MALDIVES
past. Then a pair of eagle rays skim low over the meadow, their wing-like fins brushing the seagrass as they chase one another through the shallows. “They’re mating, which is rare to see,” Athif
states. At just 23, he talks about the ocean with an infectious enthusiasm, breaking into a broad smile whenever he points out another species. As we snorkel on, I notice ragged strips of white
plastic snagged beneath the seagrass. “That was used to kill it,” Athif says. Before Six Senses took over the resort, plastic sheeting was laid across the seabed to smother the meadows in favour of the postcard turquoise lagoons visitors expected — something some Maldivian resorts continue to do, Athif tells me. Since then, Six Senses has removed around four tonnes of it in the hopes of reviving its seagrass meadows. “Seagrass isn’t what tourists expect to see in
the Maldives; they think it’s ugly. But it’s one of the most important ecosystems we have. Green turtles eat around two kilograms of it every day before returning to the reef to rest. Everything’s connected.” While guiding guests through the lagoon,
“The goal is to understand these ecosystems well enough to make better decisions about how to protect them”
to monitor their reefs using the same technological standard as leading marine research institutions. “I’d have been very sceptical of putting my name
to clipboard data collected at a tourist resort,” John tells me. “Whereas this 3D model gives us a highly accurate record of exactly what was there at that moment in time.” That confidence, he says, is what made the partnership with Six Senses possible. “Before, I spent all of my research budget travelling to reefs around the world,” he says. “Then I thought: resorts are already in these incredible locations. They’ve got dive boats, dive access and people like James who are out there every day. It was an opportunity to dramatically expand the reach of coral research without the cost of mounting dedicated expeditions.”
Everything is connected The next morning, I’m kayaking through the island’s seagrass meadows with Athif Mohamed, Six Senses Kanuhura’s resident turtle biologist and part of the first cohort to graduate from Maldives National University with a marine science degree. From the kayak, the dark water filled with long
From left: The coral reefs in the Maldives are among the most biodiverse in the Indian Ocean, sheltering more than 1,000 species of fish, including clownfish; using 3D mapping and AI, scientists can now track coral colonies over time, revealing changes invisible to the human eye
ribbons of seagrass looks far less inviting than the coral reefs and turquoise lagoons I’d dived the day before. When Athif hands me my snorkel gear, I hesitate, but slip in anyway. Below the waves, the seagrass dances in the
current, catching the light and flickering through different shades of green. Hundreds of tiny oxygen bubbles cling to the blades before drifting towards the surface. Small fish weave between the swaying grass like they’re slipping through curtains. A baby blacktip reef shark, no longer than a ruler, glides
Athif and James record seagrass species and the animals that depend on it. This is still done by hand, but James has already begun applying the same AI tools used in the Coral Census to speed up the analysis — and hopes one day to map the meadows using photogrammetry, too. “I’d like to have the same level of understanding of the seagrass as we do of the reef,” says James. “The goal is to understand these ecosystems well enough to make better decisions about how to protect them.” On my final morning, I snorkel out to a reef just
beyond my overwater villa. Schools of surgeonfish and butterflyfish flicker around me, while tiny six-line wrasse dart between the coral. I linger over a large, ancient-looking boulder coral for a little longer than I usually would, wondering how much of its story remains invisible to the naked eye. Nearby, a handful of empty metal coral frames lie half-buried in the sand. Once considered one of the best tools for reef restoration, they now feel like a reminder of how much we still have to learn. That afternoon, my seaplane lifts off for
Malé. From above, the Maldives is every bit as breathtaking as it was when I arrived. But its future may depend less on the turquoise water that first captures visitors’ attention than on what lies hidden beneath it: a tiny new coral colony, a meadow of seagrass once dismissed as an eyesore, and the biologists returning day after day to understand them a little better.
HOW TO DO IT: British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly direct from Heathrow to Velana International Airport in Malé. Average flight time is 10-and-a-half hours. Six Senses Kanuhura is then reached by a 40-minute seaplane transfer. Rooms start from £757 per night, B&B. Return seaplane transfers from Malé cost US$695 (£523) per adult. Marine conservation experiences can be arranged through the resort.
ba.com
virginatlantic.com
sixsenses.com
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – INDIAN OCEAN COLLECTION 21
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