DISCOVER MALDIVES 2010 issue
The Magazine of Escale Maldives, Your Travel Partner
Destinations
Kaashidhoo Island Coco Palm Bodu Hithi
Scuba Diving
III Dive Sites for beginners Wreck Hunters Dream Destination
Features
Shapes of Islands What kind of Water Villas Story of Jetties
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GDS Codes:
Amadeus: MLECOC Galileo: 36824
Sabre: 23987
DISCOVER MALDIVES Issue 1, 2010 Published by Atoll Images Ma.Shah, Dhidhi Goalhi, Male’, Maldives T +960 334 1643 F +960 333 1643 www.atoll-images.com info@atoll-images.com EDITORIAL Editor: Mohamed Zahir (Meemu Zaviyani) | editor@escalemaldives.com Editorial Consultant: Hassan Shah Editorial Consultant: Shifan Ahmed Travel Consultant: Ahmed Abdul Majeed | info@escalemaldives.com Concept: Water Solutions & Atoll Images WRITERS Abdul Aleem (Amooo) | amooo@water-solutions.biz Ahmed Jameel (AJ) | aj@water-solutions.biz Verena Wiesbauer Ali | verena@water-solutions.biz Mohamed Riyaz | riya@water-solutions.biz Faruhath Jameel| farey@water-solutions.biz PHOTOGRAPHERS Amooo | amooo@water-solutions.biz Mohamed Riyaz | riya@water-solutions.biz Mohamed Mazin | mazin@water-solutions.biz FINANCE & ADVERTISING Finance: Ahmed Azeem | azeem@escalemaldives.com Production & Marketing: Ahmed Fazeel | fazeel@water-solutions.biz Sales: Jailum | jailum@water-solutions.biz MAPS AND CHARTS by WATER SOLUTIONS Hamdhulla Shakeeb | hamdhulla@water-solutions.biz Mohamed Riyaz | riya@water-solutions.biz Mohamed Mazin | mazin@water-solutions.biz Abdulla Jameel | ablo@water-solutions.biz DESIGN & LAYOUT Hamid DISCOVER MALDIVES is the annual magazine of Escale Maldives, your travel partner in Maldives. Visit www.escalemaldives.com ABOUT ESCALE MALDIVES Escale Maldives is a travel and tour operator registered in the Maldives and organizes holidays to Maldives. Escale Maldives is established on the foundation of protecting the environment, while upholding our principles of reliability and dedication to delivery. With Escale Maldives, you are guaranteed to receive personalized and memorable diving adventures, honeymoons, surfing packages, family vacations and also individual hideaway experience. Escale Maldives ensures tropical smiles for you ! DISCOVER MALDIVES is published for Escale Maldives by Atoll Images, www.atoll-images.com Atoll Images is a fully-owned subsidiary of Water Solutions and was established with the objective of informing, educating and creating awareness through visual media. Atoll Images publishes books, magazines, maps and other visual media on various subjects. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Escale Maldives. All rights reserved. Copyright by Escale Maldives 2010. HOW TO GET A FREE COPY OF THE MAGAZINE To get your free copy of the magazine, send a mail to info@escalemaldives.com SPECIAL THANKS Hussain Rasheed (Sendi), Executive Director Villa Diving & PADI Course Director (Villa Diving School); Divers Association of Maldives; Adam (Ocean Dive Desk); Zim (Maldivers Diving School); Abdulla Shibau (AEC project); Hilmy (Sunland Hotels); Dr. Reinhard Kikinger; Lenny Verduyn (Bolifusi Project Manager); Azeez (Bolifushi Island); Hussain Mohamed (Island Projects); Hassan Marine Engineering Solutions; Premier Chambers; College; Voyages Maldives; Housing Development Corporation (HDC); Coco Palm Bodu Hithi Resort; Maldivian; Renewable Energy Maldives Pvt.Ltd; FDI; Ref Cool; Sui’s Salon; Amina; Marine; Handy Travel & Information Bureau (HTIB), Abdul Latheef (Moving International).
atoll-images.com
water-solutions.biz
6 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
escalemaldives.com
A scene from an isolated sand bank in Baa atoll. Photo by Amooo
DISTRIBUTION DISCOVER MALDIVES magazine will be freely distributed to all the resorts, diving schools, tourists, CEO’s of all the major companies in Maldives in the hospitality industry, government offices, dive schools in Maldives etc. In addition, the magazine will be distributed in the following fairs & exhibitions through MTPB. 1. ITB, Berlin, Germany, March 2010 2. MITT, Moscow, Russia, March 2010 3. Marine Diving Fair, Tokyo, Japan, April 2010 4. Emirates Holidays World, Dubai, U.A.E, April 2010 5. Arabian Travel Market, Dubai, U.A.E, May 2010 6. INDABA, Durban, South Africa, May 2010 7. JATA World Travel Fair, Tokyo, Japan, sep 2010 8. Top Resa, Paris, France, Sep 2010 9. TTG Incontri, Rimini, Italy, Oct 2010 10. DEMA Show, Las Vegas, Nevada , USA, Nov 2010 11. WTM, London, UK, Nov 2010 12. CITM, Shanghai, China, Nov 2010 Also freely available from Sea & Sea Underwater Camera equipment in Singapore. ADVERTISING To advertise on the magazine, please contact info@escalemaldives.com CONTRIBUTIONS Please send in your comments, contributions and letters to the editor to: editor@escalemaldives.com
EDITORS NOTE Almost all postcards of and books about the Maldives feature exotic resorts. Due to this, most people relate Maldives with expensive holiday destinations. Indeed, Maldives’ islands are heavenly pearls strewn in the Indian Ocean. And of course, we have pristine white beaches and crystal clear seas. However, Maldives is this and much more. The real Maldives is more than the picture perfect postcard. We have hundreds of reefs, inhabited and uninhabited islands, sand banks and hundreds of hidden and unexplored treasures under the sea. Our objective in publishing Discover Maldives is to present these unexplored and rarely talked about features of the Maldives. To show the real Maldives, the lives of Maldivians and the numerous and fantastic opportunities this island nation has to offer for the adventurer.
