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Soneva Fushi welcomes world-famous freedivers

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Soneva is set to welcome two of the world’s most celebrated freedivers at Soneva Fushi resort in the Maldives.

In January, Alexey Molchanov, who holds the record for the deepest competitive freedive, will be leading courses for adults and children, giving presentations and telling stories and anecdotes about his career at the Talkers Table. From February 20-26, Umberto Pelizzari, considered amongst the best freedivers of all time, will be running courses for all ages and giving a lecture and a Q&A session about his experiences in the sport.

Alexey, from Russia, holds the deepest competitive freediving record – he has also set five world records throughout his career. He has earned a combined total of 15 gold, silver and bronze medals for both individual and team world championship events.

“Guests can take freediving lessons from Alexey in both Russian and English. He will be hosting a Talkers Table – an incredible opportunity for guests to get to know a World Champion and hear his stories. At Cinema Paradiso guests can catch him giving presentations, a Q&A session and a chance for photos and autograph signing,” an announcement by the world-leading luxury resort operator read.

Pelizzari is an Italian freediver, known as one of the best in the history of the sport. He is the only athlete to have world records across all the freediving disciplines that existed at that particular time. Umberto and his then rival, Pipin Ferreras, were the focus of the 2001 IMAX production Ocean Men: Extreme Dive.

At Soneva Fushi, Umberto will also host freediving courses for guests, as well as a Q&A session, lectures, presentations and autograph signing at Cinema Paradiso.

Meanwhile, Soneva Fushi’s resident instructor Ken Kiriyama has been holding freediving courses from December.

Ken has been a practitioner of Yoga and Pranayama since the young age of 16. He uses these techniques and knowledge as the foundation and mental preparation for freediving – ensuring guests are calm, relaxed and focused while on dives. This results in a meditative experience where guests feel a ‘oneness’ with the ocean.

Freediving is one way to discover the underwater world on a single breath, without supporting equipment.

Soneva said the freediving courses at Soneva Fushi consist of theory lessons, breathing and relaxation techniques, stretching, confined water and open water practice.

“This is a chance for guests to learn the essential aspects of freediving directly from World Champions who currently hold or have held multiple world records. They will learn about what happens in the human physiology while freediving, about the physics of water, about mental capacities, deep relaxation and breathing techniques to improve their health and wellbeing. The breathing techniques are a key factor and can be used anytime, anywhere,” the announcement read.

“In the water guests will learn how to move and save energy, how to use fins with the correct technique and how to be calm and relaxed in the water. The course is open to all ages, 12 and above, and participates will receive a diploma upon completion.”

According to Soneva, the children’s freediving experience is a two-hour journey on the reef that involves having fun and learning from a World Champion. The basic techniques of swimming, finning, snorkelling and easy dives while holding the breath will be covered.

Established in 1995, Soneva Fushi is the original Soneva. The No News, No Shoes blueprint for all desert island barefoot luxury hideaways is located within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives. Soneva Fushi inspires the imagination with 65 spacious beachfront villas, ranging in size from one to nine bedrooms, hidden amongst dense foliage.

The iconic resort has bagged several international awards for eco-friendly tourism and green initiatives, including the 2017 Green Hotelier Award for the Asia Pacific region and the Sustainable Hotel Award by the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) as well as a spot in the Gold List compiled by Condé Nast Traveler China as the Best Hotel in the Maldives and amongst the best resorts in the world in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2017.

Soneva also operates the Soneva Jani resort and Soneva in Aqua luxury yacht in the Maldives.

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Netflix’s ‘All the Sharks’ puts global spotlight on tiger shark paradise in Maldives’ Fuvahmulah

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The first episode of Netflix’s new competition series All the Sharks is set in Fuvahmulah, Maldives — an island now confirmed by scientists as home to the largest documented aggregation of tiger sharks in the world.

The global series, which premiered Friday, follows four teams of marine experts racing to photograph the most shark species across six biodiverse marine locations. Its opening episode brings viewers into the waters of Fuvahmulah, a shark diving hotspot in the southern Maldives, where recent research has identified 239 individual tiger sharks over six years — more than any other single location globally.

A peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in Nature.com, led by Lennart Vossgaetter of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Germany, used non-invasive photo identification to confirm Fuvahmulah’s ecological significance. Researchers found that adult female tiger sharks show strong site fidelity, remaining in the island’s warm, food-rich waters for extended periods during gestation.

The big picture: Science meets streaming in Fuvahmulah

Fuvahmulah, long renowned by divers for consistent encounters with tiger sharks, now features prominently in both marine research and global entertainment. The Netflix episode captures this extraordinary setting as part of a larger series spanning Japan, South Africa, the Galapagos, Australia and the Bahamas.

According to the study, Fuvahmulah’s waters — influenced by oceanic currents and lacking a surrounding atoll — provide ideal reproductive conditions for tiger sharks, particularly pregnant females. The research team documented the world’s highest number of individual tiger sharks identified in one confined marine area.

The scientists described Fuvahmulah as a “bright spot” for tiger shark conservation in the Indian Ocean, bolstered by the Maldives’ national shark sanctuary status.

Zoom in: A friendly global shark race

All the Sharks follows four two-person teams — Shark Docs, Gills Gone Wild, British Bait Off and Land Sharks — competing to photograph the most and rarest shark species at each location.

The series is hosted by Tom “The Blowfish” Hird, a marine biologist known for his dramatic delivery and braided pirate-style beard.

Points are awarded based on species rarity, with the season’s top team winning US$50,000 for a marine conservation charity of their choice.

