Warren Baverstock is the Red Sea Development Company’s senior director of marine life development. He works in aquarium management, aquarium project design and installation, marine conservation, research and education, aquarium construction, marine animal rehabilitation and sea turtle and whale shark tagging.
Before his current role, Baverstock was director of marine life assets and operations at Amaala in Saudi Arabia. Prior to that, he was director of aquarium operations and animal husbandry for Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts. He oversaw the Burj Al Arab hotel’s saltwater aquarium exhibits totalling 1.5 million litres in capacity.
The Burj Al Arab Aquarium has a strong focus on conservation and education and is responsible for the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project. More than 1,000 sea turtles have been rehabilitated and released back into their natural environment. “Within Burj Al Arab we have the rehabilitation facility, we have experts in marine biology and the whole project is funded by Jumeirah,” Baverstock told blooloop.
“Turtles come to us, we rehabilitate them and once satisfied they are at a stage where they can self forage and survive outdoors, we move them over to the Mina A’ Salam for the final stage in their recovery,” he added. Baverstock said the project “creates an amazing opportunity for our guests and visitors to encounter the turtles and learn about our conservation work”.
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has unveiled its designs of the world’s first immersive and experiential marine life centre at Amaala. It will be home to one of the world’s largest artificial reefs, as well as futuristic laboratory spaces, educational exhibitions, and augmented reality (AR) experiences. John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC, described it as a “first-of-its-kind facility that extends far beyond any existing marine life attraction”.
“More than just a window into the marine world, we’re creating an integrated experience that offers unique activities for our guests, with a collection of opportunities to explore and learn suited to all,” said Baverstock.