Sustainability at Six Senses Laamu
Surrounded by six Marine Protected Areas, Six Senses Laamu lies within Mission Blue’s only atoll-designated Hope Spot in the Maldives. At SHELL, explore marine research and conservation led by the Maldives Underwater Initiative or join a guided snorkel tour. At Earth Lab, try your hand at crafts upcycled from resort leftovers, learn about our bottling plant, energy systems, sustainability initiatives and GSTC certification on a sustainability tour, and connect with Maldivian culture on a local island excursion.
Environmental Responsibility
The award-winning Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI) brings together the resort marine biologists and three Charity partners — the Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation and Olive Ridley Project — to advance marine research, guest education and community engagement in Laamu. At the heart of this work is the Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL), a dedicated center to offering immersive conservation experiences for guests, visitors and the local community.
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Coral Reefs
To promote coral reef health and understanding in the Maldives, we monitor our reef through scientific surveys submitted to national databases and support restoration through coral larval propagation and fragmentation in collaboration with local and international partners. At SHELL, our coral facilities accommodate up to 10,000 coral babies. In 2025, our restoration project released an estimated 1,048,000 larvae onto our house reef.
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Seagrass
Seagrass is both beautiful and a vital habitat, providing a safe haven for countless marine species. As of 2025, approximately 385,000 square meters (equivalent to 54 soccer fields) of seagrass meadows surround the resort, all protected under our no-removal policy. Through ongoing monitoring and research, these meadows are estimated to store 6,396 metric tons of carbon. Since we began protecting our seagrass habitats in 2019, our preliminary findings from 2025 indicate that megafauna sightings in these areas have doubled.
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Manta Rays
The Manta Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving mobulid rays and their habitats through research, education and collaboration. Since 2014, we have partnered with the trust to study the local manta ray population and raise awareness with guests and the local community about their importance and vulnerability. Just a 10-minute boat ride away, 20 meters below the surface, Hithadhoo Corner is a popular gathering spot for resident reef manta rays, where we conduct research using photo-identification and contactless ultrasound scanners.
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Sea Turtles
The Olive Ridley Project protects sea turtles and the waters they call home through rescue, rehabilitation, research and education. Since 2018, its work in Laamu has combined photo-ID studies of local turtle populations, nest monitoring at Six Senses Laamu and neighboring islands, and data collection on ghost nets adrift in and around the atoll. Together with local organizations and stakeholders, we have also helped develop a community-based sea turtle conservation project in Laamu.
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Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL)
Home to MUI, the Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL) is an immersive space where education meets conservation. Explore exhibitions, a laboratory, cinema room and kids' zone featuring VR, AR and conservation art. Discover local marine life and meet the resident marine biologist. The Glass Bottom Boat gallery features a high-resolution LED floor and five viewing booths displaying underwater scenes of Laamu atoll. SHELL welcomes resort guests and school groups from our neighboring islands.
Social Responsibility
Our work in Laamu responds to the needs of the local community, spanning plastic-reduction initiatives, marine research with partners, and support for fishers and food production. We run Hello Hallu, an environmental education program, and fund community-led projects through the Regenerative Impact Fund. Through Eku Eky, we connect leaders from Laamu's 11 inhabited islands, offering grants, project planning and proposal-writing support to help local ideas flourish.
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Sustainable Fisheries
Through Fish for Tomorrow, delivered with our partner NGO Blue Marine Foundation and its affiliate project Maldives Resilient Reefs, fishers follow guidelines based on Maldivian fishing law and additional criteria. These include restrictions on species, fishing methods, locations, and the harvesting of juveniles, helping to build a local supply chain that places fishers at the heart of reef fish conservation.
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Hello Hallu Education Program
Hello Hallu, meaning ‘Hello Solution’ in Dhivehi, educates students about the environmental issues in their communities and inspires them to develop solutions. Since launching in 2016, the program has reached over 1,300 students in Laamu. In 2024, 180 students took part in hands on lessons at SHELL. The program also supports Laamafaru Festival, Laamu’s annual reef festival, bringing each island community together to celebrate the Maldives’ marine ecosystems. In 2026, approximately 350 children attended the festival.
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Eku Eky Community Development
Established in 2016, Eku Eky brings together community leaders from all 11 inhabited islands of Laamu Atoll, representing an estimated 13,000 residents. The program engages local island councils, schools and police to lead community development initiatives addressing the atoll's social and environmental challenges. Through funding from the resort's Regenerative Impact Fund, plus support with grant writing, project design and management, Eku Eky helps turn locally driven ideas into community action.
