How often can one say they saw a dolphins, turtles, mating octopus, mantas, eagle rays, mobulas and a whale shark within 24 hours?
Oh and on top of that countless unicorn fish, banner fish butterfly fish, sweetlips, powder blue surgeonfish, red tooth trigger fish and always a crowd favorite, clown trigger fish. Yep, that’s the Maldives. It’s very, very fishy.
On the down side there has been a decline in the condition of the reefs since my last trip to the Maldives in 2016. Rising ocean temperatures have taken a toll on these once colorful reefs.
Despite the condition of the coral we had amazing encounters with a fantastic variety of marine life.
Adding color to the reefs was display of anemones in a rainbow of colors.
Our over the top liveaboard was the luxurious Carpe Vita. She wowed us with her elegant cabins as spacious as a hotel rooms and her ample deck space to lounge between snorkels.
The expansive top deck was perfect for a watching the sunset with a glass of wine or star gazing after an alfresco dinner.
As we cruised between Male and Thaa atolls we passed stunning white sand tropical islands.
From the comfort of our dhoni, the Maldivian word for our uber lux dinghy, we dropped into the turquoise-blue, deliciously warm Indian Ocean.
Over the course of a week we explored a variety of marine environments; shallow reefs, submerged pinnacles emerging from the depths and a manta cleaning station. One night a thrilling night snorkel with nurse sharks and rays was offered.
The friendships that were made or renewed on the voyages were a huge highlight.
I feel so fortunate to share these underwater explorations with like-minded, caring and super fun travel companions.
Thank you my snorkel tribe!
Cheers,
Wendy Simon
March, 2018