In celebration of World Ocean Month, Sandals Resorts and its philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, have unveiled an expansion of the all-inclusive resort company’s coral restoration efforts across the Caribbean, with new experiences in the Bahamas and Curaçao. These programs join existing conservation efforts in Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Grenada, inviting guests to participate in the brand’s marine conservation efforts.
“This month we also celebrate World Oceans Day and the United Nations’ theme, ‘Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,’ beautifully reflects our mission,” said Heidi Clarke, executive director of the Sandals Foundation, which has outplanted over 37,000 coral fragments in partnership with regional marine science partners.
This year, Sandals is expanding its add-on coral restoration experiences, with proceeds reinvested directly into ongoing conservation efforts. Guests at Sandals Resorts enjoy access to the Caribbean’s most comprehensive scuba-diving program, welcoming divers of all skill levels. On-site PADI dive centers offer daily all-inclusive diving for certified divers, along with optional experiences such as coral restoration dives at select resorts. New offerings include:
- Reef Rescue at Sandals Royal Bahamian – In partnership with the Perry Institute for Marine Science “Reef Rescue Network,” guests at Sandals Royal Bahamian can now learn the skills necessary for coral gardening by enrolling in the new Reef Rescue Diver Specialty Course. Offering both a theory component via the “Reef Rescue Diver Ebook” and in-water coral nursery dives, 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.
- Coral Restoration at Sandals Royal Curaçao – 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 nursery will open to Sandals Royal Curaçao guests in 2026 and will offer the PADI BRANCH Coral Restoration Course, which will teach divers how to propagate and outplant corals, helping to sustain the reefs and ecosystems surrounding the island.
(Sandals Regency La Toc)
Guests of all Sandals Resorts in Saint Lucia including Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Regency La Toc and Sandals Halcyon Beach, can participate in the Coral Nursery Transplanting Specialty Course. Launched in 2018 with an average of 2,000 coral fragments planted annually, this course was developed with CLEAR Caribbean and includes a coral reef briefing, two coral transplanting dives at a nursery site near the Pitons and a specialty certification. Additionally, a partnership with the national training institute has transformed the course into a Caribbean Vocational Qualification, empowering locals to lead marine conservation efforts.
In Jamaica, the Sandals Foundation manages two marine sanctuaries in Whitehouse and Boscobel that are patrolled by local wardens. Additional efforts include turtle conservation and public education with hosted workshops that promote sustainable practices among fishermen, while in Negril, funding has been provided to maintain 60 more coral trees.
The Sandals Foundation also supports the Grenada Coral Reef Foundation in a community-led reef restoration through Biorock structures and coral trees—complemented by youth scuba programs and public education initiatives.
This year marks the third anniversary of Future Goals, a sustainability initiative that transforms plastic waste found in oceans into soccer goals for local schools in Curaçao. To date, over 1.4 million plastic bottles and 3,035 square feet of fishing nets have been repurposed into more than five dozen soccer goals. This year, the program commemorates World Oceans Day with an island-wide clean-up challenge with participating schools.
Across the Caribbean, the Sandals Foundation is expanding its conservation merchandise offerings at resort dive shops, including reef-safe sunscreen, 4Ocean bracelets and exclusive Sandals Foundation rash guards, with a portion of all sales directed to ocean conservation projects.
For more information, visit www.sandals.com.
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