A new sea turtle rescue center has opened in the Noonu Atoll.

*Left to right:* Biologist Neus Segura; sea turtle Nakaiy enjoying a swim.

Ghost gear—derelict fishing equipment—poses a serious threat to marine life, and even in the Maldives, where most fish are caught by pole and line, hundreds of ghost nets are found every year, washed in from neighboring countries or international waters. Sea turtles are particularly vulnerable to entanglement, making the opening of the country’s latest rescue facility all the more important.

Located at the eco-luxe Soneva Jani resort in the Noonu Atoll, the Noonu Atoll Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is a collaboration with the nonprofit Olive Ridley Project. It’s the biggest of the ORP’s three facilities in the country, serving as a step-down point for sea turtles recovering from injuries and being prepared for return to the ocean. The center is managed by Spanish sea turtle biologist Neus Segura, who works closely with the ORP’s veterinary team—the largest and most experienced in the Maldives—to oversee turtle care. Her first patient is an adult female olive ridley turtle named Nakaiy, who was rescued in neighboring Lhaviyani Atoll after getting entangled in a ghost net. Having been treated for wounds to her neck, mouth, and front flipper, she is undergoing a rehabilitation program that includes submersible buoy feeding sessions designed to encourage natural diving behaviors.

Soneva Jani guests can engage with these efforts through guided tours of the rehabilitation center, where they’ll meet resident sea turtles like Nakaiy and hear experts discuss the threats that she and her kind face.

This article originally appeared in the December 2024/February 2025 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Savior Complex”).

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