JOALI BEING is a unique wellness island in the Maldives that sets itself apart from other opulent resorts in the area by emphasizing sustainability and promoting well-being. The team’s mission is to preserve and maintain their favorite destination, which is nature. JOALI BEING is happy to welcome the new Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center in Raa Atoll, which is headquartered on the island and is operated in collaboration with the Olive Ridley Project (CORP).
With sustainability and conservation at its heart, JOALI BEING has established a number of programs and alliances to uphold the environment’s and nature’s preservation. To protect the Olive Ridley Project’s and JOALI BEING’s fragile sea turtle populations in Raa Atoll, a cooperation was formally formed in November 2021. As part of this partnership, the atoll’s sea turtle research will be advanced, educational outreach will be carried out for both local residents and visitors from outside, and an island-based rehabilitation center will be established to provide treatment for sick and wounded sea turtles.
Kurangi, the new rehabilitation center operated by JOALI BEING in collaboration with the Olive Ridley Project, has welcomed its first turtle patient. In August 2023, Kurangi, a young Olive Ridley turtle, was discovered trapped in a ghost net at Shaviyani Atoll. She suffered injuries to both of her flippers, the left of which needed to be amputated after being brought to the Olive Ridley Turtles Marine Turtle Rescue Center. Kurangi recovered remarkably from her injuries after receiving specialized care from the veterinary experts of the Olive Ridley Project for eight months. She is presently receiving rehabilitation to treat her buoyancy problem, which despite her improvement, remains a difficulty.
The new Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre at JOALI BEING in Raa atoll serves as a step-down facility for the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre of the Olive Ridley Project. It is used for the rehabilitation of long-term sea turtle patients who do not require the intensive veterinary care provided at the rescue center. When sea turtles are almost ready to be released back into the ocean following treatment by the veterinary staff, they will be sent here from the Olive Ridley Project’s Marine Turtle Rescue Center. Under the close supervision of the Olive Ridley Project’s veterinary staff, patients will continue to receive treatment from resident sea turtle biologist Mohamed Shah while they are in the Raa Atoll Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. Shah conducted his internship at the Olive Ridley Project’s Rescue Center, where he provided medical care for sick and injured turtles, before going on to work as a marine scientist. At present, Shah is extending the Olive Ridley Project’s research endeavors at Raa Atoll and organizing instructional events for visitors and the nearby community.
Patients who are sea turtles are mostly treated for problems resulting from entanglements in marine debris, sometimes referred to as “ghost nets,” which can inflict severe damage to their limbs and leave them permanently crippled. The rehabilitation center has two patient rooms that can accommodate two patients at once: one big room for a long-term patient and one smaller room for an overnight patient who is being transported to the rescue center for more advanced care. Fresh seawater is continuously circulated by a pump system, ensuring ideal circumstances where daily water quality monitoring upholds the highest standards of care for patients who are sea turtles.
Targeted External Weight Therapy (TEWT), diving training, and supervised exposure to enrichment devices are just a few of the customized rehabilitation programs that patients admitted to the Raa Atoll Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre will receive. Visitors at JOALI BEING will have the chance to see the rehabilitation facility, discover more about the in-house patients, and help with sea turtle conservation by adopting symbolic turtles. In exchange, they will get a certificate of adoption and monthly updates on the adopted turtle’s development. In accordance with the Olive Ridley Project and JOALI BEING’s outreach initiatives, the rehabilitation center will also invite Raa atoll locals for educational visits, including representatives of the local administration, students, and the community.
The definition of sustainable elegance is JOALI BEING. The opulent resort works with nearby communities to replant trees in order to offset all carbon emissions from the visitors’ stay even before they arrive. The retreat was constructed using biophilic design principles—a scientific method of fusing architecture and design with nature—in an attempt to be in line with JOALI BEING’s dedication to protecting, honoring, and fostering a connection with the surrounding environment. The idea is to achieve harmony by removing harmful vibrations and improving the island’s energy flow. The island’s natural forest is unaffected throughout the process.
Additionally, the JOALI brand is working on significant long-term sustainability projects with EarthCheck, the world’s top scientific benchmarking certification and advising body for travel and tourism. A desalination plant, a rainwater collection and recycling system, a glass crusher and recycler, a 1750 food waste composter, a plant waste shredder for fertilization, and a biological wastewater treatment plant for safe discharge are all part of the JOALI BEING island’s sustainability infrastructure.
This year, JOALI plans to improve its Reef Restoration Project even further. The on-site coral nurseries are being led by local Marine Biologists. Supporting the continuous projects of the Coral Nursery is the main duty of the staff at JOALI BEING. These projects include expanding healthy reef colonies, strengthening their tolerance to disease and temperature changes, and diversifying the coral species that they grow. We at Splendid Asia can’t wait to see what else they have in store for the environment.
