OK… I am back from paradise.
Island hopping around the Maldives was all the things you might expect… it was hot, it was sunny, it was chic and above all it was ultra glamorous. If you love a beautiful beach holiday (like I do!) then the Maldives is definitely for you. The resorts are fabulous (more on these to come) and you just can’t beat the seductive mix of glamour and castaway island seclusion you find there.
So while I was in residence at Huvafen Fushi I met with Sue Taylor the islands Marine Assistant who invited me SpaQuarium, where I learned more about conservation and the living reefs of The Maldives.
Held twice a week,Sue takes you to the resorts underwater spa to view the reef after dark. It is truly amazing to see the different fish and underwater creatures that inhabit the reef after dark… all without getting wet, and I must mention, you do all this whilst sipping champagne …very civilised!
I learned a lot about coral reef conservation whilst on all of the islands, they each do an amazing job to educate and inspire luxury travellers to help us become more aware of the beautiful living reefs of the Maldives.
About 70% of all Maldivian shallow water reefs were bleached in 1998 and since then, the government and its people have started to assist the reefs in recovery and to create more awareness on how to protect them so is here on Huvafen Fushi that Sue suggested that I could adopt a coral! Huvafen Fushi started the coral regeneration program in 2007 and have since transplanted over 1000 corals to its House Reef.
I now have a living legacy right there on that stunning reef, a Finger Coral I named Sophie Coralea named after my beloved Golden Retriever Sophie (thank you Nikki & Annette!) who loved the water, she would have loved that reef with all its teeming fish life. She was a real water baby.
If you visit Huvafen Fushi I would love you to meet Sue and she can take you on a snorkel to visit little Sophie Coralea and you can update me on her progress. Sue did promise to email me photo updates and I will share them with you here. I look forward to going back to Huvafen Fushi to snorkel and watch her grow, and I just know Sophie will be swimming there now.
Where's Brent Been? 