Keeping The Underwater World Green at Baros Maldives

Online, September 18, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Programmes have been introduced to keep the underwater world green at the beautiful island resort of Baros Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Great care is being taken to conserve the natural resources of the island's lagoon and reef, in addition to the attention given to preserving eco-systems on land.

Baros Maldives (http://baros.com/) is unique in having a house reef encircling the island that is only a few metres from the shore. Even novice snorkellers can swim easily to it and gaze at the living organisms that form the reef.

Guests at Baros Maldives are informed of the dangers of touching coral because of its fragility, as well as being encouraged not to feed any of the fish, turtles and rays to be seen in the lagoon's shallow waters, because of disruption to their feeding cycle.

The resort has introduced the first certified Eco Dive Centre in the Maldives practising the international Reef Check Programme. This combines education with action to give divers a unique experience while taking an active role in conserving the world's reefs. The programme includes increasing the awareness of divers about the environment by teaching sustainable dive practice knowledge, participating in reef conservation initiatives, and offers specialty courses that teach divers and guests about ecology and conservation.

In addition, Baros Maldives has launched a Coral Reef Regeneration Programme run by the resort's resident Marine Biologist. Guests are invited to attach selected pieces of broken, but still living, coral to a frame constructed as a nursery reef. This is located near the linking boardwalk to the island's Water Villas (http://baros.com/water-villa), so guests can easily observe the reef's regeneration. Participants are sent an email every six-months, with photograph, showing the progressive growth of the oral they have planted.

By this initiative of involving guests to help keep the underwater world green, Baros Maldives is successfully pioneering responsible and sustainable eco-tourism in the islands.

The resort, on the small private island of Baros, just 25 minutes by speedboat from the Maldives International Airport, has 75 beach and water villas of classic, natural elegance, as well as gourmet-standard cuisine. Since its opening in 2005 Baros Maldives has won many awards, including being voted among the top ten resorts in Asia in 2011 in the Travelers' Choice awards sponsored by Trip Advisor.