Mieni Atoll was turning out to be a kind of waypoint for the United States, Central and South America, Asia, and Australia, and because of that, a lot of people were coming to Mieni to either enjoy vacation or seek employment/new beginnings.
Case in point was Luke Tomas. He was a California teen just out of business college, placed their against his will by his father, but what he really wanted to do was surf. But when an opportunity to open a surf and swimsuit shop popped up, he jumped at the opportunity. He now owned the surf/gift shop on Mieni Atoll, and could do surfing in his spare time, and he could finally get his dad off his back. He hadn't found anyone special yet, but he didn't mind so far.
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There were also many opportunities to find new candidates for uplifting. One such candidate was Krysta, who was a female Crystal-skinned frog, one of the new species found on Mieni Atoll. It was a little disconcerting to see through her skin and see her internal organs and muscles, especially the mammary tissue without the skin to hide anything. However, once you got past her appearance, it would turn out that she was rather likable. She mainly worked as a receptionist at the main office for the Cabana Hotel on the Main Islet.
Another animal that was uplifted as part of Animalia Aquatica was Adam, an offshoot of the tiger shark who was only 3/4ths of the size of a standard tiger shark, with phosphorescent mottled green skin. The decision was to classify his species as a "dwarf tiger shark", and uplift him for later comparison with a more standard tiger shark. While he spent most of his time in the water, he was able to use it as a kind of guide for the Luminous Reef.
Another new member of the Animalia Aquatica program was Sharon, who was a female spotted eagle ray. The main difference between her and other uplifted sharks and fish was the 'cloak' that spread from her wrists to just below her new rib cage. Her head bore some similarities to other fish Animalians, except that it was still somewhat pointy and streamlined. She was still getting used to the arms and legs, as well as how controllable her tail was now, but her remedial lessons were progressing well, as well as her training as an underwater tour guide.
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The oyster pearl beds were also shaping up to be quite popular. Pearls that were harvested there could either be sold for a bit of money, or put into a special gold necklace engraved with "Genuine Mieni Atoll Pearl" and a unique serial number, intended to counteract fraud. One pearl was found that was a deep shade of black and the size of a medium-size plum. Instead of selling it, it was put on display (along with the oyster shell it was found in) as the Mieni Black Wonder. When Guinness World Records heard about it, they sent one of their people to verify it, as did Ripley's Believe It or Not.
Mieni Atoll was also a great, undiscovered until now, surf spot. Many professional surfers, as well as people who wanted to learn to surf, came over to surf the waves. Many Animalians also wanted to learn to surf, but many of them were too big for standard surfboards. Fortunately, four people from Hawaii who had skill in hand-crafting surfboards, especially the kind known as longboards, decided to come to Mieni Atoll to set up shop, much to the relief of the Green Glacier Adventure Clan. The resulting business, called Kahuna Krafters, made hand-crafted and hand-painted surfboards for people and Animalians, with Animalians getting a 15% discount. It really was something to watch a Hawaiian use a paint spray gun to create realistic bamboo patterns, for example.
The main restaurant was Outback Steakhouse, but there wasn't a building, just a fenced off area with a sign at the entrance, a large number of tables, and a stage for performances. It was also the only business that didn't require shoes to get in (shirts and shorts were still required, for decency's sake). There were also many recipes and food, and in some cases exclusively from, both Australia and Hawaii, as well as the herbs and spices required to qualify as Hawaiian or Australian.
Animalians who lived exclusively on Mieni Atoll didn't mind doing photos with tourists, but the gift shop offered exclusive photo development, and custom frames for those photos. There was also a chance to have the Animalians who were in those photos, but that cost $5.
The nature trails on Mieni and Banmul Islets were more like jungle expeditions, including the use of machetes to keep the jungle trails clear. A new App, called Mieni Atoll Identification, was developed to take pictures of animals in the jungle, or in the coral reefs, and if an animal was found that wasn't in the database, it would send an alert to Horizon Labs that another new species was found.
The Pee Wee Adventure Leage was a great way to get children to play and learn. The Jungle Temple was both play place and museum with interactive exhibits explaining many cultural facets of Mesoamerican cultures that were sometimes found depicted in jungle ruins. There was also an obstacle course that functioned similar to the Jungle Temple from Raiders of the Lost Ark, except that the only dangers from the booby traps were wounds to the ego.
The creation of Animalia Resort and Nature Reserve was a great way to both generate revenue for Animalia, teach about nature and evolution, raise environmental awareness, and have fun at the same time. There were already plans in the works to create another Animalia colony in the Caribbean Sea/Gulf of Mexico, but that wasn't until later.