News
From Shipwreck to Living Reef: Siyam World launches ambitious marine restoration project
Siyam World Maldives has unveiled one of the newest and most exciting wreck dives in the Maldives. Created from a former Maldivian tuna freighter, the 66.36-metre vessel now rests beneath the waters of Noonu Atoll, offering divers the opportunity to explore a remarkable new underwater attraction while laying the foundations for something even bigger. Over time, through natural coral growth and dedicated restoration efforts, the wreck will gradually transform into a thriving living reef, creating new habitat for marine life and supporting the long-term health of the surrounding ecosystem. This journey from shipwreck to living reef forms the foundation of Wreck to Reef, Siyam World’s new annual conservation initiative under the Sun Siyam Cares sustainability platform.
Taking place from June 11 to 15, 2026, the inaugural edition of Wreck to Reef will bring together divers, marine conservationists, scientists, content creators, ocean advocates, and guests to celebrate both the launch of the wreck and the beginning of its transformation into a living underwater ecosystem. The shipwreck may be the headline grabber, but Wreck to Reef is the real story.

At the heart of the initiative lies a former Japanese-built tuna freighter from the 1980s. Measuring 66.36 metres in length and weighing 499 tonnes, the vessel once transported Maldivian tuna across the atolls to Malé and local canneries before being given a second life beneath the waters of Noonu Atoll. Once responsible for transporting Maldivian tuna across the atolls to Malé and local canneries, the vessel has now been given a second life and a far more exciting retirement plan. The story began in 2021 when Sun Siyam Group Founder and Chairman, Hon. Ahmed Siyam Mohamed shared a vision of creating something truly meaningful beneath the waters of Noonu Atoll, a dive experience that would not only attract visitors but also contribute to the future of the marine environment. What followed was an ambitious journey to source, prepare, and purposefully sink a vessel that could serve as both a world-class dive site and the foundation for a future reef ecosystem.

After being located in Lhaviyani Atoll, carefully cleaned and prepared near Malé, and following government approval, the vessel was transported to Noonu Atoll and purposefully sunk within Siyam World’s territorial waters in October 2024. Of course, no great story happens without a twist.
During the sinking process, trapped air caused the vessel to settle upside down on the seabed. Not exactly the plan. Undeterred, a skilled local team from Miladhoo spent weeks using giant air bags, ropes, and plenty of determination to carefully rotate the wreck upright. Mission accomplished. Today, the bow points dramatically towards the reef at 10 metres while the stern descends to 24 metres, creating an exciting and accessible dive for certified divers. Marine life has wasted no time claiming its new address. Already recorded around the wreck are guitar sharks, blacktip reef sharks, nurse sharks, lemon sharks, grey reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, eagle rays, stingrays, turtles, moray eels, octopus, groupers, snappers, boxfish, batfish, angelfish, nudibranchs, and large schools of jackfish. Soft and hard corals have also begun colonising the steel structure, signalling the start of its transformation into a thriving underwater ecosystem. For a site that officially opened only recently, the speed at which marine life has adopted the wreck has exceeded expectations, reinforcing its potential to become one of the Maldives’ most exciting artificial reef projects.

But here’s the thing. The ship was never the end goal. It was always the starting point. Unlike a traditional dive attraction, Wreck to Reef has been designed as a long-term conservation initiative that will continue to evolve year after year. The ambition is not simply to create one of the Maldives’ most exciting wreck dives, but to establish a living underwater ecosystem that guests can actively help build, monitor, and watch grow over time.
Through guided coral planting experiences, guests will be invited to contribute coral fragments directly onto the wreck, helping create new habitat for marine life while supporting the reef’s ongoing development. Every coral fragment planted becomes part of a much bigger story, one that will continue long after the dive is over. Because let’s be honest, most holiday souvenirs end up on a shelf. This one grows into a reef.

