Diving in the Maldives
Somewhere in the late 20th century, travellers infatuated with subaquatic explorations discovered the unforgettable world of the Maldives Islands. Soon after this discovery, diving in the Maldives became available for nearly each and every tourist. It is not surprising, for the place presents perfect conditions for scuba divers of all levels: for professional divers as well as for amateurs and first-timers. Dive-centres are situated all over the Islands. These centres provide the widest range of their services for those people who have come here to dive. The services are easily accessible for enthusiasts who have never done that before as well as for professional scuba divers who have been around for a while. Even the most inexperienced amateurs have the possibility to plunge into the water in places with soft corals, magnificent slopes and numerous gorgeous exotic fishes. Professional divers will have the chance to plunge at night and drift in the drowned flow. A great number of steep walls, caverns, grottoes and even sunk ships are at their disposal as well. Actually, you can dive in the Maldives anywhere: in the lagoon right near the resort or on the distant reefs. Experienced instructors and coaches will gladly help you to think of some exceptionally interesting scenario and itinerary for your diving in reef grottoes, visiting ancient sunk ships, swimming with stream or midnight plunging.
The Maldives Islands amount 26 atolls consisting of a great number of small coral islands. Every atoll is a link of one big chain that surrounds an enormous lagoon 40-90 metres deep. Still waters in the lagoon create excellent conditions for the formation of branching hermatypes that house about 900 species of tropical fishes.
There are channels that cut outer reefs and straits behind the lagoons that in their turn separate atolls. The current in both the channels and the straits is rather strong. Actually, it is the current that ensures such a magnificent wealth of the sea flora and fauna. Steep slopes with juts play the role of a shelter for fish, crabs and lobsters. The channels provide wonderful places for drifting. The depth of the channels is over 200 metres. The straits can be shallow as well as very deep.
Outside the atolls, the water is rather clear. Under such conditions, the sea life on the Maldives Islands is immensely diverse and colourful. In some of the reefs, in the West of the Male atolls you can see starfish that unfortunately cause quite great losses to corals.
Each island is surrounded by the so-called home reef that offers wonderful opportunities for Maldives diving. The visibility under the water in the lagoons near the island is usually very good (under 40 metres). Besides the islands, there are concentric underwater reefs inside the atoll. These concentric reefs outside the atolls are a bit longer and some of them are broken in the form of a horseshoe; but absolutely all of them grow from the very bottom of the atoll creating a lagoon inside the lagoon. The depth of such a lagoon usually reaches some 6 metres.
The places called Kandu Olhi by the natives may be of special interest to tourists. These are clefts that form tunnels between the ocean and the reef. The current and the diversity of food in these clefts provoke intensive growth of the corals and attract big fish here. Diving in this area will be the best during the high tides using the movement of the water. Sometimes you can see whale sharks and hammer-headed sharks there. Experienced instructors can sometimes feed these sharks, which is unadvisable for tourists, though. At the same time, the feeding of devilfish is quite safe and it has become a very popular and amusing entertainment on many islands.
The underwater world’s beauty of Maldivian coral reefs is striking and amazing. There are an enormous number of tropical reef fish in this region. Among them are angelfish, emperorfish, surgeonfish, guban gobys, butterfly fish, anemonefish, lionfish, etc. Here you can also see huge moray eels and marine turtles. However, the brightest and the most unforgettable memories divers can take away with them are those of meeting such Maldivian water inhabitants as tunny fish and barracudas, huge napoleons, reef and whale sharks as well as devilfish.
Among the sunken ships, the most famous one is the Maldives Victory that struck the reefs not far away from the country’s capital – Male. Another popular object is a small dry cargo ship lying near the Alif Alif Atoll. There are a lot of marbled electric rays around it. They are lying on the sand and are waiting for experienced instructors to feed them.
People who do not like to stay on-site and are willing to look for some new adventures all the time will have a perfect opportunity to set out on a safari-catamaran and to take a diving safari-tour. Every day you will have the chance to plunge into absolutely various atolls and visit a great deal of interesting places. You can also visit desert islands where you can have a barbecue party and taste some fish that you personally have caught.
As you can see, tastes of the most sophisticated tourists can be easily satisfied in this paradise corner. You will not be able to resist the temptation of trying something new and exciting even if you consider yourself to be a bad swimmer and tend to be afraid of the depth. The instructors will do everything possible to make you feel safe and comfortable and the immense beauty of the sites will leave no place for doubts. In any case, new fascinating impressions and experiences will make you want more. And your diving Maldives holiday in Maldives will become the most splendid and unforgettable moment of your life.