A resort in the Maldives has unveiled a series of new underwater sculptures, the country's first and only coral regeneration project incorporating an underwater art installation.
Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, located on the Shaviyani Atoll, is showcasing a collection of abstract sculptures by British environmentalist and eco-artist Jason deCaires Taylor. Rising from ten semi-submerged plinths within the Coralarium, the installation aims to raise awareness of the Maldives' threatened ecosystem, educate guests about the underwater world, and rehabilitate the reef.
Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi is located on the Shaviyani Atoll
The Coralarium structure, and the sculptures within, act as an artificial reef, encouraging local marine life to make it a home. Up to 5 meters tall, each one of the soaring sculptures is constructed of more than 500 ceramic ‘starfish’ that have been specifically designed to attract a variety of fish and crustaceans - the hard shells catch and hold biomass, or ‘fish food’, which encourage coral larvae to attach and thrive, while nooks and dark cubbyholes in the structures provide a hiding place for a variety of fish and shellfish.
The sculptures can be explored from a sea-scaped coral pathway that leads from the 200-meter infinity pool at the heart of the island, the longest in the Maldives. Diving and snorkelling sessions allow guests to explore the various 'zones' of the Coralarium from underwater.
Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi is home to an abundance of marine life, from manta rays and turtles to bottlenose dolphins and over 250 species of tropical fish.