On the cover Fushifaru island in Lhaviyani Atoll. Photo by: DigitalGlobe
Comments & Contributions Please send in your comments, contributions and letters to the editor to editor@escalemaldives.com
How to get your free copy Send a mail to info@escalemaldives.com Or
Hence, it is our pleasure to be part of this unique venture in publishing a magazine that is “everything Maldives”! We have received contribution, assistance and support from a large number of people and we owe them our deepest gratitude and thankfulness. It is their indefatigable toil that has made this magazine a reality and a success. As such, we are hopeful that our readers would gain new insights into our islands through Discover Maldives and perhaps seek the opportunity to explore the real Maldives with us! For this inaugural issue, we have stretched our resources to bring you interesting stories and news that you would not find in other material about the Maldives. We travelled more than 2000 miles within the Maldives in 2009. We have gone underwater, walked on virgin sand banks, crossed channels, flew miles and miles and yet, there is still so much more to be discovered. This is, of course, excellent news as we anticipate your support and participation with us in continuing our journey exploring the paradise on earth – the Maldives !
In Maldives, contact or visit our office: Escale Maldives Ma.Shah, Dhidhi Goalhi, Male’, Maldives T +960 330 6693 F +960 333 1643 Or
In Singapore, from Sea & Sea Underwater Camera Equipment (Opposite the Funan Centre) 1 Coleman Street #02-13 The Adelphi Singapore 179803
www.escalemaldives.com |
7
CONTRIBUTORS Mohamed Zahir (Meemu Zaviyani), is an environmentalist and the winner of the global 500 awards. He has published several books and papers on environmental issues and has more than 20 years of experience. At present, he leads the environmental NGO ECOCARE.
Hassan Shah has a background in Environmental sciences and has undertaken several environmental projects for both government and the private sector. He has also managed some of the most challenging coastal projects in Maldives. He is also a keen scuba diver.
Amooo is an Environmental Consultant and a keen photographer. Has good knowledge of the Maldives, especially the outer islands. Personal interests include snorkelling, diving, particularly exploring new dive sites, travelling, photography, watching movies, geography, writing, and spending time with family. He coauthored the book “Complete guide to Male”, published in 2007.
Thorif Waheed is an adventure scuba diver. Together with Amooo, he discovered the dive site, The Rock (featured in this issue). He continues his exploration with Escale Maldives scuba diving team and continuously is on the look for new and exciting dive sites. Presently, he is working with Escale Maldives Team to locate the Alia Wreck outside Bolifushi.
Ahmed Jameel (AJ) is an Environmental Engineer and has many years of experience in environmental management and particularly in GIS and disaster risk. AJ has authored many papers for international
Azzuu is a professional photographer and has more than 10 years of experience in travel, wedding, event and location photography. For this issue of Discover Maldives, he covered the 350 event.
conferences and seminars. AJ’s involvement with various government and private sector projects have established very good links with the island community and the private sector. His personal interests include snorkeling, travelling, photography, geography and writing. Verena Wiesbauer Ali is a Marine Biologist and specialized in the combination of tourism & marine biology, as well as coral propagation such as setting up coral nurseries and artificial reefs. Presently she is working in Water Solutions and leading the Marine Biology research work. She coauthored the book “Dangerous Marine Animals”, published by Atoll Images in 2009. Mohamed Riyaz (Riya) is a Surveyor presently working in Water Solutions. He has undertaken more than 50 hydrographic and topographic surveys and enjoys photography and travelling. He is also a keen photographer and has captured images from all corners of Maldives.
Dr. Norman Quinn is a Marine Ecologist from the USA and worked at the Marine Research Centre, Maldives in 2008-2009.
Hussain Rifaa is a divemaster and the Scuba diving consultant for Escale Maldives for this issue of Discover Maldives. He has over 8 years of diving experience and logged more than two thousand dives. He works six months a year on liveaboards and the rest based in Male’. He is very familiar with South Male’ and Ari atoll dive sites. For the articles under Scuba Diving section, he was leading the dives including searching the Nooraanee Queen. His knowledge and experience is continuously used by Escale Maldives for their activities including organizing diving tours and exploration dives.
