has successfully rehabilitated close to 340 sea turtles; and identifying 350+ cetaceans through the Dolphin ID Project.

Let’s dive deep into the Manta Ray Protection project and understand the incredible marvel of the ocean.

Formed in 2005, the Maldives Manta Conservation Programme (MMCP) is a Maldives-registered NGO and the Manta Trust’s founding research project. For two decades, the MMCP has been conducting research in Baa Atoll and across the Maldives archipelago, collecting data to monitor the country’s manta ray population, its movements, and how the environment and human (i.e., tourism) interactions a ect them. Since its inception, the MMCP has identi ed almost 6,000 di erent individual reef manta rays from more than 90,000 photo-identi cation sightings, making the Maldives manta ray population the largest known, and one of the most intensively studied, in the world.

As well as studying the animals themselves, the MMCP are also conducting research to identify the ideal environmental and oceanographic conditions, or the ideal “recipe”, for zooplankton concentration within Hanifaru Bay, and how this in uences the aggregating behaviour of manta rays there. This cutting-edge science is enabling our MMCP researchers at Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru to better predict the “hot dates” and times for mass manta ray feeding events – giving the guests an insider’s perspective!

But what about the guests who don’t want to snorkel with the mantas but want to experience the underwater world? Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru o ers a magical ‘underwater’ manta experience for the whole family without entering the water with Maldives’ rst Hologram Room. The unique hologram programs, based on real manta rays seen in the surrounding waters of the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, o er an extraordinary opportunity to virtually “swim” with manta rays, as well as other creatures such as the humpback whale, seahorse and mimic octopus.

Two daily sessions of 30 to 45 minutes are hosted at the Resort’s on-site Marine Discovery Centre, o ering guests of all ages colourful interactive opportunities to explore a life-size underwater wonderland. This mesmerising, dry-land adventure – easily navigated through the state-of-the-art Hologram Room using a dedicated wand – is bound to cast a spell on young explorers, opening their eyes to an entirely new world.

Another initiative by Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru to learn more about the world’s most incredible marine marvel- Manta Rays launched the Manta Ray App in partnership with The Manta Trust. The fully interactive VR app takes the viewer on a mesmerising adventure into the world of manta rays, covering their dazzling courtship, feeding and cleaning rituals, as well as a manta pregnancy and birth. Based on the actual manta ray population studied by Stevens and his team in the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, users can click through to further facts at each stage of the learning journey, and test their knowledge with a quiz.

The Maldives is more than a paradise of azure waters and golden sands—it is a delicate ecosystem teeming with life that must be protected for generations to come. At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru and Kuda Huraa, groundbreaking marine conservation initiatives blend with immersive guest experiences and guests become stewards of the sea, leaving not only with memories of paradise but with the knowledge that they’ve contributed to its preservation.