It is rightly said, " In Maldives even sharks are friendly! " Maldives enjoys the enviable reputation, as one of the best diving destinations in the world and it deserves nothing less. Many visit Maldives repeatedly for the sole purpose of diving. The hundreds of amazing dive sites, fascinating underwater world, perfect weather conditions and visibility will take your breath away. All resorts in this island nation have professional dive schools with multi-lingual instructors and conduct courses for beginners as well as the advanced.
The most amazing marine life can be found underwater where rainbow-hued tropical fish abound amongst the multi-coloured coral reefs along with crustaceans turtles shells and fantastic seaweed growths which combine to form a silent bewitching world. The number and the variety of fishes, coral reefs all reflecting the incomparable beauty of nature hiding under the crystal blue sea would be but an astonishing view for even the most experienced diver. Aside from multitudinous fish and corals, there's the thrill of diving with turtles, moray eels, manta rays, sharks and whales and exploring some of the Maldives accessible wrecks, including the Maldive Victory off Hulule Airport, believed by many enthusiasts to be one of the most exciting wreck dives in the world. And the best way to experience the breath-taking underwater world is to go diving. Once experienced you will be lured into going back again and again.
Maldives has one of the least unspoiled marine environments and the government tries its best to keep it that way. In the valleys, plateaus, plains and caves that form the natural landscaping of the coral gardens of the Maldivian atolls, the psychedelic colours captivate the visitor in this underwater environment. The visibility can reach as high as sixty metres, with the average being around thirty metres. Many resorts have excellent house reefs, which are just a short swim from the beach.
To experience the pleasures of diving you do not need a high degree of physical fitness. It is an activity you can continue to enjoy long after you have been forced to give up other sports. No wonder the French call it "the sport for grandparents"! In other words, guaranteed satisfaction with very little effort.
Night Diving
Diving in Maldivian waters at night with lights is unsurpassed. When the sun sets, corals open up and extend their flower-like tentacles, spiders and shrimps leave their tubular sponges to search for food and moray eels, along with the other nocturnal predators, prowl the deep, dark depths. But visibility, excellent by day, is reduced to the narrow tunnel of light from your torch and bumping into a shark hunting by moonlight may be unnerving.
Wilderness Diving
Because Maldives is so popular as a diving centre, there is no "Wilderness Diving" near the resort islands. As many as 1,000 people ten per cent of the tourist population dive each day and many sites, which are shared by several resorts which become over crowded. At Banana Reef in between Kurumba Village and Club Med; for example, up to sixty divers a day goes down. This means the thud of boats can sometimes be heard overhead and on some parts of the reef divers suddenly appear like a shoal of sharks. If a few stingrays are discovered lying in the sand of a little cave, over eager spectators jostle each other with cameras, disturbing the fish and damaging the coral.
It is particularly upsetting for the quiet diver who does not want to impress his friends with his feats but simply wishes to enjoy the privilege of underwater life. The best way to experience a "Wilderness Dive" is to hire a Yacht Dhoni and head off with an experienced skipper, "keyolhu" (as they call in dhivehi) to the outer atolls. There, off real desert islands, you will find coral reefs that have remained undisturbed for centuries.
