British artists ‘olly and suzi’ highlight the plight of the manta ray and whale sharks
2012 exhibition will raise money for Blue Marine Foundation
April 2011, Soneva Fushi, Maldives...
We all love the manta ray. This beautiful creature, so graceful and peaceful in its natural habitat, is one of the great sights of our oceans. But the manta ray is one of a number of species, sharks included, threatened by fishing. If we are to save these remarkable animals from extinction we need to highlight their plight.
Collaborative artists
British artists ‘olly and suzi’ hope to do exactly that. Since 1993 they have taken part in more than 50 expeditions to remote regions of the earth to paint predators and their prey at close proximity, before exhibiting their collaborative work in galleries such as the Simon Dickinson gallery in New York, and the Natural History Museum in London.
The Maldives – home to the endangered manta ray and whale sharks
The manta ray and sharks are their next subject and where better to observe them than the Maldives where the government, acknowledging the economical importance of manta rays and sharks in attracting visitors – estimated at eight million dollars a year – is taking major steps to protect and preserve numbers. And where better to study than Soneva Fushi, the island resort that is leading the way in eco tourism.
For the first time since 2007, juvenile black reef tip sharks are being found in abundance in our house reef and in May, a mature white tip reef shark was spotted at what used to be a shark nursery, but one that has been empty for years. They are likely signs that the shark fishing ban could well be working. The next step is to work with the government on a standardised monitoring programme,” said Kate Wilson, Soneva Fushi’s marine biologist.
Olly and Suzi will be at Soneva Fushi from 1st to 19th July 2011, working closely with the resort's full time marine biologist Kate Wilson.
A rare opportunity
The artists are relishing the opportunity:
"We first worked underwater with whale sharks in 2000 in the northern Galapagos. The sight of these gentle, silent and majestic giants has stayed with us both ever since – a highlight in a life spent in search of great wild creatures both on land and under the sea.
“It is a dream to be able to return to seek out these giants and also to attempt to draw, paint and photographically document the beautiful and highly endangered manta rays, which will be a first for us both.
“By coming to dive and observe these two species underwater and close up in the Maldives we are keen to understand the threats and challenges facing these creatures and their fragile aquatic habitat. We hope to learn from the Six Senses’ team, the local community and resident conservationists/biologists about the challenges these two indicator species face.”
Eva and the sharks
The fact that the artists will also be studying and painting sharks is of particular interest to Eva Shivdasani, co-founder of Soneva Fushi. Eva, has tirelessly campaigned against the tragic loss of sharks due to the unjustifiable cruelty of shark fishing in which sharks are butchered simply for their fins – the shark fin is highly prized in China and some other Asian countries as a culinary delicacy.
Eva has been actively driving campaigns for many years to get as many restaurants around the world to stop serving shark or fin soup and together with NGO ‘Eco Care’ and the resort marine biologist, played a big part in getting the Maldivian governments both old and new to agree to ban shark fishing. The government has also recently banned the exportation of all shark related products. There are signs that these measures are already having a positive effect with more and more sightings of different species of plankton-eating sharks in local waters.
“The big fight now is to save the whale shark and mantas. Unfortunately shark fin soup has a horrible status in Asia, and it’s devastating for the shark population. Some sharks are on the brink of extinction, but we are seeing signs of hope with the younger generation in Asia. The government is now working on enforcing the law against the banned fishing practices. 15 years ago we also worked hard on a ban on catching turtles and these days when you go snorkelling in the Maldives, you see lots of turtles as they have come back. I am so happy that olly & suzi are helping us raise awareness for the plights of such beautiful creatures. The whale sharks and mantas in particular are so majestic.” Eva Shivdasani, Creative Director of Six Senses.
A delicate balance
Of course, the balance between loving a species and ‘loving it to death’ is a delicate one. One of the great dilemmas of conservations is that efforts to highlight the rarity and beauty of endangered wildlife naturally attract more observers to the habitat of those animals, with potentially devastating consequences. The Maldivian government and key players like Soneva Fushi recognise the challenge. Manta rays and sharks are good for the bank balance but control must be exercised to avoid exploitation.
Guest and community interaction
Education is the only answer. Visitors to the Maldives need to be encouraged to take group boat trips rather than individual trips and visit lesser-known dive sites. During their stay at Soneva Fushi Olly and Suzi will be talking to guests about their previous projects and will run a local community workshop for children to help inspire younger Maldivians to take care of the oceans around them. The children of guests will also be invited to join the workshop.
Helping local communities appreciate and fulfil their environmental resposibilities is a major tenet of the CSR policy of the Six Senses group of which Soneva Fushi is the flagship in terms of its commitment to be carbon zero by the end of 2012.
2012 exhibition to raise funds for Blue Marine Foundation
Olly and Suzi’s manta ray and shark art will be exhibited in 2012 and 30% of the sales will be given to Blue Marine Foundation, a new charity formed by a group of influential individuals, brands and organisations to protect the world's oceans through the establishment of a global network of marine reserves. Six Senses' Maldivian resorts – Soneva Fushi, Soneva Gili and recently launched Six Senses Laamu – are sponsoring the foundation for the next three years.
