Sunday, 11 November 2012

Maldives


Having fun diving in the Maldives.

The Maldives are wonderful. Wow if you would like a little bit of paradise you should make a trip to the Maldives. There are over 2000 islands. I am on a little one called Asdu Sun Island and you can walk around its perimeter in less than 5 minutes and easily kayak around the island. There are about 30 bungalows on the perimeter of the property facing the beach and only seven of them are occupied right now. There are 13 guests on the island. There is one restaurant/bar an office and a dive shop. It is a wonderful, authentic, unspoiled beachfront and island, beautiful and relaxing. The turquoise water and coral around this island are the best I have ever seen. The coral is vibrant and there are huge schools of fish it is like swimming into a wall of them at times. Today I was so close to a sea turtle I could touch it. I have seen eagle rays, huge ones, over 3 ft in diameter. I saw two Moray eels when I was diving. It was also huge. It was about 9 ft long and a foot deep with a jaw that spanned about 10 in.  There are tons of table coral. They are flat and look like tables, hence the name. There are unicorn fish; they have a “horn” coming out their front. There are tones of beautiful, colourful fish. One of my favorites is the Sweet lips. They are yellow and black with strips on their bodies and spots on their tails. It is like swimming and diving in an aquarium. This morning there were hundreds of dolphins swimming close to the island, jumping and spinning in the air, it was like being at a Sea World show, but better, it was in their natural habitat and amongst a beautiful setting. What a way to eat breakfast, watching a dolphin show from my table.

Asdu Sun Island is pictured on the right. 

The plane ride into the main island was really cool. I came in at night and you know how the runway is lit to guide the pilots in? Well those runway lights are in the water here and the plane was so low for what seemed like such a long time over the water. The plane looked like it was 5 feet above the water. The wind from the jets was pushing the water. It was really cool. I was happy to have the window seat.

Once I came out of the airport right there at the exit was the water and a boat was waiting there to take me to the island I was staying on. It was a speed boat and took 45 minutes to get there in the pitch black a little unnerving. I was the only passenger and there were 7 men on the boat. Which part was the unnerving part, the pitch black or 7 men? I just chatted them up and kept their minds preoccupied.  Luckily that made many eyes to watch out for boats, islands, coral and waves. A few times we went crashing over waves and smashing back down.  

If you get the chance make a trip here if you are a diver or like snorkeling this is the place for you. Wow!

I got some great underwater pictures as well. Man underwater cameras have come a long way since I use to buy the disposable ones. The dive shop had a new one they were trying out and I was able to get some of the photos from our dive. This is an Anemone that we saw.   

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