Whale Shark Study on Rangali Island

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has embarked on a three-month sponsorship project with an aim to learn more about the Whale Sharks that inhabit the Indian Ocean.

From now until June 30, the resort will support a team of four UK environmental

experts as they track the Whale Sharks along the Maamigili reef to learn more about

how they live and how best to protect them.

Living onboard a Dhoni supplied by the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, the team will

embark on a series of fact-finding missions incorporating photography, safe DNA

research and satellite technology tagging techniques.

The team will return to the resort every five days to re-stock on food, fuel,

maintenance and rest as well as to give guests an insight into their findings and

progress. The resort's Sub Aqua Dive Centre will also support the project, supplying

scuba diving and camera equipment.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature now lists the Whale Shark as

a 'vulnerable species'. As such, the project aims to increase international

understanding of environmental factors that influence Whale Shark behaviour in

order to develop government-approved guidelines to manage Whale Shark

encounters with humans in the Maldives and around the world.

The initiative forms part of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island's ongoing

commitment to protecting the fragile paradise setting of the resort for future

generations.

The South Ari Atoll is home to one of the most complex underwater ecological

systems on the earth and over 100,000 marine species. Together with SubAqua

Dive Centre, the resort partakes in regular beach clean-up missions and factfinding

projects to preserve the environment.