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The
mention of the Maldive Islands to most divers will generally
conjure up visions of desert islands, white coral sand, warm
blue seas, and of course some of the best diving the world
has to offer. The Maldives can certainly offer all of these,
and also a very comfortable, if not luxurious, base to operate
from. As I was fortunate enough to spend some time diving
there in January this year, I thought my experiences may be
of benefit to others planning a similar excursion.
The
Maldive Islands lie some 450 miles south west of Sri Lanka
in the Indian Ocean. Here there are nineteen atolls containing
between 1,500 -1,800 islands, only 200 of which are inhabited.
Of these about 30 are set aside for tourist use, and generally
are so small that each of these has its own hotel and literally
no more. A holiday here offers none of the entertainment attractions
common to other resorts, but if you simply want to 'pull your
pin out' and totally relax, or alternatively are keen on water
sports, then you have found a location which is close to paradise
as you could hope for.
For
our, all too brief, sojourn we had chosen the island Villi
Varu (formerly Villingillivaru.) which is in the South Male
Atoll, approxiamately 40 N of the Equator. After flying from
Sri Lanka to Hulule airport, which occupies its own island
alongside that of Male, the capital, we boarded our water
taxi, a dhoni, for an eleven mile journey south to Villi Varu.
This trip takes about 24 hours, weaving your way through the
scattering of small coral islands and submerged reefs. Arrival
at the island is initially something of a shock. One can literally
walk around it in ten minutes, and there is nothing but the
white coral sand and crystal blue waters gently lapping over
the fringing reef. However you are by no means condemned to
the existence of a castaway. The hotel here, part of the Taj
group, is very well organised and offers just the right amount
of luxury. The rooms are chalet style, and encircle the island,
each with it's own verandah only 20-30 ft from the water's
edge. The reception area, dining room, bar and lounges occupy
the central complex close to the harbour. The rooms are simple,
but comfortable and spotlessly clean, cooled by fans, and
also equipped with a number of square pin electrical sockets
Power
here is a normal 240V AC, an important consideration if you
have come armed with cameras and flashguns. Your every need
is catered for, even a boy to sweep up the palm leaves that
may fall outside your room!
Diving
is organised by the Water Sports Centre on the island, which
is run by Werner Fleming. The centre can supply all diving
equipment for hire, although you would be well advised to
take everything except tank and weight belt, as the rates
can be quite high. There is also a one man 'pot' on site,
although this never showed any signs of being plumbed in,
and I would have hated to be the victim of a therapeutic treatment
in it! Wet suits are superfluous here, as the water temperature
rarely drops below 700 and is often warmer. However, a pair
of overalls or jeans and tee shirt are advisable for protection
against coral cuts etc. Diving is available either from the
beach on the fringing reef, or by daily boat trips organised
by the Water Sports Centre.
My
first dive was made from the boat, where I quickly discovered
my only mistake of the holiday, and quite a frustrating element
of the boat dives. I had come purely to take photographs,
and without a diving partner. Whilst this problem was quickly
resolved, the restriction on the boat dives are that they
are led very much in the American style by Werner. This is
all very well for the majority of the divers, many of whom
are 'holiday divers', but of absolutely no use to the photographer,
who needs to be left to his own devices for hours on end.
Consequently I found myself diving mostly from the island,
fortunately having found a German diver with similar interests.
So my advice is to either come as a group to control your
own boat diving, or at least travel with a diving partner'.
Diving
from the island proved to be ideal for my purposes. The fringing
or house reef is quite superb in places. Entry points are
numerous and easy, a boon when loaded with armfuls of cameras,
and there is nearly always a gentle current running down one
side of the island providing safe and effortless drift diving.
Underwater the reefs can offer everything from the smallest
coral fish, through turtles to the occasional black tip shark
cruising the channel between Villi Varu and its neighbouring
island. The coral growth is extensive, and offers mini drop-offs,
similar in many ways to the Red Sea, but perhaps lacking the
variety of species found there. I don't think I suffered less
than 100 ft visibility, and the fish life has never experienced
aggression from divers, and are on the whole fearless, which
are ideal conditions for the photographer. There are several
reef residents which can be relied upon to make an appearance,
the two most notable being an enormous shoal of Jacks which
circle continuously (and apparently aimlessly) in the harbour
area, and a pair of turtles which are very friendly.
After
your dive you merely leave your bottle on the beach, and it
will be collected, refilled, and re-deposited for your next
dive. And of course between dives there is sunshine, cool
drinks, good food and some daring sunbathing by other residents
to be enjoyed! Altogether a very relaxing and civilised way
to go diving. The trip is of course quite expensive, but if
you are looking for something which is quite different, very
relaxing, and which offers relatively unspoiled coral diving,
then the Maldives must be your destination.
As
an afterthought, I add a word of warning to anyone contemplating
a diving holiday based at Hikkaduwa in Sri Lanka. We spent
some time in Sri Lanka, and I made one dive at Hikkaduwa on
the famous 'coral gardens'. Whilst I cannot comment on any
other sights in Sri Lanka, this one will prove to be a bitter
disappointment to anyone who has dived on a living coral reef
before. The reef has the appearance of being on its last legs,
with very little fish life, and I found myself feeling quite
dejected having just returned from the beauty of The Maldives.
Reproduced
from in focus by kind permission of Mark Webster (http://www.photec.co.uk/)
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