Maldives Wildlife an Exotic Enchantress

The Maldives is a collection of 1190 coral islands in the South West Indian Ocean consisting grouped in a double chain of 26 natural atolls. The islands spread over 90, 000 sq Km making it one of the most geographically dispersed countries.

Ninety nine percent of the Maldives is made of sea The largest of these island is that of Gan and it is only 10 sq km in area. As the landmass of the Maldives is quite small it cannot support a large population or variety of land animals.

Land based animals consist of geckos, lizards and several harmless types of scorpions and snakes. While the rare fruit bats can be found in plenty hanging from the trees  the only endemic animals to the Maldives are the flying fox and a species of shrew.

However these islands completely make up for the lack of land animals with their amazingly diverse marine life.

The warm azure waters provide a home for several different ecosystems. The best and most thriving ecosystem of them all is seen in the kilometers of colourful coral reefs that surround and make up the islands.

The marine flora and fauna of theses world renowned coral reefs vary from the microscopic planktons to the whale sharks that could reach a size of………..

The stunning beauty of this underwater paradise will have you enraptured. The vibrant colours and designs on the tiny Nudibranches will inspire even the most top fashion designers, see through the bodies of the glassfish, watch the photogenic angelfish, orientel reef fish, butterfly fish, lionfish, parrot fish and fusiliers, see the pufferfish puff up. Varieties of rays, eels, wrasses, octupii, jellyfish and squid are also inhabit the sea.

The coral reefs team with brittlestars star fish sea cucumbers and sea urchins and is also home to giant clams

Dolphins and whales are a relatively common site in the Maldivian seas.

Short beak saddleback dolphins roams the waters in groups of fives or more and you can spot the curvier beaked saddle back whale that could sometimes be a starling crimson. To be true the Maldivian seas could be said to be shark infested.

From the occasional whale shark to the white tipped reef shark and hammer head sharks there is an abundance of sharks in the sea. However this is not something that should deter you from a swim in the gorgeous waters. As there are plenty of tropical fish for the sharks to snack on they will not harm you.

The white sandy beaches provide nesting sites for the many turtles such as the green turtle, hawksbill turtle and the leather back turtle that swim in the surrounding seas. Ghost crabs, Fiddler crabs are common on muddy reef shelves, but the vast majority of crabs could be seen scuttling around and burrowing holes in the sand by the waterline and those such as the hermit crab prefer to make homes under the leaves of shore bushes.

The oceanic location of this Indian Ocean archipelago means that its avifauna is mainly restricted to pelagic birds (oceanic birds).

Eurasian migratory birds some of them seasonal like the frigate birds flock to the tropical island in search of warmth and food. There are also birds that dwell in marshes and island bush, like the moorhen, seagulls, cranes and the grey heron.

The Maldives wildlife draws a huge number of nature worshipers, biologists, zoologists, ornithologists and tourists all year round. What better way to observe the aquatic life than from the waters edge? If you are looking for a Maldives Resort that will provide you an undisturbed tropical gateway check out the Anantara Veli Maldives. These Maldives bungalows offer the perfect blend of intimacy and dulux amenities for a perfect island experience.