You may have heard of the Maldives, an island nation located near the equator in the Indian Ocean, but you may not be aware of what an incredible place it is for scuba lovers. The Maldives are made up of 26 atolls stretching from north to south, about 700 km southwest of Sri Lanka.
The islands are actually the tops of an underwater mountain range and stretch over 90,000 square kilometers. Of the 1,192 islets that make up the Maldives, about 200 are inhabited. The population is largest in the city of Male, the capital, and this is where most Maldives holidays start, due to the international airport located there.
More than 80% of the land in the Maldives is made up of coral islands, made up of both live coral and coral debris from some 200 different species of coral. Coral reefs act as a protective barrier against the sea, forming numerous lagoons. The barrier reef protects the Maldives from the highest waves of the Indian Ocean, making it one of the best diving spots on earth! The variety of marine life you can see on a Maldives holiday is astounding, not just corals, but over 2000 different species of fish, including eagle rays, stingrays, reef sharks and species that have not yet been classified.
April to October is the rainy season in the Maldives, the season of the humid southwest monsoons. The year-round temperature is nearly constant, with nighttime lows around 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees C) and daytime highs around 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees C). Nearly constant cool sea breezes keep hot weather from being uncomfortable.
The first resorts in the Maldives didn’t open until the 1970s, but between then and 2007, more than 8 million people visited the nation, and a large percentage of those visitors were for the incredible diving experiences. Visitors usually arrive at Male International Airport, which is served by flights from Southeast Asia, Dubai, Doha and Sri Lanka. Gan Airport on Addu Atoll has international flights to Milan several days a week.
A diving safari in the Maldives is the best vacation for the person who loves diving. The expanse of waters that can be explored is staggering, and you can book liveaboard diving safaris where you live on board cruise ships, scour the atolls and find the best dive sites to explore, under the guidance of instructors from Maldives diving. .
Vacation packages are available that cover airport transfers to and from the cruise ship. For liveaboard diving, a minimum of a PADI Open Water Diver certificate or equivalent is required, with a PADI Advanced Open Water certificate being preferred so that the diver can dive up to 30 meters with the rest of the group. Divers undergo an initial check guide to check equipment and for the dive guide to assess diving skills in the group. For divers wanting additional diving support, guided dives can be arranged, usually costing around US$10 per dive.
Diving in the Maldives is the best anywhere, and a Maldives diving safari is the ultimate diving vacation. The Maldives as a nation are focused on making diving holidays the best anywhere in the world. There is no doubt that the coral reefs, the beautiful tropical waters and the enormous variety of marine life make the Maldives the best destination in the world for an unforgettable diving vacation.