The Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL) sits on the resort’s sunset beach, covering a total area of 5,952 square feet. It’s a multi-use space designed for guest education and offers curated and immersive marine conservation experiences. It also houses the Maldives Underwater Initiative by Six Senses Laamu (MUI), a marine conservation collaborative consisting of resort marine biologists and partner NGOs, Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation, and Olive Ridley Project.
An aerial view of the Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL). Visible is the immaculate house reef and overwater guest area.
Meet some of the local Laamu mantas; Didi Dots, Reggae and Michelle at the entrance.
They are all life sized and showcase indefinable features such as their unique spot patterns, mating scars and pregnancy bumps, as well as some concerning fish net scars.
The SHELL’s exhibition space has 6 tables, featuring different topics including Maldivian culture, seagrass and mangroves, corals, turtles, manta rays and sustainable fishing. Each table has a custom-built model showcasing the topic.
The MUI team conducts coral spawning research and has specialized tanks, one for spawning corals and one for rearing them. Once they get old and strong enough, they are planted back onto the reef.
Featured is a 6-month old coral polyp. You can see its tentacles and the stomach of the coral.
Combining local research and knowledge with cutting edge technology, the Glass Bottom Boat experience brings guests into the ocean without getting their feet wet.
The room has a 3m-diameter LED floor and 5 accompanying screens with directional speakers, that work together to give a coordinated audio-visual experience unlike any other.
The SHELL brings play and learning together in its interactive room with plenty of virtual and augmented reality to get guests hands on with learning and loving the ocean.
Pictured here is the Animated Sandbox, that alters projections based on the height of sand, changing the landscape from islands to oceans.
On the TVs is the Draw Alive exhibit, where guests, especially the little VIPs, can color in their favorite animal and watch it come alive.
The SHELL isn’t just for guests. This year, it brought one class from each high school of Laamu atoll for a day of education as part of its Hello Hallu school education program.
Pictured here is Inaan, the Olive Ridley Project’s Gaadhoo Beach Guardian, explaining some of his research while inside the SHELL’s laboratory.
