Geographical location
The most important reef areas of the Indian Ocean are mainly concentrated in its western part and are separated by wide and deep marine trenches. From the south of India to the great island of Madagascar, we will find an authentic rosary of archipelagos and islands, unimaginable for their beauty.
One of these extraordinary reef formations is created by a magnificent Madreporic archipelago: the Maldives, which arises 400 kilometers west of India and extends for 2,000 kilometers southwards, to the Chagos Archipelago.
Islands of adventurers and merchants
These fantastic islands are set like a chain of emeralds, in the extraordinary blue of the sea that surrounds them. Its charms are described in the chronicles of adventurers and merchants who, skirting the southern coasts of India on their journey to the East, arrived at its shores. Today, the white lateen sails that carried these pioneers have been transformed into the wings of the powerful metallic giants that, almost miraculously, land on the landing strip built on a coral reef, in the absence of an island long enough to receive the large reactors.
Flying over the Maldives is an experience that can only be surpassed by the adventure that the world that bubbles beneath its waters has in store for us. . On the surface of the sea, of a beautiful and deep blue, a unique display of atolls in different phases of development follows one another for almost 1,000 kilometers. The term atoll comes from the language of the inhabitants of these islands and refers to the arrangement that they have in the shape of a circular crown. Each of these crowns constituted its own sultanate, an "atolu" over which a sovereign called "atoluveri" exercised power.
The main atolls
Male, Ari, Kolumadulu, Tiladumati and Suvadiva, which with its 80 kilometers in diameter and 2,240 square kilometers of surface area is the largest atoll on the planet, are some of the 16 large atolls that make up the archipelago. They are atolls with an old structure, with an interior lagoon connected to the ocean through numerous channels that break the reef ring, full of small and young atolls, many still hidden below the surface, others perfectly circular, embracing an interior lagoon of emerald color. here and there Dozens of islands of an intense green color appear surrounded by another no less dazzling ring of white sand.
Under the surface of the sea we will quickly realize that we are in one of the richest reefs on our planet, in terms of the number of species. Corals and fish are abundantly represented here. The atolls of the Maldives are similar to large cities in the middle of the desert.
The disconcerting variety of relationships established between its inhabitants and the environment that surrounds them possibly surpasses even the complex infrastructure of a large modern city. In both one and the other, its inhabitants built constructions that radically changed the initial landscape.
In the seventies, incipient tourism began to develop on these islands that sought tranquility and diving areas that were still wild and intact. Twenty-five years have passed and the Maldives has become a top tourist destination and has lost the charm and virginity of yesteryear. Throughout the archipelago there are small islands converted into hotel complexes for all tastes and budgets. The same can be said of the numerous boats dedicated to diving charters, which offer life on board with a certain quality, depending on what we are willing to pay.
When to go
The best time to think about a trip to these islands is December to April, in the dry season, when it is normal to find the best weather conditions both on land and at sea. Although some large marine species, such as whale sharks and manta rays, are more abundant in the months of August to November, when the concentration of plankton is much higher. Generally, the waters remain warm and with good visibility most of the year.
The two options we have for diving in the Maldives are:
- From land, living in one of the many hotels that exist, doing two or three dives a day near where we are located. Sea trips usually do not last more than an hour.
- The other way, more advisable for diving enthusiasts, is on board a cruise ship, which will allow us to move around several atolls and reach the most interesting diving spots. We recommend going from October to November even until December 10. It is common to spot whale sharks.
