Landaa Giraavaru

Landaa Giraavaru, often called Landaagiraavaru is an island in the Baa Atoll in the Maldives (UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve). Sheltering a luxury Four Seasons resort since 2006, it is one of the many island resorts of the Maldives.

Geography

Landaa Giraavaru seen from the north-east.

Localization

Landaa Giraavaru is one of the Maldive Islands, located in the northeast of Baa Atoll. Surrounded by a white sand beach and a wide coral reef, its waters are quiet and shallow, and shelter an important biodiversity.

The closest inhabited islands are Kamadhoo in the southeast and Kudarikilu in the northwest, but there are also numerous desert islands around, such as Thiladhoo, Milhaidhoo or Madhirivaadhoo in the south, which offer as many diving sites with a spectacular biodiversity.

Relief and morphology

Landaa Giraavaru is approximately 600 meters in length from east to west, and 200 meters at its maximum width ; its maximum height does not exceed 2 meters. It mostly consists of sand, which makes it a motu. The beaches that surround the island are protected by a coral reef that stretches westward, in a relatively long and little wave-cut platform made of sand and coral rubble.

Flora and fauna

Terrestrial biodiversity

The island of Landaa Giraavaru is covered with dense tropical vegetation, including in particular takamakas, coconut palm trees and screwpines. This vegetation shelters many animal species such as geckos, frigate birds, crabs, hermit crabs, dragon lizards, butterflies and dragonflies. It is also inhabited by a big ground bird, the white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus), as well as by numerous giant Indian flying foxes (Pteropus giganteus). All these animals are perfectly harmless.

Marine biodiversity

A typical underwater landscape of Baa atoll close to Landaa Giraavaru, with a hawksbill turtle and a Maldivian clownfish in its anemone.

The island is located inside the "Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere reserve" designated by the UNESCO in 2011.^[1] Its shallow waters, particularly rich in coral, fish and an important population of whale sharks and manta rays have gained the atoll a reputation for exceptional diving.^[1] The ecosystem is characterized by a very high cover rate coral, very diverse and dominated by several species of tabular, branching or digitate corals of the genus Acropora. In addition to a high number of pelagics, the surrounding waters shelter many large marine animals such as sea turtles, dolphins, moray eels, tuna and groupers. This atoll is also famous for welcoming important populations of spectacular big animals such as whale sharks and Manta rays.^[2]

The resort shelters its own "Marine Discovery Centre" welcoming several full-time biologists, scientific divers and researchers, managed by local environmental organization Seamarc/Marine savers.^[3] Particular projects of focus include the care and rehabilitation of wounded animals (turtles, cetaceans^[4]), surveys of the local macrofauna (turtles, rays, whale sharks^[2]) and set up an ambitious program of reimplantation of coral in damaged areas (known onsite as Reefscapers).^[5] The MDC also provides popularization course and conferences about marine life, aimed at resort guests, local islanders and marine biology apprentices.^[6]

History

Probably discovered during the Prehistory at the same time as the other islands of the Maldives, Landaa Giraavaru may have been inhabited in an intermittent way because of the low availability in fresh water, even if remains of sedentary occupation were found in the northeast of the island. This population probably migrated to the close island of Kamadhoo at the beginning of the 20th century to settle the present village there. Before the opening of the hotel, the island was only punctually inhabited by one Maldivian, who exploited the coconut and certain products of the sea thanks to a regular supply from Kudarikilu there. Recruited by the resort when it opened, the man died in 2007 and left his name to the restaurant of the employees, Café Umarbe.^[7]

In November 2006, the island became home to the second Maldivian Resort of the luxury hotel management company Four Seasons,^[8] and now employs approximately 500 workers and covers the entire 178062 m² of the island, although a wide part still remains covered by a dense and semi-wild tropical vegetation.

Tourism

Part of the pile dwellings of the spa.

The presence of the luxury resort Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru makes this site one of the numerous island resorts of the Maldive, and it consists of 103 villas on the shore of the beach on stilts over the lagoon, 8 restaurants and bars, a 3-acre Spa & Ayurvedic Retreat, a PADI 5-Star IDC Dive Centre, a Marine Discovery Centre, and many leisure and entertainment facilities, as well as a fleet of boats.^[8]

The access to the island from Malé and its international airport distant from about 130 kilometres is via a 35-minute seaplane flight, operated by Trans Maldivian Airways, from a seaplane platform in the Resort’s lagoon.

External links

• The official webpage of the 4 Seasons at Landaagiraavaru
• The official webpage of the Marine Savers

References

Coordinates: 5°17′12″N 73°06′43″E / 05.2866°N 73.1120°E / 05.2866; 73.1120