The sixth edition of the Annual Mana Returnee Reunion week, from the 4th of November for 7 days was a huge hit with about 60 guests from around the globe converged at the tropical paradise to celebrate the occasion.
Apart from the drinks and usual fanfare, a full environment day program was part of the menu on the 8th of November to mark the World Fisheries Day and to remember a staff who lost a long battle with cancer.
With partnership of the Mamanuca Environment Society, the program not only attracted the returnees but the in-house guests as well.
Under the command of MES’s Project Manager Marica Vakacola, the program began with an Environment presentation and display around the North Beach Bure with the assistance of the Kids Club members.
Coral planting was next on the agenda with the backing of the Marine Activities Staff who later transferred the coral tables to the North Reef Edge.
Fruiting Trees were also planted around the resort.
“The program ended in fareweling a three- year old Hawksbill turtle, Leba. The resort staff sang the famous Fijian goodbye song, Isa Lei, as they remembered their friend and colleague, Leba Dawai who died of cancer on September 21.
“A returnee guest, Mr Christopher Kearns carried Little Leba to the water edge to release Little Leba into her natural habitat. Little Leba was kept in the rescue pond for 3 years was well looked after by the Mana Marine Activities staff.”
Mrs Vakacola said the turtle was measured bimonthly and before its final journey home.
“We (Mamanuca Environment Society) tagged the turtle, did its final measurement before it was released. All these data is then entered into the Turtle Research and Monitory Database Tool (TRED) which is monitored by South Pacific Region Environment Programme (SPREP).There is now eleven, three months old hatchlings left in the pond, who were brought in by Namotu Island Resort along with four, one year old hatchling that had washed up on Mana beach,” she adds.