As the project develops, guests will be able to follow its progress through future editions of Wreck to Reef, updates from Sun Diving’s marine experts, and a structured reef monitoring programme led by resort Marine Biologist Mariyam Thuhufa (Thuhu). Coral growth, biodiversity, and the overall development of the ecosystem will be documented and assessed every three months, providing measurable insights into the transformation of the wreck into a thriving living reef. The goal is to create a lasting connection between travellers and the marine environment, transforming visitors into active participants in ocean restoration while ensuring the project’s environmental impact can be monitored, measured, and shared for years to come.
The first edition of Wreck to Reef will feature a packed programme of activities including the official opening dives on the wreck, coral planting dive sessions, marine conservation discussions, local island visits, beach and reef clean-up initiatives, reef observation dives, blue-light night diving experiences, community engagement activities, and a closing gala celebrating the ocean and the people dedicated to protecting it.
Delivered under the Sun Siyam Cares sustainability platform, the initiative reflects the group’s commitment to creating meaningful environmental impact while giving guests the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves. With official approval to cultivate coral fragments directly onto the wreck, the site will serve as a living laboratory for reef restoration, biodiversity enhancement, marine education, and long-term conservation.
Commenting on the launch, Sara, Director of Marketing at Sun Siyam Resorts, said: “Wreck to Reef is probably the boldest story we have ever set out to tell from Siyam World, and definitely the most patient one. This is not a single event, nor is it simply the launch of a new dive site. It is the beginning of a long-term commitment to reef restoration, ocean conservation, and meaningful guest participation. Every guest who plants a coral fragment becomes part of a story that will continue growing long after they leave our shores.”
For Siyam World, the project perfectly reflects the spirit of the resort itself: adventurous, unconventional, and deeply connected to the Maldives. It is a place where guests can experience the thrill of exploring a brand-new shipwreck one day and contribute to the creation of a thriving marine ecosystem the next. Because at Siyam World, adventure does not stop at the waterline. Sometimes, it begins twenty-four metres below it.
News
Four Seasons Maldives combines celebrations with conservation, wellness and private dining
Four Seasons has highlighted its Maldives properties as destinations for personalised celebrations and private gatherings, offering experiences ranging from exclusive island buyouts and weddings to family reunions, corporate retreats and conservation-led activities.
The Maldives features prominently in a new collection of group and celebration experiences unveiled by Four Seasons Resorts of Asia, with Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa offering distinct options for couples, families and small groups.
At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru in Baa Atoll, couples can take part in Tales from a Treetop Table, a private dining experience set within the island’s canopy. The resort also offers multi-day celebrations combining private dining, marine encounters, wellbeing and conservation activities.
Its Overwater Wedding Pavilion, accessible only by boat, features a glass-bottomed aisle surrounded by the waters and marine life of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
For larger gatherings, the resort’s four-bedroom Landaa Estate extends across 80 metres of private beach and includes a 20-metre swimming pool. Four Seasons said the estate can be used for family reunions, corporate retreats, micro-wedding receptions and milestone celebrations.

Marine conservation is also incorporated into group itineraries at Landaa Giraavaru through manta ray research, coral restoration and turtle rehabilitation programmes. Guests can participate in conservation activities together, while the resort’s Manta-on-Call programme alerts participants when manta rays are sighted nearby and arranges speedboat excursions for snorkelling encounters.
Nearby, Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah offers a different model centred on exclusivity. Located within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the five-acre private island has seven rooms and can accommodate up to 30 guests.
The property hosts only one group at a time, allowing guests to create their own programme without having to work around other resort schedules. A team of 30 staff supports full-island buyouts, with experiences including personalised wellness programmes at the Ocean of Consciousness Spa, yacht excursions and private dining.
Culinary experiences can also be tailored for groups, including a Maldivian Fisherman’s Feast built around the day’s catch.
In North Malé Atoll, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa is being positioned for multigenerational gatherings and smaller groups, with the resort located around 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé.
The property brings together beaches, private villas, suites and tropical gardens within a compact island setting, while its ŪRJĀ Naturopathy Island offers wellness programmes and treatments designed around rest and restoration.
Across its Asian portfolio, Four Seasons said it is increasingly designing celebrations around personalised itineraries rather than conventional event formats. In the Maldives, this approach combines private accommodation, dining, wellbeing, marine conservation and access to the country’s natural environment.
The group said the aim is to create gatherings that allow guests to spend more time together while shaping activities around the interests and preferences of each group.
News
Patina Maldives welcomes Sean Wotherspoon for ‘Respect the Reef’ collaboration
Patina Maldives, Fari Islands is set to welcome globally acclaimed designer, artist and vintage collector Sean Wotherspoon for an exclusive collaboration that brings together fashion, art, creativity and the marine environment of the Maldives.
Running from 12 August to 12 September 2026, the collaboration will transform the Fari Artist Atelier at Patina Maldives into a space shaped by Sean’s distinctive visual language, featuring an exclusive capsule collection of original artworks, vintage finds and reworked pieces. The collaboration centers around Respect the Reef, a large-scale ceramic fish sculpture created collectively with guests and designed to eventually become part of the marine environment.

