Treasured islands

LAST year, the Laamu Atoll, one of the most southern groups of islands in the Maldives, was designated a Hope Spot—the culmination of more than five years of collaborative research and conservation efforts between Six Senses Laamu and three non-governmental organisations: The Olive Ridley Project, Blue Marine Foundation and The Manta Trust. There are Hope Spots scattered across the world’s oceans, from the Northwest Passage in the Arctic to Lord Howe Rise in the Pacific. They have little in common in terms of geography, but all are ecologically significant and their protection is vital to the preservation of sea species or nearby human communities who rely on a healthy marine environment.

Laamu is one of the 26 atolls, comprising more than 1,000 coral islands, that make up the Maldives—scattered across roughly 35,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean like giant stepping stones. Maldivians, hotels and, more recently, the government have been at