World Turtle Day is May 23rd each year and is celebrated throughout the world. This annual observance is held to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world. Though turtles have existed more than 100 million years, outliving dinosaurs, they are rapidly disappearing. Sea turtles, in particular face several threats from plastic pollution to the destruction of feeding and nesting sites.
Five of the world’s seven species of sea turtle call Maldives home, including the endangered Olive Ridley. Almost half of all the identified green sea turtles in the Maldives live in Lhaviyani Atoll, where Crown & Champa Resorts has five of its properties and nearly all of them can be found around the Kuredu Island Resort hose reef. In neighboring Komandoo Island Resort & Spa’s house reef, you are most likely see Green Sea Turtles as well as Hawksbill Sea Turtles.
At all of our properties, it is common for guests’ snorkeling or diving to come across these graceful creatures. Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa, well-known for whale shark spotting in the South Ari Atoll is also close to the world renowned Turtle Reef. Hawkbills Sea Turtles and Green sea turtle can be seen all year round around Veligandu Island Resort & Spa.
All Crown & Champa Resorts are on the watch for ghost nets when out at sea and as seen in a recent video from Meeru Island Resort & Spa, this vigilance rescued a Maldivian sea turtle. Education is a must to ensure turtle conservation. At Hurawalhi Maldives, Kudadoo Maldives Private Island, Komandoo Island Resort and Kuredu, guests can participate in adopting a turtle with the Olive Ridley Project. We will continue to rescue, protect turtles and conserve their natural habitat for them.
How to Swim with Sea Turtles
For almost a hundred million years sea turtles and their ancestors have roamed the oceans. However these Though tough survivors are classified as endangered and their future is uncertain. To pay respect to them, us and your descendants, please observe our code of conduct:
- Do not disrupt the turtles’ natural behaviour!
- Do not touch them! They can feel through their carapace and hate to be touched!
- Do not prevent them from taking a breath of air on the surface, they can drown immediately!
- Do not provoke them! If you do, you’re likely to experience one of world’s most powerful bites.
- There is no best way to ride a turtle. Do not even think about it!
Source: Olive Ridley Project
No Comments