Pioneering luxury resort brand Soneva and the non-profit charity Olive Ridley Project (ORP) have announced the opening of the Noonu Atoll Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre in the Maldives. Located at Soneva Jani, the centre is the largest of ORP’s three sea turtle rehabilitation centres in the island nation and serves as a step-down facility for patients that do not require intensive veterinary care and are being prepared to return to the wild.

On September 14, 2024, the Noonu Atoll Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre welcomed its first patient Nakaiy, an adult female olive ridley sea turtle, who was found entangled in a ghost net in the Lhaviyani Atoll. She suffered injuries to her neck, mouth and left front flipper, causing a significant loss of mobility. Since her rescue, Nakaiy has undergone a comprehensive medical regimen and is making remarkable progress in her recovery. However, she still suffers from a buoyancy disorder and continues to undergo tailored dive training at Soneva Jani. Nakaiy currently receives Targeted External Weight Therapy (TEWT) with submersible buoy feeding sessions to promote natural diving behaviours.

In the 1970s, it was estimated that 640,000 tonnes of derelict fishing gear, also known as ghost gear, was produced each year and accounted for around 10% of ocean plastics. Since then, this number is expected to have increased. The vulnerable olive ridley sea turtle, in particular, is often found entangled in ghost nets or floating injured on the surface of Maldivian waters. In response, Dr Martin Stelfox founded the Olive Ridley Project in 2013 to better understand the situation and help rehabilitate and release injured sea turtles. Since opening its first marine turtle rescue centre in 2017, the Olive Ridley Project has rehabilitated and released 141 injured sea turtles.

Collaborating with ORP since 2017, Soneva Jani recently welcomed Neus Segura as the new Sea Turtle Biologist, along with Maldivian intern Nawha Ibrahim, to manage the centre with direct and daily supervision from the ORP Veterinary Team – the largest and most experienced in the Maldives. Additionally, Neus and Nawha are on hand to help remove ghost nets from the ocean, assist in the rescue of injured sea turtles, monitor nesting activity and contribute valuable sea turtle Photo-IDs to build a database of sea turtles in the Noonu Atoll.

Continuing to inspire a lifetime of rare experiences, guests at Soneva Jani are invited to learn about conservation efforts and the turtle rehabilitation process with guided tours of the centre, where they will be introduced to the resident sea turtle patients – including Nakaiy – and hear their unique recovery stories. Expert-led discussions with Neus and Nawha offer behind-the-scenes insights into the threats that sea turtles face and the daily care provided at the centre. These educational experiences provide a platform for guests to engage with local marine conservation efforts, promoting greater awareness for sea turtle conservation and an understanding of the crucial role of rescue and rehabilitation centres around the world.