Faruhath Jameel (Farey) is a student undertaking a Bachelors degree in University of East London, UK. Farey has more than 3 years of experience in surveying and have undertaken several surveying projects in Maldives.
Want to contribute? Do you have a passion to write or have photos that are worthy of publishing? We are looking for keen photographers and writers to contribute to our magazine. Escale Maldives is very keen to develop the Maldivian youth and if you think you have the motivation and interest to try something new, then write to us. Foreigners who have a story to tell and would like to include in our publications may also write to us. Please send all your queries to the editor at editor@escalemaldives.com
www.escalemaldives.com |
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Contents DESTINATIONs
18
18 Kaashidhoo Island. Isolated
and not visited my many visitors, yet such an interesting island with a rich history. See what life is like in this island.
26 Coco Palm Bodu Hithi. Get to know about this luxury resort which is among the best in Maldives.
ENVIRONMENT
34 Designing Reefs. A practical and cost effective approach to restore your house reef or just creating one from scratch. 40 Why you should not hate seagrass. Most people hate seagrass
in Maldives, but there’s just more than one reason not to hate them.
44 Safeguarding the Whaleshark. Learn about the latest protected area in Maldives and what this means to the Whalesharks.
48 Maldivians and sandbanks. Read about sand banks, one
of the unique geographical features of Maldives.
FEATURES
52 The big 7 of Maldives.
With more than 99% ocean, Maldives is blessed with some of the famous giants of the sea. Read about what they are and why we think they deserve the title.
52
64 The story of jetties. The real life use of jetties and how important they are to the Maldives. 72 Shapes of islands. Every is-
land has a unique shape and it is continuously changing. Shapes define an island and has several implications.
80 Mapping Maldives. Surveying and its challenges in the Maldives.
40 1 0 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
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Contents Continued 84 What kind of water villas. In a time when luxury water villas
are ruling the Maldives, a new kind of water villas have emerged and are ruling the Maldives. Be amazed by this unique Maldivian invention.
100
SCUBA DIVING
90 III Dive sites for the absolute beginner. Guide to three beautiful dive sites for the absolute beginner.
100 Exploring the mystery of the Maldivian queen. Dis-
cover the ruins of the famous Maldivian Queen that ruled the Maldivian seas and the story behind her fateful death.
108 Wreck hunters dream destination. From small wrecks to
large wrecks, this place has everything. Its a wreck divers dream destination.
Travel Diary
118 Exploring South Male’ Atoll. Detail account of a two-day div-
ing adventure in south Male’ atoll.
City Breaks
128 Explore some of the best mosques in Male’. Discover
some of the best and historic mosques in Male’ on your own with this ultimate walking tour.
Agenda
132 What’s happening around Maldives. Get the latest
updates on development, environment, hot events and book reviews.
Fun zone
138 Fun things. Learn about Maldives through games and puzzles.
1 2 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
118 128
WATER SOLUTIONS, “Celebrating 5 years of dedic ated ser vic e”
BASIC Maldives Haa Alifu Atoll (Ha)
Land area
1,190 islands with a land area of 115 square miles (298 sq km)
Geographical Location
Indian Ocean 07o06’ 30” N to 00o41’48” S 72o32’30” E to 73o45’54” E
Immediate neighbours
India and Sri Lanka
Climate
Two Monsoons. The South-west monsoon extends from May to October and brings more rain accompanied by wind. The North-east monsoon extends from November to April and is drier and brings less wind
Maldives Standard Time
+5 hrs GMT
Religion
100 % Islam
Language
Dhivehi is the national language. The script is called “Thaana”. English is widely spoken in the government offices, business sector and is the main teaching medium in schools
Literacy Rate
98.2 percent (age group 10-45 yrs)
Temperature
Average temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. Temperature varies between 30.4 degrees C to - 25.4 degrees C.
Electricity
220 - 240 volts
Currency
Maldivian Rufiyaa (1 US$ = MRf 12.85)
Political status
Independent republic
Working hours
Banks : 8 am - 1.30 pm (Sun to Thu), Government Offices : 8 am - 4 pm (Sun to Thu), Fri and Sat holidays. Private Offices: Open between 8 am and 10 am and close between 6 pm and 8 pm (with a lunch break in between)
Major industries
Tourism, fisheries, boat building, and handicrafts
National flower
Pink Rose (Rosa Polyantha)
Domestic airports
3 domestic airports and 2 international airports.
