Maldives Under the Reef ๐ The Real Paradise
We’re told the Maldives is a slice of paradise, a place where the sun always shines and your biggest worry is which shade of turquoise to photograph first.
But the real paradise, the one with character and a bit of a chaotic spirit, isn’t above the waterโit’s down below. We spent 3 days exploring the vibrant coral reefs that make the Maldives a top destination for scuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts.
Our island, Makunudu, was a postage stamp of a place, but its real estate wasn’t the sandy stretch; it was the sprawling underwater metropolis surrounding it, just a fin-kick away.
Forget the sun lounger; our new office was the house reef.
Highlights
- Welcome to the Neighbourhood ๐
- The Deep Blue ๐ฆ Life on the Edge
- Manta Ray Rendezvous ๐คฟ
- An Underwater Pursuit ๐ข
- Dinner on your Private Island ๐
- Maldives All-Inclusive ๐น Off-Season
- To the Maldives via Sri Lanka
- Book Makunudu Island
- All Hotel Options in the Maldives
- Our Maldives/Sri Lanka Itinerary
- Accessories for the Islands
- Easy-Access Snorkeling Locations
Welcome to the Neighbourhood ๐
You see, every little island here has its own aquatic backyard, a kind of watery neighbourhood that’s entirely unique. We just had to don a mask and walk a few feet into the shallows to get to our new home.
We didn’t need to be a seasoned diver, or even particularly brave. Just a simple shuffle into the sea, and we were there. It was that easy. And just like that, we were no longer on a beach. We were hovering over a coral garden, a kaleidoscope of life that seemed to have been designed by a particularly flamboyant artist.
Saddleback Butterfly Fish
The locals of this watery world greeted us immediately. The Powder Blue Surgeons, all sleek and impossibly bright, zipped past with the kind of purposeful nonchalance you’d expect from any self-respecting city-dweller. The Saddleback Butterflyfish fluttered by with a certain delicate air, and the Oriental Reeftips meandered about, nibbling on coral polyps like they were afternoon snacks.
It was a bizarre and wonderful spectacle, and we hadnโt even gotten our fins wet yet. Weโd essentially just stumbled into the most vibrant and bizarrely populated underwater street party imaginable.
We finally slipped on our fins and ventured a little further. The water deepened, and with it, the landscape changed.
The small, frantic bursts of colour from the shallows gave way to larger, more majestic coral structures. It was like moving from a bustling market square to a sprawling, ancient city. Shoals of tiny fish moved in perfect, mesmerising synchrony, a silvery cloud of movement that ebbed and flowed with the current. We could have spent the entire afternoon there, simply floating and watching the world go by.
A word to the wise: avoid the coral. We’re not scientists, but we understood the basic premise of โdonโt be a nuisance.โ Plus, we knew the stories of the cuts, the scrapes, and the nasty stings from fire coral.
We also quickly realised how territorial these little fish were. Get too close, and they’d launch into a defensive flurry that was both hilarious and a clear message to “sod off.” They’d protect their little patch of coral with a heroic ferocity, even knocking their tiny snouts against our masks.
We respected that.
Shallow Coral Formations
Deep Blue Dispatches ๐ฆ Life on the Edge
As we gently drifted towards the reefโs edge, about 20 or 30 metres from the shore, the visual narrative shifted again. The dazzling light of the shallows softened, giving way to the deeper, more melancholic blues of the reef wall that plunged into the depths.
This was the city’s outskirts, where the inhabitants were bigger, slower, and far more imposing.
Blue Surgeon Fish
It was the place for spotting the underwater elite. With a bit of patience (and a lot of floating), you can encounter turtles, ancient and wise-looking, or even a smaller Black tip or White tip reef shark.
At Makunudu, they actually feed a community of sharks off the end of the jetty in the evenings.
Maldives Under the Reef – Parrot fish
After a few days, we found ourselves settling into a sort of routine. We knew the underwater landmarks, the little nooks and crannies where certain species seemed to hang out at different times of the day. It was like we were developing our own mental map of this other world. It was a nice feeling, a kind of quiet intimacy with a place that was very much not our own.
We found that the same hideouts were regularly inhabited by different species at different times. It was like a revolving door of aquatic guests.
Some useful underwater landmarks
Manta Ray Rendezvous ๐คฟ
Our Manta Point excursion was a different kettle of fish altogether ๐
Makunudu Island Resort organises these weekly trips, and when we were told there was a good chance of spotting Manta Rays, we practically bit their hands off. We were in.
So, we hopped onto a dhoni, a kind of traditional Maldivian boat, with about a dozen other equally enthusiastic snorkelers and two local divers who clearly knew their way around.
The divers were a pair of weathered chaps who knew exactly where to moor the boat. We were floating somewhere in the middle of a vast expanse of blue, with no land in sight. But even before we hit the water, we could see them: two Manta Rays, elegant and ghostly, passing by our boat and occasionally breaking the surface.
Snorkelerโs Day Out
Once we were in the water, we could see the reef below, an undulating landscape of coral that wasnโt visible from the surface.
In some areas, it was surprisingly shallow, and the visibility was so good it felt like we were flying. We had our camera ready, hoping to capture some footage that might convince our friends back home we hadnโt completely fabricated the whole experience.
We tried to give the other snorkelers some space, but we kept a watchful eye on our Maldivian guide. Our excitement went up a few notches when the first Manta Ray came into sight. It was a curious thing, a stealth bomber of the sea, gliding in close as if to say, “And what, precisely, are you doing here?”
It drifted past and then turned around for a second pass. It seemed curious, almost playful, as it gracefully glided in close to take a good look at us. We felt like we were being inspected, and we hoped we were making a good impression.
Here is a video showcasing the graceful, silent manta rays we encountered: https://youtu.be/3Gc0-mh0DkU
An Underwater Pursuit ๐ข
Around the same time, we noticed a commotion out of the corner of our eye. Our Maldivian guide was in determined pursuit of a large turtle. He actually tried to touch it, and the turtle, understandably startled, switched into a higher gear, deftly evading him and the other snorkelers.
It was a bizarre moment, a kind of clumsy underwater chase. Lucky for us, the turtle decided to head in our direction, and we managed to get some decent images before it decided enough was enoughย and slipped away through the rocks.
We respected its need for personal space. After all, this is a world where we are visitors, and slightly unwelcome ones at that.
A white tipped shark, perhaps attracted by all the fuss, made a brief appearance, but didn’t hang around for a photo shoot. Who could blame it? It must have seen our antics and thought, “These touristsโฆ honestly.”
Post-snorkel: Wet and Happy
We spent an hour or so in the water, but it felt more like ten minutes. It was a fantastic way to start the day, and it proved that the real Maldives isn’t about what you see on a travel brochure; itโs about what you find when you go looking for it.
The boat trip back was spent drying off in the sun, water bottles in hand, replaying the bizarre, wonderful, and slightly awkward encounters of the morning.
This is what the Maldives is truly about.
If you enjoyed Maldives Under the Reef, check out our other Asian Short Breaks. You may also like:
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1 Comment
Maldives Finest
June 18, 2023at 7:09 amsome safety tips https://t.co/q6dZSgj2uT