Marine Life & Conservation
Marine Science and Snorkeling Galore at the Baa Atoll Manta Festival 2018
Manta Trust, Four Seasons Resorts, Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Baa Atoll and Dharavandhoo Council host the first Baa Manta Festival joined by 1000
visitors and school students.
The first ever Baa Atoll Manta Festival took place on Saturday 24 November 2018 on B. Dharavandhoo, located in the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve, and was a great success. Marine-themed stalls, competitions, performances, snorkeling sessions and academic presentations were enjoyed by around 1000 visitors, including 11 local schools.
Guest of honour, former president Mr Mohamed Nasheed (Anni) gave a thought provoking speech on the importance of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Baa Atoll and sustainable development in the Maldives and enjoyed visiting the stalls. During the inspirational opening ceremony speeches were also given by the current Environment Minister Dr Hussain Rasheed Hassan, Managing Director of the Baa Atoll Conservation Fund, Mr Abdulla Shibau, the President of the Baa Atoll Council, Mr Mabrook Naseer, and Vice President of Baa Atoll Dharavandhoo Council Mr Ali Shafeeg.
Photo credit: Simon Hilbourne @ Manta Trust
Twenty-two marine-themed stalls included creative and fun games designed to educate students about manta rays and marine issues such as turtle poaching, by-catch and plastic pollution, including 5 from local schools. Seven environmental organisations – Manta Trust, Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve, Environmental Protection Agency, Olive Ridley Project, Atoll Marine Centre, Parley and Four Seasons Marine Savers participated, showcasing their important marine conservation work around the Maldives and how students can get involved in safeguarding their environment. Over 200 students took part in a stall treasure hunt, filling a stamp book with stamps from every stall after learning something new and then printing their own recycled, reusable bags with marine creatures and messages.
Photo: Simon Hilbourne @ Manta Trust
Students and visitors learnt about manta rays, coral reefs and environmental protection in motivational presentations from environmental organisations and guest speaker Zoona Naseem, the first female Maldivian PADI Course Director and an avid diver. Zoona’s talk reflected the inspirational message of the event, to get more females into water-based activities across the Maldives.
Photography, art and sculpture competitions were entered by over 100 people. Winners were invited to receive their prizes from Mr Nasheed on stage, which included manta snorkeling field trips and luxury dive products donated by the sponsors. Seven schools created their own life-size manta ray sculptures from recycled materials, based on real manta rays from the Manta Trust research database. Visitors engaged in a treasure hunt to find all the different manta rays and learn something new about their unique characteristics. Kendhoo School won the sculpture competition with an impressive 16 x 13ft sculpture of the spottiest manta in the Maldives – Mr Spotty.
As the sun set on the picturesque event, 200 students came together to create a huge manta ray on the beach. The event culminated in evening performances from local artist Shiuz, sponsored by Aveyla Maldives, as well as Dharavandhoo Boduberu band, enjoyed by many community members with dancing and singing as well as Mr Nasheed and his delegates.
The festival was sponsored by 12 luxury tourist resorts in Baa Atoll – Four Seasons, Vakkaru, Coco Palm, Kihaa Maldives, Anantara Kihavah, Royal Island, Milaidhoo, Reethi Beach, Finolhu, Amilla Fushi, Dusit Thani and Soneva Fushi, as well as Manta Reisen, Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve and Baa Atoll Conservation Fund – with additional support given by local guesthouses and dive centres.
As part of the festival initiative, these sponsors donated 222 sets of Cressi snorkeling equipment to 14 schools in Baa and Raa, also providing snorkeling lessons for over 100 students. Snorkeling lessons continued at the festival, with over 200 student participants witnessing the beauty of the Dharavandhoo reef, many for the very first time. Equipment was provided by Four Seasons and generous snorkeling guide support provided by the resort sponsors and Manta Trust. Festival organisers and Mr Nasheed’s team were especially heartened to witness female Maldivians engaging with the ocean due to this initiative.
Photo: Simon Hilbourne @ Manta Trust
“The Baa Atoll Manta Festival was a huge success with the greatest achievement being getting so many young Maldivians engaged with the ocean, helping to achieve our dream of creating a generation of ocean guardians through this initiative and inspiring young women to engage with the ocean. The partners will continue to work towards this goal throughout the year and look forward to an even bigger and better event in 2019,” says Flossy Barraud of the Manta Trust.
