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Coco Collection’s ‘In-Turtle-Ship’ winner arrives in Maldives
Winner of the Summer In-Turtle-Ship competition by luxury travel brand Coco Collection has arrived in Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu.
Jessica Monteiro, a veterinary student from Portugal, won the two-week internship with the Olive Ridley Project — a charity that works to rescue, rehabilitate and protect sea turtles in the surrounding Baa atoll — out of the thousands of applicants who were interested in the opportunity.
“I found out about the competition through an article my mother sent me on Facebook. It was on a Portuguese website called e-konomista.pt and the headline was, ‘Hotel in the Maldives offers an all paid internship with turtles’,” Jessica said.
“I’d like to pursue work in the wildlife conservation field and the competition was the perfect opportunity to further my knowledge on turtles. The hotel and island looked breathtaking, so the competition seemed like a dream I had to take.”
Jessica’s love for animals began as a little girl growing up in London, where she would spend days discovering insects and birds, all the while taking care of her many pets including, of course, a turtle. Recently, she has been challenging herself by working with wild and unusual animals at the zoo, aquarium, and the exotic pet clinic in Lisbon, where she currently lives.
Jessica fostered her ever-growing love for sea turtles during a collaborative in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau off the coast of west Africa. Besides her passion for animals, she is also a keen traveller eager to absorb and immerse herself in the culture of wherever she visits.
Located in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the island is no stranger to incredible marine life in the stunning nearby reefs. However, as the first and only veterinarian-led turtle rescue centre in the Maldives, the Olive Ridley Project is seeing an increase in the number of turtles being brought to the centre for rehabilitation through various means.
Jessica has the chance to gain valuable veterinary experience from one of the UK’s leading specialist turtle veterinary surgeons Dr Claire Petros. Her daily duties include feeding the turtles, cleaning tanks, observing surgeries and medical procedures, and attending rescue missions to collect turtles in need.
She is also able to interact with guests who visit the centre, giving them information on the turtles staying at the centre and attending any Olive Ridley Project presentation evenings. Duties also include guest posts on the Olive Ridley Project’s social media platforms, to update on their personal progress and show a behind-the-scenes look of the Rescue Centre.
An internship like no other: Jessica stays in a truly tropical paradise in a beautiful guest villa, with full board benefits at Coco Palm’s Cowrie restaurant. She is also gifted some of the fantastic experiences available to guests of the resort, such as a sunset cruise and a guided group snorkelling trip in the stunning Baa atoll.
“It’s paradise. I am amazed at everything from the beautiful views, to the magnificent installations and the super friendly staff. It is such a clean and quiet resort filled with lots of things to do and try. The food is delicious! I still haven’t tried anything I haven’t liked. And probably won’t until I leave,” Jessica said.
“I hope that by the end of the experience I have learnt a lot more about sea turtles, made new friends and have a nice tan! It is a dream come true and there is much I can take away from it.”
The Olive Ridley Project together with Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu also offers a unique three-month turtle internship exclusively for Maldivians, where local students are taught about turtle husbandry and turtle medicine. The intern works alongside the veterinarian at the rescue centre, assisting them with surgeries and the daily running of the centre. This paid internship offers a one-on-one opportunity to work with an experienced vet in turtle conservation.
Three islands — Coco Bodu Hithi, Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu and Coco Privé — comprise the Coco Collection brand.
Coco Bodu Hithi, the flagship property in Coco Collection’s portfolio, is a chic retreat where you reconnect with yourself, your loved ones and the wonder of the natural world. Translating island life into contemporary sophistication, the resort, which is accessible by a 40-minute speedboat ride from the main Velana International Airport, offers 100 villas that are surrounded by the calm view of the lagoon and the soothing sound of the waves.
With seven restaurants and bars, Coco Bodu Hithi celebrates and offers a variety of exquisite cuisines, taking inspiration from the Maldives and further afield.
