MALDIVES
(4)If you have read the previous reports you will no doubt by now have realised
what a dream of a place the Maldives is for diving.
This was to be Martin and Caroles first visit to a place they had heard about so
many times and now they were to find out for themselves if it was true.
The time had finally
arrived. After hearing so much about the warm clear waters, the abundant
marine life and the total relaxation that is almost guaranteed in the
Maldives we were finally on our way.
A Maldivian resident.
The journey normally takes 12 hours or more from the U.K. but we were
fortunate enough to have spent the previous two weeks in Sri Lanka so although
we had not as long a journey ahead we did have a 1.00am start from our hotel in
Sri Lanka in order to catch a 7.00 am flight to the Maldives capital Male.
The flight from Colombo was only 1hour 5 minutes long and was on a very old Air
Lanka Tri-Star that had in all honesty seen better days, however the welcome you
get from the cabin crew more than made up for the odd bit of grime here and
there. The first sight anyone sees of the Maldives are the tiny atols whch make
up the republic. After circling the airport we finally touched down in Male and
walked across the tarmac in the sweltering sun into the cool air conditioned
arrivals hall.
Maybe i'm getting older or the staff are getting younger but it looked to me
that none of the airport staff were over 25. The entry formalities seem to take
an age especially when you are eager to get back into the sunshine. The
passports are scrutinised and bits of paper stamped, scrutinised again by a
second official and stamped again just in case.
The Maldives is strictly Muslim and alcohol is forbidden to be imported so after
the imigration procedures and bag collection, the luggage is Xrayed going out of
the terminal for bottles of illicit hooch. It does seem a little hypocritical as
alcohol is available in the tourist resorts at greatly inflated prices and is
available in the airport duty free shop so why the problem with bringing your
own if its not just to make more money out of tourists?
The warm air hits you again the second you leave the airport building as you
walk down a long alleyway lined with little booths associated with all the tour
operators. Its here where your resort rep meets you, collects your return
tickets and guides you to the boat or plane which is to take you to your chosen
island.
The brochure said that tranfers would be by local dhoni but our dhoni turned out
to be a luxury motor boat which made for a superb sail past some gorgeous
islands on a lovely flat calm turquoise sea. Once the main airport island dips
over the horizon behind you, you realise that you are miles from anywhere
although when you look on a map each island seems to be quite close by. Shortly
after you lose sight of one island another pops up on the horizon in front of
you and you realise the vast scale and areas these tiny islands cover.
Reethi Rah seems to be a
favourite of our club and we were by no means the first to have visited that
island. We finally arrived at approximately 11am local time and Checked into
room 41.
We left the unpacking for later and decided to explore our new home for the
next week. It is only a small place and we hoped that the wander round the
whole island was to be an omen of things to come when we saw 3 baby black
tip sharks, a puffer fish and 5 moray eels while paddling in the sea. All
this and we have not evening been diving yet.
41 Reethi Rah.
It was the weekly diving night tonight, which meant the staff in the dive
school on the island presented a slide show, and it was a great oportunity to
meet some of the other divers and have a preview of what we might see. After the
show we tucked into pizzas while the lads lit a bonfire on the beach. All around
the island other staff were starting to decorate trees with Christmas lights,
well it was the 16th of December and a party to beat all others was planned for
those lucky enough to be staying over the festive period.
That night we went to bed tired but excited about what we might see under the
waters of the Maldives tomorrow.
Thursday 17 December.
The next morning we did what is called a checkout dive just off the beach in
approx 2m of water with one of the dive centers instructors and a group of
trainees who were taking a course. All it consisted of was some basic skills
and was soon out of the way. Our first real dive in the Maldives was to be
at Reethi Faru reef a short ride away on the dive centers dhoni called
Dhuveli 1. Almost as soon as we entered the water we saw a turtle, several
eels and big shoal of blue trigger fish.
Dhuveli 1
Eager to see more, after we returned to our little island we snorkelled out
to a raft that had been moored over the reef in the lagoon from where you could
see lovely shoals of fish.
That night found us in the bar at about 7.30pm for the first beer of the day.
The food on the island is a mixture of all nationalities with lots of different
choices, veggie, beef, fish, chicken all buffet style some with lovely spices
and a full table of sweets to choose from. To round off the day it was so
relaxing just to sit out in the string chairs that are hung from the trees, with
a warm breeze blowing gently on your face, looking up at the stars and listening
to the silence except for the gentle lapping of the ocean.
Friday 18 December.
Breakfasts were always continental style but I am not so keen on that, and much
prefer something a little more substantial than a bit of bread and jam, so was
much relieved when our waiter explained that omelets were available. The morning
dives tended to be the most adventurous as they only took experienced divers.
