editorial

Words by Claire Turrell 
August 5, 2026
A new teaching hospital is putting the Maldives at the forefront of sea turtle conservation.A new teaching hospital is putting the Maldives at the forefront of sea turtle conservation.
<figure id="attachment_161421" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-161421" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-161421" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Veterinarians-with-a-Sea-Turtle-at-Jawakara-Maldives.jpeg" alt="In-house veterinarians check on an olive ridley sea turtle." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Veterinarians-with-a-Sea-Turtle-at-Jawakara-Maldives.jpeg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Veterinarians-with-a-Sea-Turtle-at-Jawakara-Maldives-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Veterinarians-with-a-Sea-Turtle-at-Jawakara-Maldives-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Veterinarians-with-a-Sea-Turtle-at-Jawakara-Maldives-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-161421" class="wp-caption-text">In-house veterinarians check on an olive ridley sea turtle. (All photos courtesy of Jawakara Maldives)</figcaption></figure>
In her filtered seawater tank, Chayen appears calm and unhur ried as she glides slowly into view. This past February, rescuers found the olive ridley sea turtle tangled and exhausted in a discarded fishing net in the South Malé Atoll. Now, along with six others, Chayen is being nursed back to health at the Indian Ocean’s first purpose-built sea turtle teaching hospital.
Inaugurated in May at Jawakara Maldives—a twin-island resort in the Lhaviyani Atoll—the <a href="https://jawakara.com/sea-turtle-health-institute-at-jawakara-islands-maldives/?DestinAsian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sea Turtle Health Institute</a> is operated in partnership with the <a href="https://oliveridleyproject.org/about-us/where-we-work/maldives/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olive Ridley Project</a> as the organization’s flagship cam pus for medical care and ocean health research. It doubles as a teaching hospital where veterinary surgeons from around the world can exchange expertise and the latest techniques for treating marine reptiles. Set behind a picket fence, the solar-powered facility is said to be the largest of its kind in Asia, equipped with a diagnostic laboratory, digital X-ray suite, and surgical theater. It also features an ER ward and an ICU housing specialized tanks fitted with cameras. Up to 14 injured sea turtles can be cared for at a time, with patients arriving by seaplane or speedboat from across the <a href="https://destinasian.com/travel-guide/maldives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maldives</a>.
Beyond adopting a turtle to support its recovery, resort guests are welcome to join a 30-minute guided tour of the institute. The experience begins in a classroom, where the veterinary team explains the challenges sea turtles face in the wild, before moving behind the scenes for a look at conservation medicine in action. Rehabilitation often includes teaching them how to dive again, with the help of food-filled floats anchored to the bottom of the pool. Being attached to a five-star resort has its perks: patients enjoy a steady diet of fresh tuna, shrimp, and fish eggs—a particular favorite—during their stay.
Aside from the Sea Turtle Health Institute, the neighboring Jawakara Marine Research Center is also pre paring to host visitors. Guests will soon be able to observe scientists at work in a coral laboratory, while children can join hands-on sessions about protecting the ocean and creatures like Chayen that call it home.
<figure id="attachment_161420" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-161420" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-161420" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Sign-Outside-Sea-Turtle-Hospital-at-Jawakara-Maldives.jpeg" alt="Outside the newly built sea turtle teaching hospital." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Sign-Outside-Sea-Turtle-Hospital-at-Jawakara-Maldives.jpeg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Sign-Outside-Sea-Turtle-Hospital-at-Jawakara-Maldives-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Sign-Outside-Sea-Turtle-Hospital-at-Jawakara-Maldives-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Sign-Outside-Sea-Turtle-Hospital-at-Jawakara-Maldives-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-161420" class="wp-caption-text">Outside the newly built sea turtle teaching hospital.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_161418" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-161418" style="width: 1800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-161418" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Jawakara-Maldives-Aerial-View.jpeg" alt="The Sea Turtle Health Institute is located at the Jawakara Maldives resort." width="1800" height="1200" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Jawakara-Maldives-Aerial-View.jpeg 1800w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Jawakara-Maldives-Aerial-View-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Jawakara-Maldives-Aerial-View-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Jawakara-Maldives-Aerial-View-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Jawakara-Maldives-Aerial-View-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Jawakara-Maldives-Aerial-View-1568x1045.jpeg 1568w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-161418" class="wp-caption-text">The Sea Turtle Health Institute is located at the Jawakara Maldives resort.</figcaption></figure>
This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://subscription.destinasian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August/September 2026</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Healing Touch”). Buy a single issue or subscribe <a href="https://subscription.destinasian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

The Sea Turtle Health Institute is located at the Jawakara Maldives resort.

Introducing Jawakara Maldives’ Sea Turtle Health Institute