White sandy beaches, warm turquoise water, hot sunny days, and swaying palm trees are some of the things that come to mind when thinking of the Maldives. While this would be reason enough to visit this astounding tropical paradise, scuba divers are generally more motivated by what lies beneath the surface than what can be explored above it. However, this area is one of the few rare places where the incredible treasures on land are (almost) equal to those under the sea. The Maldives is a collection of over a thousand islands that lie scattered like pearls in the Indian Ocean and it boasts a marine environment with beauty that rivals the landscape. From big marine life like manta rays and whale sharks to crystal clear visibility, scuba diving in the Maldives is on the bucket list of almost every scuba diver. If it’s not on yours, here are 7 reasons why it should be: 1. Thriving marine environment The Maldives boasts the seventh largest coral reef ecosystem in the world as well as rich mangroves. It covers an area of 21 300km² and constitutes 3.14% of the world’s coral reefs. As such, conservation of these ecosystems is a top priority for the country and there are 42 marine areas that are protected by Maldivian law. Here you can see healthy reefs teeming with life as well as endangered species like green turtles and hawksbill turtles. 2. Manta ray cleaning stations Manta rays are so prolific in this biodiversity haven that you are almost guaranteed to see at least one of these gentle giants. Cleaning stations are sites in the ocean where bigger fish like sharks and mantas go to get their skin, teeth, and gills cleaned by cleaner wrasse, parasitic copepods and other crustaceans. There are many of these
White sandy beaches, warm turquoise water, hot sunny days, and swaying palm trees are some of the things that come to mind when thinking of the Maldives. While this would be reason enough to visit this astounding tropical paradise, scuba divers are generally more motivated by what lies beneath the surface than what can be
The Maldives. The name of this country alone conjures up images that make most dive enthusiasts float away on a SCUBA daydream. These isolated atolls in the middle of the immense Indian Ocean have sat firmly among the top five tropical dive locations worldwide for decades. This is the place to go for big and plentiful marine life and a top-side view of picture-perfect deserted islands, their white sandy knolls rising only a meter or two from the lapping waves, dotted with swaying palm trees. Within the Maldives, the Central Atolls preside over the country’s dive scene. This area’s underwater treasures were the first-discovered and remain some of the best-loved. You can find everything here- whale sharks, reef sharks, mantas, coral, swarms of fish, and macro-critters- and it’s all within spitting distance of the international airport on Male. There’s hardly anywhere else in the world where you can step off your plane and plunge into world-class diving so easily. Where to go North Male Atoll: North Male diving goes back to the beginnings of the Maldives dive scene, but its dive sites are well-preserved. Coral cover here is better than South Male and Ari. Perhaps its most famous dive site is Manta Point, a cleaning station for the winged giants that receives so many visits you might actually lose count! Manta-viewing opportunities like this owe their thanks to the tiny blue cleaner wrasse, a roughly 10 centimeters long fish which eats parasites living on mantas’ skin and in their mouths, a service so beneficial to the mantas’ health that they virtually wait in line to get it. For coral in North Male, Banana Reef is a long-time favorite, which thickets of healthy branching coral. Other great dive sites include the pinnacle Girifushi Thila and the Victory Wreck, a shipwreck which has grown
The Maldives. The name of this country alone conjures up images that make most dive enthusiasts float away on a SCUBA daydream. These isolated atolls in the middle of the immense Indian Ocean have sat firmly among the top five tropical dive locations worldwide for decades. This is the place to go for big and