The afternoon dives catered for those who had been training and so went to
suitable places for the less experienced. A German called Andreas dived with us
today as there were an odd number of us on the boat and as the most experienced
there it was felt we would manage the best as a threesome.
The diving this morning was to be at at Kuda Kandu reef. Like all the dives it
started with a briefing of the site outside the dive center after which the gear
was carried out along the jetty to the waiting boat. 3 Napoleon fish, stingray,
lobsters and black tipped shark seen, all in a morning’s dive.
Back home while we were waiting for that afternoons dive we put some chairs
on the beach and sat in the sun to write some postcards and our dive books, with
the Indian ocean lapping at our feet. Its hard work this diving lark!
The afternoon dive on Maskandu reef was to be somewhat different. Micael the
dive center manager was very good with his briefings and what ever he said was
well respected by everyone. On arrival at the dive sites one of the Instructors
usually jumped in first to check out the water visability and the current
strength and direction. This afternoon he put us in at the end of the reef, with
strict instructions to swim keeping the reef wall on our left. In we all went
and as we dropped down the wall face the current became stronger and stronger.
The current became so strong that eventually all we were doing was fighting the
current going nowhere and using our air.
After only 10 minutes or so all the diving pairs had surfaced and were picked up
by the boat and taken to the other end of the reef to do a drift, this time with
the current.
That evening
before diner, we tried to walk out on the sand to the edge of the reef, but it
took a long time even to go half way to a small sandbank we called 'Carole
island'. It was threatening to start raining anyway so we turned back and walked
around the whole island following the resident baby stingray as it finally
poured down.
Reethi beach.
Saturday 19th December.
Bodhu Hiti Thila was the site of this mornings immersion. As The Thilas are
usually in a channel the strong currents bring nutrients making them favourite
sites for a range of corals and fish.
The afternoon dive was on the Hemloadhu wreck. It lies in only 18m directly
off the beach of the neighbouring island. Our guide did not have much
information on it but did say that it was purposely sunk to provide a habitat
for fish and a focal point for divers. I know not when it was sunk but now it is
a superb wreck covered in Corals and home to thousands of glass fish. It lies at
the bottom of a steeply sloping reef which has the advantage of allowing a nice
steady ascent up the coral covered slope after doing the deepest part of the
dive on the wreck. Large blue clams are everywhere and this was to be one of the
best dives of the week.
That night a night fishing trip was organised by the resort. About 12 of us
went fishing that evening aboard the Madivaru 5. Everyone was issued with hand
lines wound round a bit of wood with a weight, hook and fish bait on the end. In
the end 4 caught something, the rest didn’t.
We were one of the rest!
Thankfully we came back just in time for a meal in the restaurant before it
closed while those lucky enough to have caught something had their catch
barbecued on the beach. The evening ended off rather nicely with us strolling
along the beach watching shooting stars in the sky.
Sunday 20th December.
Excellent morning dive on Kuda Faru. We had been briefed by the instructors what
to expect and boy were they right.
The boat dropped us upstream of the Thila allowing us time to descend and drop
down along the side of the reef. As we approached the thila the current turned
against us and became quite strong making swimming difficult and most of the
other divers with us gave up. We were told that the effort of the swim was worth
it as once the point is reached where the Thila is out in mid channel there is a
ledge with a small overhang which provides a vantage point for some wonderful
sights. After a long hard slog we made it to witness over 20 white tip and reef
sharks cruising and cirling in the channel. It was truely an awesome sight.
Sadly due to the depth and the air used, the time available was too short and we
started our steady ascent up the reef with 2 white tips following us.
The second dive was to Reethi Faru again. Very picturesque.
Monday 21st December.
Ihiga Reef this morning, just on the west side of Reethi Rah. The sea was
mirror calm and the sun reflected off it like a mirror. The site is a
steeply sloping wall of mainly table corals with 100's of 1000's of blue
trigger fish like a cloud over the reef. And just to make it complete more
sharks.
That afternoon saw us at Ziyaaraifushi
corner. During the dive we came across a Turtle feeding. It was totally
unconcerned about our presence but we did keep a discreet distance so that
we did not disturb it. We must all remember we are the guests in their
domain. It must have been as curious about us as were about it as once it
had finished eating it swam over to us for a closer look.
Turtle.
Once we arrived back home
there was just enough time to have another snorkel swim out on the house
reef where we saw a large ray feeding and baby shark. You can almost see
just as much snorkelling, be it on the reef or under the water bungalows
which stand out in the sea on stilts and provide shelter for a miriad of
small fish.
Like most evenings we ended up in the bar again that night, possibly because
there is very little else to do. The barman in the beach bar was called
Senivi and like all the bar staff on the island came from Sri Lanka. We
spent most of the evening talking about his homeland and what we had seen in
his beautiful country.
