Diving in Maldives
Maldives is one of the great diving centers in the world with all the perfect ingredients.
Desert islands, Warm and Crystal Clear Waters, Thriving Coral Reefs and an Unlimited variety
of Marine Life. It's turquoise lagoons and magnificent coral drop-offs make it an ideal place
to begin to appreciate the beauties of this quiet and slow moving "inner universe". The most
striking impression is the sheer number and variety of fish, all with beautiful patterns and
marvelous colors.
There are well over a thousand species of fish, more than half of which are seen regularly on
the reefs. At first, the swirling confusion of fish is overwhelming, but with careful
observation you can begin to identify the different species, the groupers, fusiliers,
sweetlips, butterflyfish, angelfish, surgeonfish, parrotfish, and puffers. Then there are
the unforgettable encounters with sharks, mantarays and moray eels.
It takes longer to appreciate the different species of coral, but is equally worth the effort.
Maldives is one of the world's richest coral areas, comparable only with the Philippines and
Australia's Great Barrier Reef. There are more than 200 different species of hard coral alone,
but it is the shapes that they form which make them so amazing, caverns, fans, shafts, canyons
and boulders.
In the clear, sunlit water they form a kaleidoscope of color enhanced by myriad fish moving
in and out of the nooks and crannies of the reef. So beautiful is this underwater world that
at first it's difficult to know where to look. Many divers are inclined to drift or flip from
patch to patch on the reef, looking forever more breathtaking shapes and colors. If you want
to unravel the reef's secrets, however, you should remain in one place. Travelling fast over
the reef is like "flying over the Amazon forest instead of walking through it".
Return to Main Page