Learn more about the organisations involved here:
• Manta Trust: www.mantatrust.org
• Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: www.broffice.gov.mv
• Baa Atoll Council: www.baa.gov.mv
• Baa Atoll Manta Festival social medial: www.facebook.com/BaaMantaFest
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
Marine Life & Conservation
Shark Trust Asks Divers to help with Shark Sightings this Global Citizen Science Month
Whether you are stuck for ideas of what to do with the kids or are off on the dive trip of your dreams. You can get involved in Citizen Science Month and help the Shark Trust by providing vital data about sharks are rays both close to home and further afield.
In addition to reporting the sharks and rays you see on your dives, the eggcases you find on the beach, the Shark Trust is looking for some specific data from divers who are asked to report any Oceanic Whitetip and Basking Sharks.
Oceanic Whitetip Sharks
The Shark Trust are looking specifically for Oceanic Whitetip Shark sightings over the coming weeks and months. So, if you are diving anywhere in the world, please report your sightings via the website or app.
Website: https://recording.sharktrust.org/
App: Search The Shark Trust in your app store
The Oceanic Whitetip. Known for their incredibly long dorsal and pectoral fins, this species was once the most abundant oceanic-pelagic species of shark on the planet.
Large and stocky, they are grey or brown above, and white below and famous for their huge rounded first dorsal fin and paddle-like pectoral fins. The fins also highly prized within the shark fin trade. Whilst they are mostly solitary, Oceanic Whitetips do occasionally hunt in groups.
An inquisitive species, they were easy prey for fisheries. Combined with their low reproductive rate, they were inevitably at high risk of population depletion. And declines of up to 99% have been reported in certain sea areas. They are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Redlist (2019).
Conservation efforts to discourage further declines include listing on CITES Appendix II and CMS Appendix I. They’re also the only species prohibited from take by all the Tuna RFMOs (Regional Fisheries Management Organisations). However, these measures do not mean that Oceanic Whitetips are not still caught – whether targeted or as bycatch – in some parts of the world. With populations declining at such a high rate, effective implementation of management measures is essential to ensure that the species can recover.
If you are lucky enough to get an image of an Oceanic Whitetip and you record your sighting on the Shark Trust app or website YOU CAN WIN! All images submitted with sightings, that also give consent to use in conservation messaging, will be in with a chance to win an Oceanic Whitetip T-shirt and mug. The competition will run until the end of “Shark Month” in July – so keep those sightings (and images) coming in.
Basking Sharks
Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) season is upon us, and the Shark Trust is asking everyone to keep an eye out for these majestic giants over the summer months. If you see any, you can record your sighting to the Basking Shark Sightings database.
Each year, these mighty fish return to British waters to feed on plankton. You may see one, (or a few if you’re really lucky) from around April-October. They can be seen feeding at the surface of the water, where they look like they’re basking in the sun. Thus, their name!
Sighting hotspots around the British Isles include southwest England, Isle of Man, north coast of Ireland, and western Scotland. The Sea of the Hebrides is the most prolific sightings area in Scotland, but they have been spotted all around the coast and have even ventured into some of the sea lochs. The Shark Trust has received thousands of sightings since the Basking Shark project began, but more data is needed to truly understand what is going on with population numbers and distribution. You can help by recording your sightings this summer.
Great Eggcase Hunt
The Shark Trust has an Easter Egg Hunt with a difference for you to try. Take part in the Great Eggcase Hunt and get involved with a big citizen science project that helps shark, ray and skate conservation. And it’s an enjoyable activity for all the family.
The Shark Trust also want snorkellers and divers to record their underwater eggcase findings. Underwater records help pinpoint exactly where sharks and skates are laying their eggs and can help link to beach records. Learning the depth and substrate that they lay on also helps better understand the species.
Find out more: https://www.sharktrust.org/great-eggcase-hunt
Whether you are diving, snorkelling or exploring on the beach you can take part in Citizen Science Month and get actively involved in shark and ray conservation. Find out more: www.sharktrust.org
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