Administrative atolls
20
No. of islands
1,190
No. of inhabited islands
197
Average rainfall
2000 mm
Sea area
107,500 sq km
Population
Approximately 300,000
Average Temp
28 0 C
No. of resorts
90
Capital
Male’
ihwfWm
Hanimaadhoo Domestic Airport
Haa Dhaalu Atoll (Hdh) *
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Shaviyani Atoll (Sh)
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Noonu Atoll (N)
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Raa Atoll (R)
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Lhaviyani Atoll (LH)
uDnwk ISufcnunehcnwa
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Baa Atoll (B)
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Male’, the capital See detail map next page
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Kaafu Atoll (K) - North
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Alif Alif Atoll (AA)
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Male’ International Airport
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Kaafu Atoll (K) - South
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* ilwgWv Vaagali(P)
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Alif Dhaalu Atoll (Adh)
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Vaavu Atoll (V)
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Faafu Atoll (F)
irigidOb
Thingiri irigcnit
Meemu Atoll (M) Faandhoo
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Maduvelage
Dhaalu Atoll (Dh)
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Thaa Atoll (Th)
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A
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Laamu Atoll (L)
Kadhdhoo Domestic Airport
Gaafu Alif Atoll (GA)
Udwrem
Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll (GDh)
Kaadedhdhoo Domestic Airport
*
*
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Gnaviyani Atoll (Gn)
Seenu Atoll (S)
Gan International Airport
FOR DE TAIL MA P ABOUT THE ATO S AND INFORM A LLS & IS LANDS TION, DIVES, B O “MAPSO F MALUY T FMALD IVES,TH HE TO THE ECOMP ATOLLS LETEGU & ISLA AVAILA NDS OF MALD IDE B IVES” L E FR WWW.A TOLL-IM OM AGES.C OM ALE’ AP OF M M L E V RA ! GET A T LUTELY FREE S E ABSO G A TOLL IM FROM A E COMPLETE TH OR BUY MALE’ FROM O T E ES.COM GUID L-IMAG L O T .A WWW
1 4 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
395
West Park
ATM
Viligili Ferry Terminal
Raambaa
Cemetry 4
Fulooniya Ma gu
un e Hig eere Hav Royal Inn
Muranga Magu
Ali Rasgefaanu Ziyaarai
Lemon Grass
Irama Magu
M A J E E D H E E
A m e e n e e
South West Harbour
Buruzu Magu
P
Villingilli View Inn
ni Hingun
Kanba Aisa Ra
Raaveriyaa
Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital
Bo
u
Mag
anu
rufa
duth aku
Higun
Handhuvaree
Stadium
M a g u
387
o ivey Mu
Abalone Tourist Inn
M A G U
Nalahiya Hotel
ATM
diy
gu Ma
ATM
P
Iskandharu Magu
Juway’s Café
Buruzu Magu
Cemetry 3
Garbage Dumping Area
Cemetry 5
ATM
Salsa 205
Ahmadhee Bazaar Area
Symphony
Food Bank
Seagull Café Salsa Café
Olive Garden
Theemuge
M A J E E D H E E
Transit Inn
agu
uM
aar
Farivaa Stay
Fan
ree
Fa
u ag
M ee dh
Salsa Royal
Local Market ATM
Jumhooree Maidhan
Jetty 4
u
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President’s Office Amee r Ahm e
Jetty 5 ATM
MA
M A G U
gu
Falhumathee Ma
P
Sinamale’ Flats
gu
Lonuziyaarai Ma
Bodurasgefaanu Magu
National Art Gallery
Sea Wall
A m e e n e e M a g u
UN Building
Host Inn
Central Hotel
Athama Palace
Champa Moon
ATM
Cemetery 2
Kinb ig
as M agu
400 Meters
Dharubaaruge / Convention Center
Jalapeno
City Palace
M A G Hotel U
Swimming Area Traffic Light
Filling Station Hotels / Guest House Map: www.atoll-images.com
Hospitals / Health centre
Restaurant
Ferry Terminal
Public Toilet
Police Station Excercise area
Places of interest Cinema
P
LEGEND Mosque
Lonuziyaaraikolhu Surf Break
Tandoor
Artificial Beach
Banks
P
Male’ Inn
ATM
u
Mag
Henveiru Chinese Garden Grounds Dinemore
nee
sha
Roa
Viole t Ma gu
ATM
N
Sea House Hulhumale’ Ferry Terminal Nasandhura Palace Hotel Maagiri Alimas Carnival Area Lodge Ground Six Farivaa Inn KAM Hotel Mookai Hotel Dolphin Café Candies
Airpo Jetty 1 rt Ferry 0
M A J E E D H E E
ATM
ADK Hospital
Skai Lodge
ATM
Fisherman’s Park
Magu kurufaanu Bodutha
STELCO Powerhouse
0
Raiy vila aM agu Cemetry 1
Hut
Children’s Park
Fasfinn Lodge City Hideaway
National Stadium
Dhonveli Inn
Buruneege Residence Wood Apple
Hukuru Miskiiy Holiday Inn Republic Monument M ed hu ziyaaraiy M Royal Garden agu Muleeaage Medhuziyaarai Parliament National House Museum Sultan Park Food Bank Lily Magu Thai Wok
Maldives National Defence Islamic Center Force (MNDF) Minaret
P
Official Jetty 2 Jetty
Jetty 1
gu
Sri Lankan Foods
gu
Izzudheen Ma
agu
M
tha Bodu
Hilaalee Magu
Or iM
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Ma isy Da
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Jetty 3
Rehendhi Hi gun
gu gefaan u Ma
Alikile
ND
u
uheen Husn Koimalaa Higun
Ma
Maafaiythakuru
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Fish Market
Dhonad
S O S U N
Maldives Ports Authority Area
haraadha Higun
CHA
Jetty 6 Kashimaa Higun
Jetty 8 M A G U Moonima Higun
Map of Male’
nu Magu
s Magu Nikaga Higun Amina Rani
faanu Magu
Boduthakurufaa
Janavaree Higun
HAN EE
Jetty 7 Irudheymaa Hig un
