For Savannah Schilling, one of the most unexpected and lasting impacts of her Biosphere Expeditions experience was the people.
In the middle of the Indian Ocean, with limited WiFi and a shared purpose, she found herself part of something rare — a group brought together not just by travel, but by a genuine commitment to understanding and protecting the natural world.
It was an experience that felt both grounding and energising.
She quickly realised she was surrounded by others dedicated to conservation and making the world a better place for all living things.
‘It made me realise how many people care about conservation and want to help in a meaningful way. It was truly inspiring.’ That sense of connection would go on to shape her entire experience. But when Savannah first arrived in the Maldives, she wasn’t sure what she would find.
Sceptical about wildlife conservation expeditions
With so many travel companies masquerading as ethical-conservation businesses, Savannah admits she was ‘sceptical that an expedition like that might have a real impact’, adding, ‘I think a lot of other organisations may sell experiences like this, but don’t have the standards of data collection or the follow through to make it more than just a gimmicky tourist trap – I was ready for it to possibly be a fun opportunity for me to dive and learn new things, but not actually collect meaningful data. I was wrong. I could tell straight away that Biosphere Expeditions was committed to gathering real data that has a real impact.’
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That shift, from scepticism to trust, became a defining thread throughout Savannah’s time on the expedition.
Learning the ropes
What Savannah encountered was a ‘structured, science-led programme rooted in the established Reef Check monitoring methodology’. As with all Biosphere Expeditions projects, the work contributes to long-term ecological datasets, supporting ongoing reef conservation and management efforts.
The Maldives expedition, in particular, requires participating citizen scientists to be certified divers, enabling them to engage directly with underwater survey work from the outset.
‘We began with classroom learning and doing a dry run of survey protocols, then progressed to underwater tests, eventually conducting full underwater surveys.’
Over the course of just one week, citizen scientists are trained in species identification, substrate classification and standardised survey techniques, building the skills needed to contribute reliable data to global monitoring initiatives.
‘We had excellent scientists who taught us, not only how to do the work, but also why the work mattered and the greater longitudinal dataset our surveys would add to. In one week, we went from knowing very little to being able to follow through with all tasks.’
This emphasis on both method and meaning stood out to Savannah.
‘There was so much opportunity to learn and enjoy the experience, but also it was apparent that we were expected to take the work seriously and make a real contribution to science.’
Rather than feeling like a constraint, this level of responsibility deepened Savannah’s engagement with the experience.
The human factor
‘I absolutely loved getting to use an underwater slate to collect data. Particularly in the substrate surveys, I loved using the hand signals with my dive buddy while the other person noted the data on the slate. We worked together to communicate and helped each other identify the substrate data points we weren’t sure about.’
In addition to the scientific work, the rhythm of daily life on board brought a particular sense of joy and purpose for Savannah.
In an increasingly digital world, the simplicity of shared meals and conversation became something quietly meaningful.
‘One of the unexpected things that I enjoyed so much about this experience was having dinner together each evening. We talked about our day, but we ended up sharing things from our lives more generally, like what we did for work and how we ended up on the expedition.’
‘I’m normally somewhat of an introvert, but during the expedition, I felt like I had endless energy.’
This environment — immersive, collaborative and free from distraction — created space not just for learning, but for genuine connection.
It also reframed how Savannah saw the wider challenges facing the natural world.
‘It’s easy to feel doom and gloom about the current trajectory of nature and our planet and feel powerless in the face of that reality. So, being with like-minded people really distilled some hope in me.’
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Underwater beauty
Alongside the structured survey work, there were also moments of pure immersion — reminders of what conservation efforts are ultimately working to protect.
‘One of the top leisure moments of the expedition was the night we got to snorkel with manta rays! The experience of swimming with the rays in the dark and then having dinner on the boat whilst the mantas were having their dinner snacking on plankton next to us in the water was soooo cool. It was magical.’
Encounters like these stayed with Savannah long after the expedition ended.
‘Whenever I think back to the moment I saw a humphead wrasse swim by in the ocean, I smile.’
By the end of the expedition, Savannah’s confidence in her abilities — both as a diver and as a contributor to scientific work — had grown significantly.
‘Learning how to do additional tasks underwater whilst diving gave me the confidence and motivation to do more diving. And I’m hoping to do more Reef Check surveys in the future.’
What began as uncertainty had evolved into something far more enduring: a renewed sense of direction.
‘My time with Biosphere Expeditions has renewed my vigour to seek out these opportunities and continue to support conservation efforts. It really made me see how fulfilling it was to be in an environment where I was working towards a common goal of conservation with others who also care about this.’
Making a lasting impression
For Savannah, the experience didn’t end when she returned home.
It continues to shape both her thinking and her creative work. Inspired by what she encountered underwater, she is now planning an art project centred around the humphead wrasse — a way of translating that connection into something lasting.
Perhaps, most tellingly, was the change her husband saw in her.
‘When I showed my husband a video from the Maldives expedition (I believe I was filming some nurse sharks we had spotted), he could hear me talking to other expeditioners in the background and said something along the lines of ‘oh wow I can tell that is the real you talking’. This was something I felt during the expedition– that it was so easy to just be my authentic self, because I was in this environment where we were learning about and working towards things I deeply care about and doing so with other people who felt the same way.’
For Savannah Schilling, what began as scepticism became something far more meaningful — not just an introduction to marine conservation, but a reminder of the power of shared purpose, practical science and human connection.
Join Biosphere Expeditions on one of their future expeditions in the Maldives! You can find further details here.
Author: Liesl Hammer
Liesl Hammer grew up bilingual in England and Germany with a passion for writing and conservation and holds an English Literature with Creative Writing degree. As the daughter of Biosphere Expeditions’ founder and executive director, she has been on many expeditions, for example to Namibia, South Africa, Oman and Maldives, where she was always captivated by the different cultures, wildlife and wild places she found. Combining all these interests, Liesl now has her own business, helping organisations and businesses improve their social media presence and quality of writing, which is exactly what she does for Biosphere Expeditions – from creating a social media strategy to producing a blog to looking at communication in wildlife conservation.