Blessed with year round sunshine and pristine beaches of soft white sand, Maldives is resplendent in its tropical beauty. Famous the world over as a top water sports destination, tourists from every corner of the world converge on these islands to sample their unrestrained natural splendour, soak up the warm sun and delve into the mesmeric underwater world.
Maldives is simply the dream come true of keen snorkelers and divers. The islands are surrounded by an invaluable coral reef which is home to a multitude of colourful marine life, setting the nation apart from other dive destinations across the world.
Owing to the abundant passages and channels between the atolls, the currents play and sweep throughout the chain of islands keeping nutrients on the move. As a consequence of this phenomenon, numerous fish exist, enjoying the feast. Divers can expect to observe sweetlips, jacks, barracudas, snappers, parrotfish, Napolean wrasse and more.
Divers can even explore the overhangs, caverns and caves in the islands’ channels. It is in these that soft corals are believed to proliferate. Additionally, profiting from the nutrient-rich water are gorgonian fans, invertebrates and colourful sponges. Divers can also marvel at cleaning stations where shrimps and wrasses clean the larger marine species who eagerly line up.
Further away in the reefs, divers are likely to spot pelagic fish including eagle rays and manta rays as well as an array of sharks. There is bound to be something fascinating whichever direction one looks. With the clear waters home to various exotic fish and nicely illuminated by sun rays, the environment is ideal for not only divers but also underwater photographers.
Whilst there is an abundance of sites in the islands suitable for scuba diving, the place with the greatest reliability is the Ari Atoll. Here large fish such as mantas, eagle rays, hammerheads and sharks are seen frequently. However, since the charming islands of the country are scattered over a vast area with most of the best diving available outside and inside the lagoons as well as amidst the channels of the atolls, liveaboards are the best way by which to see the region.
Among the range of luxury hotel resorts in the nation, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas are conveniently located providing easy access to various dive sites. Offering various water sports facilities in addition to top class accommodation, there are four luxury hotels of this legendary brand in four different idyllic locations in the country.