Though the show leans on reality TV conventions, its content remains grounded in ocean science and conservation. Fuvahmulah’s inclusion in the series serves as both a dramatic setting and an educational entry point into the world of shark biology and environmental protection.

Details: Unregulated tourism meets scientific concern

The Nature.com study also raised concerns about the rapid growth of shark tourism in Fuvahmulah, particularly at the island’s famed “Tiger Harbour.” While tourism provides a major economic boost for the island, shark provisioning and diving currently remain unregulated, with no official national guidelines.

The researchers warned that the absence of regulation — including standardised safety measures and environmental practices — could jeopardise both shark welfare and the long-term viability of the tourism industry.

They pointed to successful models in countries like Fiji, where community-managed marine protected areas (MPAs) have been implemented to balance economic activity with ecological sustainability. The study recommended similar frameworks for the Maldives, calling for inclusive stakeholder management plans to ensure responsible ecotourism in one of the world’s most important shark sanctuaries.

Why it matters: Maldives in the global spotlight

The series premiere and the scientific findings together shine a global spotlight on the Maldives’ critical role in shark conservation. As the world celebrates 50 years since Jaws and enters another summer of shark-themed content, All the Sharks provides a rare blend of adventure, education and scientific relevance.

The show includes conservation graphics detailing the biology and threatened status of each shark species, shifting the narrative from fear to appreciation. For viewers — and for the Maldives — the message is clear: these apex predators are essential to ocean health and worthy of protection.

The bottom line: Fuvahmulah is both spectacle and sanctuary

As All the Sharks captures the thrill of underwater discovery, Fuvahmulah emerges not only as a top-tier dive destination but as one of the most ecologically important shark habitats in the world. With Netflix bringing its waters to millions of viewers and science affirming its global conservation value, the moment calls for action — to protect, to regulate and to preserve this unique corner of the Maldives for generations to come.

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Dive for free at Kandooma, just named Maldives’ leading dive resort

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Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has been crowned ‘Maldives Leading Dive Resort 2025’ at the prestigious World Travel Awards, marking a major milestone as the inaugural winner of this newly introduced category.

The announcement was made at a glittering gala ceremony held on 29 June in Tanzania, attended by tourism and hospitality leaders from across Africa and the Indian Ocean. The accolade honours Kandooma’s commitment to exceptional diving experiences and innovation in accessible underwater tourism.

“We’re surrounded by some of the most awe-inspiring marine life in the Maldives – it’s truly like diving in a living aquarium,” said Mark Eletr, General Manager of Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives. “From graceful manta rays and reef sharks to turtles, moray eels, and vast schools of tropical fish, our waters are teeming with life.”

Just minutes from the resort are world-class dive sites including Kandooma Thila, a renowned cleaning station for grey reef sharks; Guraidhoo Corner, famous for its strong currents and pelagic encounters; and Medhu Faru, where divers drift alongside vibrant coral walls. The close proximity of these sites allows for up to three dives a day – ideal for enthusiasts chasing underwater thrills.

Central to Kandooma’s diving success is its bold ‘Dive Free’ initiative – a game-changer for the scuba community. Guests who stay three nights or more and are certified divers receive two complimentary boat dives per day, including equipment and professional guidance.

“Diving can be an expensive pursuit, so we decided to flip the script,” Eletr added. “Our ‘Dive Free’ program removes the barriers and makes the underwater magic of the Maldives accessible to more people than ever.”

Kandooma’s on-site 5-star PADI dive centre offers courses for beginners through to advanced, specialty certifications and refreshers, as well as private excursions for underwater photography, night dives, and wreck explorations.

With its commitment to sustainability, marine preservation, and guest experience, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has proven that world-class diving doesn’t have to come with a luxury price tag – just a sense of adventure.

For more information or to book a diving escape, visit: www.maldives.holidayinnresorts.com

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Siyam World kicks off August with star-studded football camps

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No shoes, no stress, just goals! This August, Siyam World Maldives is turning up the heat with not one, not two, but three football legends taking over the island for exclusive five-day Football Residence Camps – Wayne Bridge, Kean Bryan, Andrew Johnson.

Wayne Bridge | August 1–5

A former England international and Premier League left-back with over 300 top-flight appearances, Wayne is best known for his time at Chelsea, Manchester City, and Southampton. His elite-level experience, from Champions League nights to FA Cup triumphs, makes him the ultimate coach for young players looking to level up.

Kean Bryan | August 11–15

A midfield dynamo with a Premier League pedigree, Kean’s career includes spells at Manchester City, Sheffield United, and West Brom. Known for his technical skill and tactical brain, he brings a youth-focused approach packed with energy, precision, and motivation.

Andrew Johnson (AJ) | August 17–21

A former England striker and Crystal Palace legend, AJ lit up the Premier League with his pace and goal-scoring flair. His sessions will bring fast-paced drills, goal-scoring tips, and a whole lot of fun to the pitch.

Each 5-day camp for kids between 5 and 12 years, takes place on the resort’s own World Sports Arena, as part of their exclusive Football Residences programme, designed to inspire the next generation of football stars while having the time of their lives in paradise. Spots are limited, and trust us, they’ll go fast. Give your child the chance to train with football legends, make lifelong friends, and experience the magic of the Maldives—because this is one match they won’t want to miss.

Siyam World has already hosted some of the biggest names in football, with past camps featuring stars like: Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Daniel Agger or Esteban Cambiasso. Joining this incredible lineup, those football legends in August are making Siyam World the go-to destination for football-obsessed kids and their families.

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