Jetty 9
Janavaree Magu
Lai
Raiyvilla Higu n
gu
Ma
gu
ru
Bodufungandu Ma
fa noo
Boduthakuru
01
PHOTOS FROM Maldives
Afreshwaterlake
MaldivianGreyHeron
03
13-Ihavandhoo 9 - Nolhivaranfaru
6-Huvandhumaavwattaru 7 - Coco Palm Dhunikolhu
11-LhaviyaniAtoll 12-Dharavandhoo 5,10-Eriyadhoo
2 - Bolifushi
4 - Male’
3 - Dhagethi
8 - Olhuveli
1 - Gan
Photo credits: 5,10byVerenaWiesbauerAli 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 11, 13 by Riya 7 by AJ 8 by Mazin 4,12 by Amooo
Aruralhousemadefromcoconutthatch
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04
05
Male’ fish market
AbrightlycolouredLionfish
Atypicalscenefromadessertisland
Asmalldhoniinaluxuryresort
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07
09
08
AhugetunacaughtinLaamuatoll
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Acrowrestingonapapayatree
Acolourfulnudibranch
Tunafishing
11 12
Afathercarryinghistwochildrenonamotocycle
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Tunafishdryingbeds.DriedtunaisapopulardelicacyinMaldives
Destinations
Women and children collecting shells during low tide hours. Photo by: Amooo
1 8 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
Kaashidhoo Island Text by : Amooo
www.escalemaldives.com |
19
Destinations
“
Although considered as part of the administrative Male’ atoll, it is geographically an atoll by itself on its own coral reef.
”
02 Photo by: Riya
IT’S A LARGE ISLAND, it has got history, infact a very interesting history and it’s one of the most isolated islands in the Maldives. As you enter the lagoon through the longest access channel in the Maldives, you are welcomed by a beautiful artificial islet created from sand extracted from this long access channel. Once you reach the island, a destroyed harbour awaits to receive you. The moment you step on the semi destroyed quay wall of the harbour, you instantly feel the uniqueness of this island. Every day, several international cargo ships pass this island carrying millions of dollars worth of goods from east to the west as they cross the Maldives on their routine journey. And every day several local boats and vessels cross this unique island comforting them with the sight of the island, knowing that they could take shelter if the weather gets nasty. Yes, you guessed it right. It is Kaashidhoo island. The name Kaashidhoo literally means ‘coconut island’. ‘Kaashi’ means coconut and ‘dhoo’, although it does not literally mean an island, it is a common term
used to describe an island in Dhivehi Language. The island lies in Kaashidhoo Kan’du (kan’du in Dhivehi is referred to Sea) also known as ‘Kardiva Channel’ which is the broad channel separating some of the central atolls of Maldives, most notably Male’ atoll and Lhaviyani atoll. The island of Kaashidhoo lies roughly in the middle of this channel. Although considered as part of the administrative Male’ atoll, it is geographically an atoll by itself on its own coral reef. It is the biggest island in Male’ Atoll and is the biggest among the islands north to Male’. Kaashidhoo can also be considered among the largest islands in Maldives. The island is 87.5 km north of the capital Male’, and is in a very strategic geographic location. The island is totally isolated from the rest of the atoll imposing a significant challenge to establish its transportation with the rest of Kaafu Atoll and the country in general.
01
01
Despite the isolation, the island is unique and full of history, a history that dates back to centuries. Not many foreigners
03 KAASHIDHOO FACTS Population: 2000 Land Area: 276 Hectares Length: 2.8 km Width: 1.02 km Dist. from Male’:87.5 km Dist. from Male’ International airport:85.9 km Electricity: 24 hrs Major economic activity: Agriculture, carpentry, boat building Available health facility: Health centre Photo by: Riya
2 0 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
1 - Aerial view of Kaashidhoo island 2, 3 - Most houses are constructed using mined coral like this house. 4,5-Agricultureisthenumberoneincomegeneratingactivity and generates revenue to the local economy. Both men and womenareengagedinagricultureandatleastonepersonfrom each household is enaged in agriculture. 6-Ripewatermelonsinafarm.Watermelonsarewidelygrownin the island most of which end up in the local market in Male’ Photos by: Amooo
get to visit this island, mainly due to its isolation and there are no nearby resorts or regular transport networks. Seafarers stop by this island during rough weather when Kaashidhoo Kan’du cannot be crossed. It is a nasty sea during rough weather and you would not want to be even near this channel when it is rough. When the conditions are bad, it is best to avoid this sea. In bad weather, many travelers take refuge in the calmness of the island’s lagoon until it is safe to travel. The islanders are a friendly bunch of people most of whom are engaged in agriculture. Fishing is also a major activity, but Kaashidhoo is largely an agricultural island and fishing is never considered as a source of income for this huge island. Some of the islanders are engaged in other economic activities such as boat building and in resort jobs, but the majority concentrates on agriculture.
