Mark World Oceans Day by recognising the ocean-side resorts conserving the world’s coral.

Half Moon Bay Antigua

A collection of residences and the 47-suite Rosewood resort make up this 132-acre community on a crescent bay of Antigua. To protect the natural environment it lies within, the enclave is establishing projects to preserve and regenerate the surrounding environment, from restoring the soil on land to rebuilding the coral reef offshore. Through its environmental stewardship, Half Moon Bay is endeavoring to bring the reefs to optimum health while involving guests of the resort in the journey.

Conrad Bora Bora Nui, French Polynesia

Set within a private cove of Motu To’opua island, Conrad Bora Bora Nui lies along Bora Bora’s longest stretch of white sand, with enviable access to the mesmerising reefs offshore. To protect the marine environment it benefits from, the resort has developed 17 different underwater coral structures close to the property using a Biorock technique developed by the marine biologist Dennis Schneider. By using Electrolyte Mineral Accretion technology to pass a low-voltage current through electrodes in the water, the resort increases coral resistance and boosts regrowth and natural repopulation. This year, the resort launched a program making it possible for guests to be a part of this work while learning about the importance of coral restoration.

InterContinental Hayman Island Resort, Australia

This private island on the Great Barrier Reef reopens as the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort on the 1st July. Even before welcoming guests back in, the resort has pledged its dedication to protecting the surrounding environment and helping conserve the reef. When it reopens, each guest will be supplied with reef-safe sunscreen by We Are Feel Good Inc. and given insight into the resort’s sustainability efforts. A ban on single-use plastic, on-site glass-to-sand recycling and a water reuse and recycle irrigation system all add to the sustainability efforts, making this new era for the island one that benefits the environment it’s in.

Anse Chastanet, St Lucia

As well as encompassing 600 acres of its own land, Anse Chastanet overlooks two bays that are a part of a designated marine reserve protecting miles of coral reef teeming with tropical fish. To play a part in the protection of this marine environment, the estate is helping preserve the reef’s coral spawning phenomenon in which the coral releases cells that appear as underwater pink and white clouds drifting to the surface for fertilisation. For this process to happen, the conditions need to be just right, so Anse Chastanet ensures the reef’s protection, preventing damage from human interaction and controlling the numbers of lionfish, which are known to damage the coral and disrupt the local ecosystem, through a new diving and dining package.

Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi

Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi is the only resort on the Shaviyani Atoll. This means it’s also the only resort to benefit from being by the largest resort lagoon in the Maldives - an area that's frequented by manta rays, turtles and large pods of bottlenose and spinner dolphins. To protect this marine environment, the resort had launched a coral regeneration project. A semi-submerged cube with underwater sculptures by artist Jason deCaires Taylor has been planted with endemic coral to encourage the settlement of underwater life. This will eventually become a flourishing underwater garden and habitat for hundreds of species of tropical fish. Guests can snorkel through this unique space and even plant their own coral.

Nanuku, Auberge Resorts Collection, Fiji

This resort on the island of Viti Levu takes pride in its commitment to sustainability, with the Planet Auberge initiative encompassing two weekly environmental programs you can take part in. One of Nanuku’s programs focuses on coral and mangrove planting. The coral reef conservation project enables you to join the resident scientist in regenerating the house reef. As well as helping to plant coral, you’ll gain insight into the essential role coral plays in the environment and tag your own coral garden to track its progress on return trips.