Fiji Wants to Help You Celebrate Earth Day by Adopting a Shark, Learning about Turtles, and Becoming a 'Marine Biologist' (Video)

This year’s Earth Day celebration somehow feels a bit more impactful. With the spread of the coronavirus, our relationship with one another, nature, and the global community just seems to carry a bit more weight. Though we can’t exactly hit the streets this year to show our love for Mother Earth we can do it virtually. And the Fijian Islands are here to help us do just that.

“A destination known for its awe-inspiring nature and scenery including vibrant coral reefs, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and lush rainforests, Fiji keeps sustainability top of mind at all times and works incredibly hard to maintain its pristine conditions for locals and travelers,” Tourism Fiji shared in a statement. “Even though we may not be able to celebrate outdoors this year, Fiji’s resorts and partners have developed unique and fun ways for travelers to celebrate virtually.”

Ready to dive into the crystal blue waters off the coast and the lush green landscapes on the islands? Here are five Fijian Earth Day activities you can do right from home.

Get ‘Sea Turtle Ecology’ certified

Volivoli Beach Resort wants to help everyone get a bit closer to nature with its digital Sea Turtle Ecology course. The certification course is designed for kids and kids at heart to learn about the different types of sea turtles. In the course, you’ll learn how to identify each species, how far they date back (some over 100 million years), their mating and breeding patterns, swimming and migrating patterns, and much more.

Adopt a manta

Kokomo Private Island is offering virtual guests the unprecedented chance to adopt a manta ray through the Manta Trust. The initiative helps to protect manta rays in the waters surrounding the private island resort so the species can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Tune in for turtle time

Turtle Island Resort has created “Turtle Talks,” a series of global conversations to “accelerate positive change in the world.” The series, consisting of 12 episodes, “imagines a clean energy future — a world in which our power is harvested from renewable sources of energy, a world in which pollution and its health effects are eliminated, and a world in which humans live in balance on the planet.” An absolutely binge-worthy series to say the least.

Adopt a shark

Attention marine lovers: Beqa Adventure Divers is giving everyone the chance to adopt a Fiji shark. Yes, it will come with a name, personality, as well as its tracking history so you can see where it’s been and where it may return. ‘My Fiji Shark’ is an initiative in conjunction with the United Nations Development Program to offer a “shark adoption that raises funds to support conservation efforts and ongoing research.”

Become a marine biologist at home

“‘At Home with Six Senses” is bringing its A-game when it comes to at-home Earth Day activities. Six Senses Fiji, along with the other hotels around the globe, is offering a range of virtual tutorials like “Live Naturally,” which includes virtual eco-friendly activities inspired by its on-site Earth Labs. This includes a Junior Marine Biology Course led by Six Senses Laamu’s team of on-property marine biologists. The interactive course includes the works, like at-home worksheets, assignments, coloring projects, and more.