06
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
04
05
With a population of only about 2000 people, Kaashidhoo has plenty of space for agricultural farming on a large scale. Despite the large size, the full potential of agriculture has not been explored. Twenty four million square feet of land, with 8000 feet NE-SW as the longest and 3200 at the widest dimensions is considered very big in Maldives. It is said that Kaashidhoo is the island from which most of the coconuts are brought to Male’. The markets of Male’ are always loaded with agricultural produce from this island including chilli, cucumber, water melon, banana and papaya. A large percent of the land is still unused. Basic health and other facilities are available on the island. The island’s health facility was built in February 1999 while the educational facility, a school, was built in April 1984 and upgraded in January 1986. The island is equipped with modern telecommunication systems such as cellular phones and local telephone network and radio telephone system (Island Office). The island houses a state owned power station and is equipped to provide electricity 24 hours. The community water tanks provide adequate storage capacities, yet the locals install their own storage vessels as well. Rain water is the main source of drinking water while groundwater is extensively used for other domestic purposes.
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7 - A woman at her farm. 8 - A fisherman displays his catch in the late afternoon. 9-Thecompoundoftheoldmosquewhichhasbeenrenovated recently.Thecompoundusedtobeagraveyardintheearlydays. 10 - A man and his goat crosses a dusty road. Sights like this are rare today, even in rural Maldives. 11 - A backyard lettuce farm. It is a good cash crop and very popular among Maldivians. Photos by: Amooo
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BOOKS ON MALDIVES
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Maps of Maldives features detail maps of all the atolls of Maldives including all the inhabited islands, statistics for each atolls, unihbaited islands, resorts, resorts under development, industrial island including agricultural islands, location of navigational lights, shipwrecks and many more. This book will be useful to anyone visiting Maldives, whether for holiday or for work.
get to know everything about Maldives before you come - order your copy today ! 11
AVAILABLE FROM ATOLL IMAGES Ma.Shah, Dhidhi Golhi Male’, Maldives Tel: (960) 334 1643 Fax: (960) 333 1643 www.atoll-images.com info@atoll-images.com
Destinations 12
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12 - A care taker rests beside the archaeological site. 13 - Ruins of a Bhuddhist temple.The entire site is considered to be a temple. 14 - A well in ruins. Photos by Amooo
KAASHIDHOO THARAAGAN’DU
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TRAVEL INFORMATION Best time to go: Throughout the year, but crossing Kaashidhoo channel can be rough during May to July. How to get there: Only sea transport. Alternatively you can charter a sea plane. Must do’s: Visit the agricultural farms and Kaashidhoo Tharaagan’du. Accommodation and food: Some guesthouses and few restaurants are available. It is advisable to make advance bookings prior to arrival. How to get there: Contact Escale Maldives at info@escalemaldives.com
Kaashidhoo has several landmarks namely, Kaashidhoo Island Office, Kaashidhoo Island Court, Kaashidhoo Health Centre, Kaashidhoo Atoll School, Kaashidhoo Women’s Centre, Masjidul Niumaa, Old Friday Mosque, Masjidul Furqaan, Masjidul Ihusaan, Masjidul Amaan and Kaashidhoo Tharaagan’ du (the Buddhist ruins). But amongst the numerous landmarks, Kaashidhoo Tharaagan’du is notably the most significant in terms of history and it is a place worth visiting. Kaashidhoo Tharaagan’du, is the ruins of a Buddhist temple used by the Maldivians before the people embraced Islam. The origins of this historic landmark originate from India. Some of the ancient chronicles of South India and the Mahavansa of Sri Lanka contain records about the Maldives. According to the Mahavansa, one of the ships that sailed with Prince Vijaya who went to Sri Lanka around 500 BC, went adrift and arrived at an island called Mahiladvipika, which is the Maldives. It is also said that at that time the people from Mahiladvipika used to travel to Sri Lanka. A Roman manual of navigation from the first century AD, Periplus Maris Erithraei mentions islands assumed to be the Maldives. This archaeological site at Kaashidhoo, which is among the discoveries in the Maldives to be subjected to scientific inquiry, have been dated to 3rd or 4th century AD. Thus, Buddhism would have been brought to the Maldives sometime before that date. As the Maldives was well known in the region, it is quite possible that when Ashoka, the famous Indian King (265-238 BC) sent out missionaries to various South Asian countries to spread Buddhism, some of them had arrived in the Maldives. Today, Kaashidhoo Tharaagan’du is a protected historical site. In 2008, the government decided to develop a resort in the island’s lagoon by reclaiming land but until today, nothing has materialized and it is the islanders’ hopes and dream that one day the full economic potential of this island would be realised. References - www.maldivesstory.com - www.kaashidhoo.net - www.kaashidhoo.org - www.kaafuatoll.gov.mv
2 4 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
ORIGINAL BRANDS SOLED EXCLUSIVELY AT
Alikilegefaanu Magu, Tel: 333 4080, E-mail: college@dhivehinet.net.mv
Destinations
2 6 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
It will take the length of your stay at Coco Palm Bodu Hithi, part of Coco Collection, to find the sea’s end and the sky’s beginning. After the Maldives, blue will never again be just blue. Instead, discover azure, turquoise and cerulean after days of contemplation. Of perfect bliss. A romantic escape to remember always. Boarding Bodu Hithi’s private speedboat for your transfer, try to stop grinning. Impossible. Forty minutes later, arrive in style and comfort before a white, sandy beach. The island, covered in mature vegetation is exclusively home to Bodu Hithi resort and promises, from first glance, a magic holiday. Pad down natural, sandy walkways - first to an open-air reception for a welcome glass of champagne and then, home
