by Brian Major
Last updated: 11:35 AM ET, Thu June 5, 2025
Sandals Resorts and its philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, have announced an expansion of the
company’s coral restoration efforts across the Caribbean, with new programs in
The Bahamas and Curaçao.
Guests at Sandals Royal Bahamian can enroll in the new Reef
Rescue Diver Specialty Course offered in partnership with the Perry Institute
for Marine Science to learn the
skills necessary for coral gardening.
The course covers coral reef ecosystems, the threats they
face, and the role of coral nurseries in reef restoration. Practical training
includes two open-water dives, during which participants help maintain coral
nurseries, propagate coral, and outplant reef-ready corals.
A shortened, single-dive Reef Rescue Experience is also
available, offering one open-water dive at the coral nursery.
In Curaçao, a new coral nursery developed with the BRANCH
Coral Foundation and supported by Sandals Royal Curaçao was established this
year, featuring five coral trees and 400 fragments of Staghorn coral.
Monthly maintenance is conducted by BRANCH (which stands
for Building Reefs and Nurseries for Coral Habitats) and the Sandals Royal
Curaçao watersports team to ensure coral health and growth.
The coral nursery will open to Sandals Royal Curaçao
guests in 2026 and offer the PADI BRANCH Coral Restoration Course,
designed to teach divers how to propagate and outplant corals, helping to
sustain the reefs and ecosystems surrounding the island.
“The ocean is not only a source of awe, but also vital to
the Caribbean’s way of life,” said Heidi Clarke, executive director of the
Sandals Foundation. “Protecting these fragile underwater ecosystems is a
year-round passion for us. Through our ever-expanding programs, we're inviting
guests to experience the wonder beneath the waves and take part in hands-on
marine conservation efforts that make a real, lasting impact," said
Clarke.
Guests of all Sandals Resorts in Saint Lucia can
participate in the Coral Nursery Transplanting Specialty Course. Launched in 2018 with an average of 2,000 coral fragments planted annually, the
course includes a coral reef briefing, two coral transplanting dives at a
nursery site near the iconic Pitons, and a specialty certification.
In Jamaica, the Sandals Foundation manages marine
sanctuaries in the Whitehouse and Boscobel communities that are patrolled by
local wardens. Additional efforts include turtle conservation and public
education with hosted workshops promoting sustainable practices among fishermen.
The Sandals Foundation also supports the Grenada Coral
Reef Foundation in a community-led reef restoration complemented by
youth scuba programs and public education initiatives.
The Sandals Foundation is also expanding its conservation
merchandise offerings at resort dive shops, including reef-safe sunscreen, with
a portion of all sales directed to ocean conservation projects.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
