Soneva Fushi’s Marine Biologist
Eline joined Soneva in late 2017, and since then she has been teaching guests, Hosts, and the community at large how they can live more sustainably and take better care of our oceans. Her ultimate goal is for anyone that crosses her path to become an ocean steward. She monitors the marine life around the island, and offers guided snorkelling trips.
My typical day looks something like this:
05:50 – Wake up
My days have started this early for about two months now. The reason? Bootcamp. At the crack of dawn, we gather on the old helipad to sweat our way into a fresh new day. My goal: to fit into some shorts that I came to Soneva with (let’s just say the food is pretty great), and to build strength for the upcoming surf season. It’s been quite easy to settle into a nice routine on the island, since there are very few distractions: no shopping, no night life (no disrespect to our fantastic Host bar), and no tiresome commutes. Island life couldn’t be more of a contrast to city living.
08:00 – Mii-chi meditation
We’re incredibly fortunate at Soneva Fushi to have access to incredibly interesting workshops and sessions with visiting practitioners. Recently, we were introduced to the holistic art of self-healing called mii-chi, developed by Simon George. It only takes 10-15 minutes each day, and I’ve already noticed that it has helped me balance my energy levels.
08:30 – Morning briefing
After our morning briefing, where we go through the list of arriving and departing guests, as well as any announcements. We usually find some time for a quick breakfast and a catch up with colleagues-cum-friends. Once I get some administration and emails out of the way, I start preparing for my first guided snorkelling tour of the day!
10:30 – Guided snorkelling
By this time, the island starts heating up quite nicely, and I look forward to getting in the water with a family or two in tow. My goal is for everyone who joins me in the water to learn a little bit more about our precious ocean environment, and to better learn how to protect it. We discuss the effects of sunscreen on coral as well as what we can do to help increase the survival chance of sea turtles. On good days we can sometimes spot more than five turtles on one reef, and even a shark or two.
13:00 – Lunch
I keep my lunches light, because I’m usually in the water again in the afternoon.
14:30 – Water bound part II
In the event that I don’t have a snorkel trip, which has been unusual lately, I spend the afternoon doing conservation or monitoring work. If I’m not in the water, I try to use this time to develop new presentations, workshops and anything else that is related to education.
19:00 – Marine talk
Once a week, I give a lecture on a topic related to marine science. I love teaching, it’s one of my favourite things to do, as it allows me to dive deep (excuse the pun) on topics I find fascinating, such as the geological formation of the Maldives. It has more to do with marine biology than you may think! Usually we end the lecture with very interesting questions from the audience and discussions about ocean conservation and sustainability.
When I don’t have any work planned for the evening, I make time for my yoga practice. Like I said, it is an easy choice when I don’t have a busy commute taking up loads of my time!