Destinations
Your thatched villa awaits. Whether tucked amongst coconut trees, or on stilts above the sea nothing competes with your view. Its clean, natural design includes luxury finishings and truly comfortable furniture. From your king-sized four-poster bed, overhanging palm fronds frame your view of the ocean. After the Maldives, blue will never again be just blue. Begin your perfect day when you choose, with a private champagne breakfast on a pristine stretch of beach. Proceed then to a morning’s fishing, setting sail in a traditional Maldivian dhoni. At home, your private sun terrace comes with double sunbeds for extra time together and long, delicious naps. Return from a dive or yoga session to find your bed crisply made, with a fine silk robe offered at the side. Internet connections and cable TV are your real-world reminder if required, and an espresso machine is a trusted friend no matter how lazy your days.
2 8 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
Your
personal
butler
might
recommend a hundred and one secretive corners in which to read,
write
or
dream.
Or
perhaps draw a fresh, luxury bath overlooking the ocean. Count the little extras and they’ll soon
outrun
your
wildest
estimates. Sink into bed, your head against pillows misted daily with a choice of aromatic spray. After a wonderfully relaxed time, the sunset announces the end of another day in paradise - but not of the experience. Perhaps you celebrate it with a romantic dinner for two at the water’s edge? A waiting chef will barbecue fresh fish. Sunset cruising might be nice, too - whether on a sailboat or catamaran.
www.escalemaldives.com |
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Destinations
As for special events, a full service team is ready to suggest venues and magic, including a private beach, sand bars, sail boats and even a desert island. Secrets and memories made here are shared between you, your loved one and the ocean beyond. There’s no traffic, crowding or distraction, but instead a one-to-one five-star experience. The unspoiled, natural location and the gorgeous Maldivian people improve it even more.
3 0 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
T: 00960 334 55 55
F: 00960 334 66 66, E: reservations@cococollection.com.mv
www.cocopalm.com
GDS Codes:
Amadeus: MLECOC Galileo: 36824
Sabre: 23987
MALDIVES - OPEN FOR BUSINESS Maldives, famous for its world class luxury tourist facility, is also one of Asia’s fastest growing island nations.
Invest Maldives - the Investment Promotion Agency of the Maldives – is currently offering numerous opportunities to international investors in sectors such as:
• • • • • •
Luxury Real Estate and Beach front villas Social Housing and Infrastructure Utilities - with particular attention to renewable energy sources Specialist Health care and Health Tourism Tertiary Education Adventure and Sea-Sports tourism facilities
The Maldives offers : • Dynamic young education English speaking population • Stable democratic governance and rule of law • South Asia’s most business friendly environment (according to World Bank’s Doing Business Index 2009) • 0% Corporate Tax • No limitations on currency flows and free repatriation of profits For further details on investment climate and opportunities please visit Invest Maldives’ official website:
www.investmaldives.org
Invest Maldives | Ministry of Economic Development First Floor | Invest Maldives Building, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Malé, Maldives. Phone: (960) 3324767, Fax: (960) 3322528 Email: info@investmaldives.org
www.investmaldives.org
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Environment
01
Designing Reefs
A useful management tool for resorts in the Maldives? Text by: Mag. Verena Wiesbauer Ali
The Maldives is one of the few nations in the world that can be considered a “100% coastal community”, being entirely dependent on a continuous supply of resources such as tuna and reef fish, coastal sea defence and a tourism industry that is built around crystal clear water and colourful coral reefs. Therefore, the functioning of the ecosystem surrounding the tiny Maldivian islands is vital for the local community. However, together with tourism that contributed so much to the country’s economic boom, came its negative side effects: dredging, increased sewage discharge, chemical pollution, run-off of sediment due to land reclamation, a huge amount of waste and tourist damage through reef-walking, swimming, snorkelling, boating and SCUBA diving. These anthropogenic pressures on reefs further exacerbated in the 1980s and 1990s by several strong El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, which have been correlated with widespread warm water anomalies and associated bleaching and mortality of corals. In recent years, the worldwide decline in coral reefs prompted greater attention towards remediation and restoration activities in the Maldives. In 2006, the ‘First National Workshop on Resort Reef Management’ was held in Male’, where marine biologists from various resort islands presented their remediation and restoration activities and encouraged other resort managers to initiate similar projects. The growing enthusiasm among resort managers for such projects lasted just a few months, until the new Environmental Impact Assessment 3 4 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
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(EIA) regulations were implemented in 2007, requiring an EIA study for artificial reefs. This makes sense, considering that one third of the zooxanthellate reef-building coral species using the IUCN Red List criteria that could be assigned conservation status (n=704) are now in categories with elevated risk of extinction (Carpenter et al. 2008).