A Collaboration Rooted in the Reef
The collaboration began with a simple idea: everything comes back to respecting the reef.
During his time at Patina Maldives, Sean spent time with resident marine biologist Nihaan, exploring the reefs surrounding the Fari Islands and the conservation work already taking place at the resort. Their conversations became the starting point for a project that would bring Sean’s creative practice into conversation with Patina’s existing approach to coral restoration.

Two practices came together. Patina’s ceramic coral workshops invite guests to create ceramic pieces that are later planted underwater, while coral frames provide structures where coral can attach and grow. For the collaboration, these practices were brought together in a new form and as a part of the 3-day Fari Islands Festival. Instead of a conventional geometric frame, the structure became a large sculptural fish, covered in individually made ceramic scales which has now been submerged in the lagoon surrounding Patina Maldives, where it begins its next life as part of the reef ecosystem.
The scales also introduced something new to Patina’s ceramic coral process: colour.

While the ceramic pieces created through the resort’s regular workshops are traditionally left unglazed, Sean’s work is deeply rooted in colour. Guests were therefore invited to glaze the individual scales themselves, bringing their own combinations of colour and pattern into the sculpture.
A Creative Language of Colour
The Respect the Reef sculpture forms part of a wider collaboration that sees Sean bring his characteristic use of colour, texture and vintage-inspired storytelling to Patina Maldives. Created exclusively for the resort, the capsule collection includes apparel, accessories and a selection of one-of-one vintage.

Inspired by the colours, textures and energy of the Maldives, the collection reflects Sean’s approach to design, where familiar objects, materials and references are given a new perspective.
“I work in colour, I work in texture, I work in materials. I always say that I want people to close their eyes, feel my projects, and still be able to gain a love for them. It’s the same with vintage shopping, you should be able to do it with your eyes closed. Designs should activate multiple different senses,” he said.
Sean’s creative language also finds its way into the Fari Artist Atelier, where guests can discover the exclusive capsule alongside original artworks, vintage ephemera and curated objects from his world.

The Fari Artist Atelier, Reimagined
From 12 August to 12 September, the Fari Artist Atelier becomes a space for guests to explore Sean’s work and the ideas behind the collaboration.
The Atelier brings together fashion, art and objects, while the Respect the Reef experience extends that creative exchange beyond the gallery and into the natural environment of the Fari Islands. For Sean, the project offered an opportunity to work within a creative framework that was already part of Patina’s identity, while giving it a new form.

“I have this thing I do really well. I don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time. Even if it’s my same art direction, based on whatever the vehicle is, the designs are always going to be fresh,” he said.
At Patina Maldives, that vehicle became a fish, made from many individual pieces, painted by many different hands and ultimately returned to the reef that inspired it.
Everything Comes Back to the Reef
Lexie Rodriguez, Vice President of Lifestyle, Capella Hotel Group, says: “Transformative luxury is about creating experiences that leave something behind — in us, between us and in the places we inhabit. What I love about this collaboration is how that idea lives at every level: through Respect the Reef, Sean’s creativity became a canvas for our guests and community to contribute their own hands, colour and imagination before the work was ultimately given back to the ocean; while the collection creates a tangible memory to take home, carrying a piece of Patina and the Maldives with you. It is creativity that extends beyond the moment — continuing to evolve, create connection and leave an imprint long after you have gone.”

The collaboration forms part of Patina Maldives’ ongoing creative programme, bringing together voices from art, design, music, fashion and culture while creating opportunities for guests to engage with the island in unexpected ways.
Respect the Reef captures that approach in its simplest form. It takes a practice already embedded in life at Patina, gives it a new creative expression through Sean Wotherspoon’s world of colour, and invites guests to become part of it. As the sculpture is now in the water, the process continues without them. Coral will grow, the surface will change, and the artwork will become increasingly intertwined with the reef around it.

