Maldives: Hope

Update from our Maldives coral reef and whale shark expedition

We have found some hope in the gloom. The last reef we assessed, was – in the words of Simon, our expedition scientist – “what a reef should look like”. Great coral cover, quite a few fish, almost no bleaching and very little coral disease. So the expedition ended on a high, as well as some outstanding karaoke, especially from the crew, who had some impressive dance moves in store.

In between the weather tried to thwart us, but we are undeterred, dodging and weaving the squalls, laughing at the sheets of rain and delighting in the sunshine.

We checked lots of reefs like clockwork. And this is exactly what makes an expedition: a journey with a purpose. Our purpose was assessing reef health, revisiting sites and continuing to add to what is now an impressive 12-year database.

Thank you, expeditioners – none of this would exist without you. We hope we also brought some clarity to your own purpose and thinking during what was an all-round very successful expedition.

Some feedback from our volunteers:

‘Thanks for this amazing experience.

The training is very good. I felt confident about what to do and identify despite having no previous knowledge. The boat staff were very warm, helpful and friendly, and made me feel welcome and comfortable.’

‘An amazing and unforgettable trip. Huge thank you to everyone who made it happen – from Matthias, Simon & Jenan to all other Biosphere Expeditions staff to Yaanu and Dune staff. I absolutely loved this.’

‘What a wonderful way to spend a week. I learned so much about coral and got good at identifying fish.

Thank you so much to Matthias, Simon, Jenan and Yaanu for putting so much work into training us and helping us dive safely. And all the crew on the boat – we were so well taken care of!

I feel so happy to have been a part of this decades-long mission to understand and protect the beauty of coral reefs around the world. Thank you Biosphere Expeditions!’

‘What an amazing experience. I learned so much and the reefs were amazing.

Wonderful people, great conversations. Glad we can help with conservation efforts to save the reefs here.

I love the concept of Biosphere Expeditions and look forward to doing more Reef Checks. Also, huge thanks to the staff, both Biosphere Expeditions and Dune. Keep up the great work.’

‘Wow, what an amazing expedition. I cannot believe this is real life, and I got to do this!

The ocean is the most amazing, giving place in the world, and I’m forever grateful I now have the opportunity to give back to it. Once in a lifetime week.’

This is an update from our Maldives volunteer expedition encompassing volunteer scuba diving and marine biology volunteering. Join us on one of our future expeditions! You can find an overview of all our upcoming expeditions here.