Luxury Resort Restores Mangrove Habitats

Did you know that there is a luxury oceanside resort in the Florida Keys that is taking the well-being of the surrounding environment into its own hands.

Isla Bella Beach Resort in Marathon, FL, has partnered with the Conch Republic Marine Army (CRMA), a local volunteer group founded in response to Hurricane Irma in 2017, to dedicate its resources to the cleanup and restoration of the mangrove habitats of the Florida Keys. For the past seven years, CRMA has conducted weekly volunteer boating trips, bringing back thousands of pounds of debris in a single trip.

Inspired by their efforts and goals to establish more nurseries for mangrove restoration, Isla Bella is joining the charge by donating substantial funds to the group to purchase a K3 Henriksen 33’ boat worth $85,000, significantly enhancing CRMA’s ability to take more people on these trips. This mission-driven boat will live in the marina at Isla Bella, offering resort guests the opportunity to take part in CRMA’s incredible initiative free of charge.

Participating guests can experience:

• A tour of the mangrove ecosystems
• An education lesson about the Keys and its marine life
• The opportunity to remove ocean debris along the way, followed by a final weight count and documentation after each trip.

Currently, CRMA attracts 300-400 volunteers a year, and with Isla Bella’s help, the number of volunteers is expected to grow to ~1,000 – an over 200% increase.

Isla Bella is changing the future of the local Keys ecosystem, allowing travelers to leave the destination in better condition than how they found it.