What starts in the hands of guests eventually belongs to the ocean.
News
JOALI BEING celebrates festive season with ‘Tides of Tradition’
This festive season, JOALI BEING invites guests to embrace the warmth of togetherness with Tides of Tradition, a joyful celebration inspired by the rhythm of the ocean and the timeless traditions that bring people together. From 22 December 2026 to 8 January 2027, the well-living island will reimagine the festive season through the Joy of Well-Living, bringing together cherished celebrations, transformative wellbeing, exceptional dining, island adventures and meaningful experiences for families.

From moments of stillness to joyful celebration, Tides of Tradition unfolds through experiences that inspire connection — with oneself, loved ones and nature — bringing together festive traditions, transformative wellbeing, culinary journeys and island celebrations.

Festive highlights include:
- Island of Light: Festive Tree Illumination – The season begins as JOALI BEING’s festive tree comes to life beneath swaying palms, marking a radiant moment of togetherness and the start of the island’s celebrations.
- Feast of Christmas Wonders: Christmas Eve Dinner – Loved ones gather for an elegant Christmas Eve dinner, bringing together festive favourites, JOALI BEING signatures and thoughtfully sourced ingredients in the spirit of sharing and togetherness.
- Island Splash Pool Party – Celebrate island style at MOJO Pool with live music, refreshing cocktails, festive bites and playful poolside experiences, all set against a vibrant island atmosphere.
- Season’s Bells: Santa’s Arrival – Santa brings a touch of festive magic to the island with a special arrival and surprises for younger guests and families.
- A World of Magic: New Year’s Celebrations – The island welcomes 2027 with an evening of glamour, culinary artistry and live entertainment, beginning with sunset cocktails before a celebratory gala dinner, midnight countdown, fireworks and dancing beneath the stars.

As part of the festive season, JOALI BEING will welcome Visiting Practitioners offering experiences designed to support balance, vitality and renewal:
- Breath of Life with Javier de Prado – Combining breathwork, Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and OsteoTha with mindful movement and meditation, Javier de Prado’s integrative sessions support nervous-system regulation, inner balance and deeper presence.
- Holistic Longevity & Facial Rejuvenation with Dr Igor Roganin – Blending Traditional Chinese Medicine with advanced diagnostics, Dr Igor Roganin offers personalised therapies to support vitality, graceful ageing, long-term wellbeing and facial rejuvenation.

Throughout the season, the Joy of Well-Living unfolds through movement, mindfulness and transformative wellbeing, from meditation and hydrotherapy rituals to energising sessions and expert-led experiences. As evening falls, the rhythm shifts to music and movement with signature experiences including the Island Splash Pool Party, DJ Fit Night and Rhythm at the Gate at the iconic Gate of Zero.
Culinary experiences bring guests together through flavour, craftsmanship and connection, from intimate chef-led journeys and the five-course Chef’s Table Collection to Spirit of the Orient, Italian Essence and Japanese specialities at Yutori. Toes-in-the-sand seafood dinners at MOJO and hands-on pasta, sushi and artisan pizza masterclasses add to the season’s culinary celebrations.

The ocean and surrounding nature become part of the journey, with dolphin cruises, guided snorkelling, sunset fishing, coral planting, scuba diving and water sports offering opportunities for discovery, adventure and a deeper connection with the natural world.
At B’Kidult, younger guests and families can share experiences designed around curiosity, wellbeing and connection, from Christmas crafts, nature treasure hunts and culinary workshops to teen fitness, virtual reality and marine adventures. Families can also discover the island’s conservation work through coral planting, visits to the Sea Turtle Care Centre and experiences with the Marine Biology team.

A stay at JOALI BEING is a transformative journey where guests return home feeling lighter, happier and more energised. Villas start from USD 5,392 per night for two guests sharing an Ocean Pool Villa on a B&B basis.
For full details on the festive programme, please visit the resort’s website and discover its Festive Season Offer. For bookings and further information, please contact reservations.being@joali.com.
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