The pristine white sands of Maldives have a unique and interesting story behind it. With soft sands that form a bed for your feet, you’ll be quite surprised at where this sand comes from. Those who have stayed at Maldives Island resorts would have most likely spent their entire holiday on the beach, soaking up the warm sun rays, snorkelling through the lively waters around the resort or simply enjoy the water activities offered at some resorts like at Naladhu Maldives.
Parrot fish are the reason why the sand in Maldives is so pristine and white. Well, Parrot fish poop to be more precise. Part of their diet includes feeding off seaweed and polyps from the sea; however due to the hard coral exterior, the fish tend to chomp through the whole thing, ingesting the polyp and the coral all together. When the coral doesn’t digest, it excretes the coral in tiny grains which then gets washed ashore due to strong currents. Parrot fish are known to produce up to 100 kgs of white sand a year!
Those who spot the Parrot fish while snorkelling around the calm waters of the Maldives would observe that these fish are continuously chewing at the tiny sediments, known to be the only living sand machine. Parrot fish are only found around coral reefs, rocky coats and seagrass beds and are known to have a crucial part in bio erosion, besides making sand and helping to form little islands!
Maldives is home to dozens of marine species, which are the biggest selling factor to tourists to the island. Maldives is made up of 1,000 coral islands, and you can be assured that Parrot fish largely contributed to the making of these beautiful islets.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.