After dinner it was another relaxing evening sittting in a hammock watching
the shooting stars again.
Water bungalows.
Tuesday 22nd December.
The island is home to several chickens introduced to keep the bugs down. They
must like it as several of the hens have chicks following them around. Everyone
said how cute they looked but could have done without their dads waking everyone
up at dawn with their morning calls.
The journey to this mornings dive was to be another highlight of the whole week.
It all started with an excited shout from the bow of the boat when a huge manta
ray was spotted feeding on the plankton in the shallow water of the lagoon.
Quickly everyone donned their snorkel gear and dropped into the water ahead of
it and waited excitedly.
At first all you could see was a shadow in the water until it came closer and
closer. It was not a bit concerned and majestically swam past us all only a few
feet away. It was a magical moment to be so close and that alone would have been
enough but to have it turn around and swim amongst us for 15 - 20 minutes was
just amazing.
Finally it swam off and we all climbed back on the boat and finished our journey
to the planned dive site. Sadly I did not have a camera with me to capture this
experience but it will live in my memory forever.
The dive itself was pretty good too. There we were on Madivaru Beru with a
school of eagle rays swimming directly over our heads, and below us several
sharks and 2 octopus.
Everyone was on the lookout on the way back, you never know we might just see
the Manta again.
I dont know if we were just lucky or if the plankton was just plentiful or tasty
but there, just where we had been before, was the manta. Back into the water
again for another snorkel dive with a huge manta Wow!.
Once again it stuck around for quite some time before it swam away effortlessly
into the distance leaving us all reluctant to leave the water just in case it
returned.
Sadly it was to be our last days diving and we had lots to write up so we
went back to the beach bar for a beer. Back in the dive center we stamped up our
logbooks and bought the compulsory T shirts emblasoned with what else but a
Manta. If you go to Reethi Rah have a look in the guest book and see if you can
spot us. It won't be difficult just look for the picture of the Manta!
The service on the island was superb and the atmosphere is so relaxing. The
philosopy is no news no shoes and of course no one carries money and everything
is simply signed for.
It did make you wonder though what might have happened before when we were
unceremoniously pounced on to sign the weeks bar bill the minute we left the
restaurant table on our last night. It made you wonder if perhaps previous
departing guests had built a raft and escaped in the middle of the night.
Acording to the rapidly assembled bits of paper we were said to have drunk
17shorts, 15cocktails and 76 beers. That must have been quite some party.
A word of advice lads, dont spoil the atmosphere, be a little more diplomatic
and present a proper bill instead of debating amongst yourselves in the middle
of a crowded restaurant what you thought we had consumed. Why the rush? there is
plenty of time before everyone leaves the following day.
Wednesday 23rd December.
We were scheduled to leave Reethi Rah that afternoon at 2.00pm, so we sat on our
beach again for the last time. The plan was that we were going to drop off the
luggage at the airport then go and look round Male before heading back to the
the Airport for our flight back to Colombo at 11.00pm that night.
Our plan however was destined to fail. As it was Ramadam, the airport was
shutting at 5.00pm and our flight had been changed to depart at 4.30pm.
Unfortunately no one told us or our resort.
What greeted us on arrival back at the airport was like a scene out of a comedy
film. Never have I seen an airport rep. so relieved. "Where have you been"? he
shouted at our resort rep. as we set foot off the boat. "The plane leaves in
minutes." We would not have minded if it had gone, it would have been so sad
wouldn't it having to have spent more time there? There then followed a heated
dicussion between the two reps. why we were not informed as we ran through the
airport to the check in desk. This must have been the the speediest check in
ever with officials Xraying checking, stamping passports, thrusting bits of
paper in our hands and waving us through doorways and coridoors until we finally
ended up racing our bags across the tarmac to where our plane was waiting. Our
baggage was already being loaded as we climbed the stairs to the aircraft.
So the only view we got of
Male was from the aircraft window. We were dissapointed not to have been
able to see the place a little closer and the annoying thing was that had we
been told of the new flight times we could have set off earlier and had
plenty of time for looking round.
The plane left with only minutes to spare before the deadline which left us
with a dilema. We arrived in Colombo several hours early to connect us with
our U.K. flight so what were we to do for several hours in Colombo airport ?
We need not have worried as everything was in hand. Another rep. was there
to greet us and take us to a hotel where we could wait in comfort.
Apparently they had known the revised flight times in Sri Lanka for almost a
week!
Our only sight of Male.
Still alls well that ends well. We would not hesitate to go back again. It is
just a shame that it is so far away and of course there is the cost. Still you
never know, one day .....
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