Until We Meet Again

April 2020

We call it living the dream- what can be better than spending your time in paradise, swimming with some of the oceans most incredible creatures and sharing your joy with a passionate team of crazy, yet absolutely amazing co-workers who you claim as your family.

Not so long ago we sat on the top of a boat sundeck, watching the golden glow of the sunset meet the water’s edge as we returned to base after a very busy day in the field. While the traditional dhoni meandered along its regular route back ‘home’ we sat in silence, witnessing the beauty of our surrounds, and smiled or shared in the delight of an occasional whisper or a sigh of complete and utter joy exuding from the tired researchers following their exciting and rewarding day at sea. We certainly are privileged to experience this on an almost daily basis whilst learning more about our beloved manta rays.

Now, all of this has been brought to a complete and abrupt halt. It happened so quickly, one minute we were preparing our dive gear and research equipment for the next day of manta madness and the very next we found ourselves isolated on an island with news streaming in from all corners of the globe and international alerts recommending all travelers/expats to return home ASAP. Covid-19 Coronavirus was the new ‘catchphrase’. News of resorts closing, planes grounding and imminent country lockdown struck fear and concern amongst the team. Within a week the MMRP team had been evacuated and were on-route home. It was, and still is, a very unpredictable and unsettling time.

We are so used to the ‘isolation’ of our resort island lifestyle in the Maldives that we never really believed that this would happen to us. Maldives is “Paradise” it’s the holiday-honeymoon destination. Nothing is supposed to go wrong in this picture-perfect setting.  But, like the rest of the world, the Maldives was affected too….and as an economy heavily reliant on tourism, this will undoubtedly have devastating implications on the nation as a whole.

For the past 15 years our team in the Maldives has been heavily invested in research activities to gather information about the manta rays and how best to protect these enigmatic creatures. Now for the first time in over a decade we are unable to monitor their whereabouts, and advocate for their safety.  Our project bases are closed and our partnerships with the resorts that sponsor and support our research and outreach work throughout the nation and internationally have been put on pause with no clear indication on when, or if the parties, will be in a position to resume associations once this is all over.

Without this support our MMRP project will cease to exist. A very scary and real thought.

The absence of regular research and survey efforts will leave a huge gap in the extensive dataset we have built up over the years. The trends we are only just beginning to understand will now lack the supporting data to validate hypotheses and proposed theories, which will ultimately slow efforts to effectively protect the manta rays.

Fortunately, mantas in the Maldives have never been exposed to heavy fishing pressure, however this isn’t the case on an international scale.  As business resumes under a crippled global economy, there will undoubtedly be more pressures on the fishing fleets and possibly on the trade of the highly prized gill plates for the “Asian Health Tonic”. This would certainly have huge ramifications on the mobulid populations around the world.

Education and Outreach is a fundamental component of our work in the Maldives with some students being introduced to the marine environment for the very first time and all developing a keen interest to conserve this natural resource. The school curriculum in the Maldives does not offer courses in fisheries or marine science, making the MMRP Marine Education Programme, possibly the only exposure some students will have to marine conservation. In our absence we fear that the gap in knowledge, respect, appreciation and love for the marine realm will dwindle- making it difficult for there to be any connection and desire to protect and conserve this environment.

We worry and we contemplate the future in a world that seems so unreal right now, but we do remain optimistic….After every stormy day during the southwest monsoons, we always return with a mind full of memories, reminded of our solid support system (our MMRP family), and sharing those mesmerising sunsets that shine with brilliance after the darkest of days at sea.  Now, as we patiently await our call to return to the Maldives, to return to our life at sea and our beloved manta rays, we work eagerly to share our message with the world- we have published reports and launched webinars geared to inform, educate and spread awareness about the plight of the mobulids and we have introduced exclusive Kids Club activities aimed to encourage and inspire a conservation-aware younger generation. We remain hopeful that our efforts will we encourage a positive influence during a period of uncertainty and concern.

We are incredibly fortunate to have an exceptionally dedicated team, many working voluntarily to help see us through this difficult time. Our stack of experiences and treasured memories continue to motivate and excite us about future opportunities- when we are reunited and are once again acquainted with our flappy underwater friends. For now- we relish in the thoughts of the manta rays enjoying this period of freedom. Until we meet again.

TAM SAWERS

Maldivian Manta Ray Project - Project Leader