Luxury Maldivian eco-resort, Gili Lankanfushi is celebrating World Oceans Day on 8 June 2018 with a series of sustainable initiatives for guests and staff to encourage healthy oceans, free of plastic pollution.
The celebrations will kick off at the resort’s dedicated marine biology shack and central hub for all conservation issues, Gili Veshi, meaning Gili Environment in the Dhivehi language. This World Oceans Day, guests will have the opportunity to contribute directly to the island’s innovative Coral Lines project — which aims to protect and replenish the house reef, maintain biodiversity and mitigate episodic bleaching through long-term growth of coral along midwater lines.
In addition to the creation of a brand new coral line, guests will also learn about the delicate process through which corals are transplanted to the house reef, and have the chance to explore the dedicated wet lab to learn about the research being undertaken by the marine biology team in partnership with visiting scientists, including Crown of Thorns starfish eradication, Manta Ray and Turtle identification, and restoration of the region’s vital seagrass habitat. All participants will receive a small gift from the team to thank them for their support and remind them of the importance of protecting our oceans.
As dusk approaches, guests and hosts alike will be ushered along a candlelit path to the island’s outdoor Jungle Cinema for a screening of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, the inspirational sequel to Al Gore’s game-changing 2006 documentary about climate change.
Sustainability is at the heart of the island year-round, with Gili Lankanfushi achieving silver certification from sustainable tourism advisory body EarthCheck in 2017. Beyond marine conservation, the island has a strict no-plastic policy, fully-functioning Eco Centre to recycle glass, plastic and aluminium and compost food waste, sustainable sourcing of products across the island, sustainability tours for local community schools and Sustainable Living Training for all staff. Guests are encouraged to get involved through visiting Gili Veshi and the organic garden, participating in reef clean dives, removing any waste they bring to the island and leaving only footprints behind.
Rates at Gili Lankanfushi (www.gili-lankanfushi.com / +960 664 0304) start from $1,400 per night on a room-only basis, based on double occupancy. Rates are subject to taxes.
Call +960 664 0304 / Email [email protected]
www.gili-lankanfushi.com
For media enquiries:
Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives
Tammy Gan, Marketing Communications Manager at [email protected]
BIRD Luxury Travel PR
[email protected] or +44 (0) 20 7112 882
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Editor’s Note
Gili Lankanfushi: Located in the North Malé Atoll, Gili Lankanfushi opened in 2000 as the original over-water resort, Soneva Gili. In 2012, the island was acquired by HPL (Hotel Properties Limited), a Singapore-based company investing in hotels, lifestyle and properties around the world. Voted number one hotel in the world by TripAdvisor in 2015, Gili Lankanfushi is an easy 20-minute speedboat transfer from Malé international airport. Set in the middle of its own lagoon, guests enjoy a barefoot existence with 360-degree views of the Indian Ocean. Gili Lankanfushi’s 45 overwater villas, including the vast and secluded Private Reserve, offer unrivalled privacy.
Coral Lines Project: Launched in 2014, the Coral Lines Project aims to rehabilitate the coral reef – damaged by an intensive El Niño event and Crown of Thorn Starfish outbreak – through direct transplantation of mature corals onto lengths of rope suspended in mid-water and through indirect coral spawning from the nursery. Currently the nursery has 180 lines, each containing approximately 50 coral fragments, and is home to more than 8,500 corals. Frames are placed in a sheltered site, with optimal current and lighting conditions, are periodically cleaned and checked, and monitored every three months for fragment size and survival rates. The innovative project has now been adopted by six other Maldivian resorts.
For more information, please visit www.gililankanfushi.com