An award-winning wellness zone on stilts over the clear water, Coco Spa is a sanctuary for the soul. Mindful of the healing properties of nature and the ocean, the spa is designed to retreat for an escape, whether a massage in one of the eight treatment rooms or yoga on the pavilion overlooking the ocean and beach. With a range of products from the Paris label Thémaé combining the healing properties of tea, therapists at Coco Spa are trained in techniques to treat the mind, body and soul. An overwater gym within the zone inspires guests to keep up with their regime of active well ness when away on a holiday.
Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu is dedicated to the inspiring beauty and natural wonder of the Maldives. Here, environmentally-conscious touches are woven into luxurious natural surroundings and initiatives contribute to the environmental and social sustainability of Maldives.
At USD 45,000 a night, Coco Privé is the first private island for exclusive hire in the Maldives. Secluded and utterly discrete, the island is perfectly designed for guests to escape to an entirely private paradise.
With a master residence and five guest villas all with breathtaking views, a lavish dining room, purpose-built kitchen, cocktail bar, wine cellar, library, indoor and outdoor gym areas, sauna, and a 40-metre pool, this 1.4 hectare island is the perfect space to indulge in anything you can imagine.
A dedicated team of personal staff including private chefs, butlers and spa therapists ensure a level of service that is unparalleled. Every guest is given a completely personalised experience, and this is what makes stays on the island so exceptional.
There are few encounters in the Maldives quite like watching the unmistakable silhouette of a manta ray emerge from the blue, its wings stretched wide as it glides effortlessly through the ocean before turning and disappearing once again into the distance. This World Manta Day, Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon celebrates one of the Indian Ocean’s most fascinating marine residents through an experience that takes guests beyond the island and into the waters of North Ari Atoll.
Operated by the resort’s Dive & Sail team, the manta excursion begins after breakfast with an 8.00 am departure from the resort, followed by a journey of approximately one hour and 40 minutes to two hours across the atoll, depending on sea conditions and where the mantas are gathering. Recently guests were taken towards Genburugau and Maavaru Kandu, but from there nature determines how the day unfolds, with the season, weather, currents and concentration of plankton all influencing where the mantas appear and how many might be encountered.
On favourable days, sightings can range from five to as many as 30 manta rays, and a recent excursion offered a glimpse of just how remarkable the experience can become when conditions align. With the waters particularly rich in plankton, numerous mantas had gathered in the area, allowing guests to enter the water and swim among them as they glided past, turned gracefully and circled through the blue.
Mostly oceanic manta rays are encountered during these excursions, and seeing their impressive size from beneath the surface brings an entirely different sense of scale, particularly when one passes nearby before sweeping around for another effortless turn.
For Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon, the journey also adds another dimension to an already rich underwater experience, extending beyond the resort’s renowned house reef and its abundance of marine life to explore the wider waters of North Ari Atoll and the remarkable species that call them home. Priced at USD 130 per person, the manta excursion includes lunch, while snorkelling equipment is available separately, with guests generally returning to the resort at approximately 2.30 pm.
As World Manta Day draws attention to these remarkable creatures and the marine environments they depend upon, the experience offers a chance not simply to see a manta ray, but to spend a few unforgettable moments sharing its world, because at Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon, sometimes the most memorable part of an island escape begins when the island disappears from view.
Soneva has unveiled the latest Soneva Stars calendar, seeing out the year with a line-up spanning space, sport, gastronomy, craftsmanship and wellbeing. Across Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva Secret, guests are invited to train, learn and interact with remarkable personalities who have spent their careers at the top of their fields.
Among the year’s headline residences is Tim Peake, the first British ESA astronaut to visit the International Space Station. Peake will host talks, interactive sessions and stargazing experiences at Soneva Fushi from 19 to 29 December, sharing insights from his extraordinary career in space exploration beneath some of the clearest night skies on Earth.
The sporting calendar will welcome a series of internationally recognised athletes. A Premier League record goalscorer and former Manchester United striker, Andy Cole will lead football sessions from 25 October to 1 November, while former world No. 8 Marcos Baghdatis (25 October to 5 November) and current ATP star Karen Khachanov (12 to 22 November) will host tennis clinics and coaching experiences, giving guests a rare chance to train with players who have competed at the sport’s highest level. In September, Olympic medallist and world champion decathlete Leo Neugebauer will lead a session at Soneva Fushi’s outdoor gym as part of his residency.
