They said, “Expect the unexpected” when volunteering at the Marine and Turtle Conservation project in the Maldives and that’s exactly what happened! I even got more than I was expecting (in a good way), starting with my pre-departure guidance by the wonderful GoEco team from reaching the gorgeous island of Naifaru.
I learned so much from this trip especially about sea life and the beautiful Green Sea Turtles. Getting up every day to feed the babies and watch them play and make bubbles in the water was adorable. We also fed all the turtles in separate tanks to monitor how much they were eating. We would then check their weight and vitals to make sure they were all on the road to recovery!
I enjoyed our work every day, but it was an even better time because of the amazing people on the project. I went on excursion trips to uninhabited islands and snorkeled for the first time. Snorkeling was truly spectacular; it was like a dream! The sea life was vibrant and full of colors with so many different marine species to discover. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I can’t wait to go snorkeling again.
The team of marine biologists that I worked with were some of the most talented people I had ever met. The tireless efforts of the crew and head researcher were spectacular. They made the effort to make you feel at home while at the same time educating you. We were given various projects to work on each day from helping the researches with their weekly awareness lessons that would be taught in the local community to various contraptions that would help rescue injured sea turtles. Learning how to preserve the coral gardens taught me so much and showed me the importance coral plays in the underwater world.
Volunteering in the Maldives was an experience of a lifetime. I will miss the happy faces, jokes, breakfast at our marine center, and spending time with friends. Another fond memory was night fishing while listening to blues music. I never caught a single fish, but I still had a great time. Hopefully, I’ll catch something next time!
Sending my best to the GoEco team andlouis-vuitton-taschen all future volunteers!