In the world of wellbeing, Sarah Chapman, the facialist whose client list reads like a who’s who of the beauty world, will bring her treatments to Soneva Secret from 27 October to 5 November, offering guests the kind of skin expertise usually reserved for a waiting list.
The culinary programme features acclaimed chefs including Chantelle Nicholson (22 October to 6 November), known for her ingredient-led cooking and commitment to sustainable gastronomy, and champions of elevated Scandinavian dining, Niclas Jönsson (22 October to 6 November) and Fiskebar’s Jamie Lee (14 to 26 December), who will present special experiences throughout the season.
The Soneva Stars calendar runs even deeper. Astronomers Dr James Gilbert and Dr Lars Lindberg Christensen amplify the resorts’ celestial programme, while glass artists Adam Holtzinger and Susan Špiranović lead a residency at Soneva Fushi’s glass studio. Enhancing the wellbeing offering, guests can work with osteopath Hortensia Corredoira, East Asian healing specialist Alexander Scrimgeour, performance coach JP Liendi, Bodyism’s Nathalie Schyllert and wellbeing expert Richie Norton, alongside football freestyler Marcel Gurk, across residencies running through to the end of the year.
“The most memorable moments unfold through the power of human connection,” said Neil Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer of Soneva. “With Soneva Stars, our guests train with Andy Cole, sit with Tim Peake to find out what it’s truly like up there and get a fresh taste of the ocean’s bounty with Jamie Lee. These experiences spark conversations and memories that stay with them long after they leave.”
No two Soneva Stars seasons are ever the same. Each residency is an expression of Just What Matters: meaningful connections, new perspectives and moments of genuine wonder and discovery.
Guests can explore the full Soneva Stars calendar to book remarkable experiences.
Ocean Group Maldives has launched a week of ocean-focused diving activities across nine leading resorts in the Maldives in support of PADI AWARE Week 2026, taking place from 12–20 September.
The initiative brings together Ocean Group’s dive teams, resort partners and guests in a collective effort to celebrate the ocean while encouraging meaningful action to protect the Maldives’ extraordinary marine environment.
PADI AWARE Week is a global initiative that mobilises the diving community to take action for ocean conservation. Throughout the week, Ocean Group Maldives will invite divers to combine their passion for exploring the underwater world with hands-on conservation activities.
The campaign will take place across Ocean Group dive centres at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Dusit Thani Maldives, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, Veligandu Maldives Resort Island, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, SAii Lagoon Maldives, SO/ Maldives, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and Radisson Blu Resort Maldives.
Dive for Fun. Dive for a Purpose.
As part of the campaign, guests who purchase two fun dives will receive a complimentary third dive dedicated to an ocean clean-up, giving divers an opportunity to enjoy the Maldives’ spectacular underwater environment while contributing directly to its protection.
Under the message “3 Dives. 1 Ocean. A Real Difference.”, the initiative encourages guests to see conservation not as something separate from the diving experience, but as part of being a responsible member of the global dive community.
“The ocean is at the heart of everything we do at Ocean Group Maldives, so PADI AWARE Week is an important opportunity for us to turn awareness into action,” said Yasmin Zahid, Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships at Ocean Group Maldives. “By activating the campaign simultaneously across nine resorts, we hope to demonstrate how individual actions, when multiplied across our dive community, can create a much greater collective impact.”
Dive teams at participating resorts will also use the week to engage guests in conversations around responsible diving, marine debris and the importance of protecting the fragile ecosystems that make the Maldives one of the world’s most celebrated diving destinations.
Local Action. Global Impact.
The nine-resort activation reflects Ocean Group Maldives’ broader commitment to making marine conservation an integral part of the guest experience across its diving and marine operations.
By connecting international visitors with practical conservation activities during their stay, Ocean Group aims to inspire guests to become more conscious ocean advocates—not only while diving in the Maldives, but wherever their future travels take them.
PADI AWARE Week runs from 12–20 September 2026 at participating Ocean Group Maldives dive centres.
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