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1 - Artificial reef outside the underwater spa in Huvafen Fushi Resort, two years after creation 2 - In Huvafen Fushi Resort, an artificially created reef based on concretestructureslinesthewindowsoftheirUnderwaterSpa 3 - In less than one year, corals have overgrown the structures and cannot be seen anymore 4 - Coral nubbins established on nursery tables at the Huvafen Fushi Resort 5 - Nubbins of local branching and Corymbose Acropora and Pocilloporaspeciesonacoralnurserygrow-outtableatTajCoral reef resort 6 - A dead reef in North Male’ atoll Photo Credits 1,2,3,4,5 by Verena Wiesbauer Ali 6 by Amooo
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Environment
Nevertheless, major redevelopment projects in the Maldives, such as construction of over-water bungalows, seawalls and underwater structures, that may affect the marine environment, require an EIA as well. Resorts that get the “permission to damage their house reefs” within such a framework are allowed to use corals for artificial reef purposes that would be destroyed anyways during the construction process. Therefore, legal requirements have to be met before resort managers and local communities can proceed with their “designed reefs”. However, the first question in reef restoration management procedure should always be: Was there a coral reef at the site where restoration efforts should be applied? If there has never been a reef there it is probably best not to create one as the environment (abiotic conditions) may not support a coral reef community. From a management viewpoint, two important points, which emerge from several studies (references in Edwards & Clark 1998), are that: (1) there is no point in designing reefs in areas where water quality is poor as transplants will tend to die, and (2) loss of transplants in high-energy environments tends to be high whatever methods are used to attach them. However, where water quality is good in relatively low energy environments, transplants tend to survive reasonably well.
tourist resorts. Efforts to rehabilitate or restore the ecological functions of coral reefs vary from the expensive deployment of artificial structures over the electrochemical deposition of CaCO3 to simple coral culturing activities, depending upon the spatial scale and the logistic potential of the specific countries. Other activities involve sexual reproduction and larval recruitment to initiate recovery. In the Maldives, the simplest way to design reefs is to attach loose coral pieces to a substrate, i.e. concrete or iron grids and let them grow for some months. Even though the educational and scientific uses of artificial coral growth are being acknowledged, we should not forget to focus on measures to prevent damage. Once human pressures such as untreated sewage, coastal reclamation and pollution are reduced, natural processes can take over and speed up coral growth, naturally restoring reefs that have suffered under the bleaching event. Reference W Carpenter KE, Abrar M, Aeby G, Aronson RB, Banks S, Andrew A, Chiriboga A, Cortés J, Delbeek CJ, DeVantier L, J. Edgar GJ, Edwards AJ, Fenner D, Guzmán HM,. Hoeksema BW, Hodgson G, Johan O, Licuanan WY, Livingstone SR, Lovell ER, Jennifer, Moore JA, Obura DO, Ochavillo D, Polidoro BA, Precht WF, Quibilan MC, Reboton C, Richards ZT, Rogers AD, Sanciangco J, Sheppard A, Sheppard C, Smith J, Stuart S, Turak E, Veron JEN, Wallace C, Weil E, Wood E (2008) One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts. Science [DOI: 10.1126/science.1159196]
In general, designing an artificial reef serves as a catalyst for recovery by increasing the live coral cover and topographic complexity on a reef. In the Maldives, a reason for coral transplantation would be to mitigate damage caused by tourists engaged in water-based recreational activities, to save coral communities threatened by pollution, land reclamation or piling works, or to enhance the attractiveness of underwater habitat in 7-Anisolatedlivecoralgrowinginanalmost100percentdead reef. 8-Coralsarefrequentlydamagedbysnorkellers,diversandduring anchoringormajorstormevents.Suchbrokencoralpiecescanbe cultured and placed back on the reef after growth in a nursery. 9-GuestsoftheFourSeasonsResortcanadoptReefBalls:manmadestructurescomprisedofaspecial,marinefriendlyconcrete thataredesignedtomimicnaturalreefsystemsandtofacilitate thegrowthofcoralsinareaswherethereefhasbeendamaged. 10 - Some reefs in the Maldives are still suffering after the El Ninomasscoralbleachingeventin1998andlookmorelikerubble fields than healthy reefs that protect an island. 11-BanyanTreeMaldivesVabbinfaruusesmetalframesasnurseries for corals and as artificial wave-breaks. By passing a small electriccurrentthroughthemetal,alayeroflimestoneformsand coral growth is accelerated. Photo Credits 7 by Amooo 8,10 by Verena Wiesbauer Ali 9 Courtesy of www.reefball.org 11 Courtesy of Banyan Tree, Ihuru, Maldives
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Edwards AJ, Clark S (1998) Coral Transplantation: A Useful Management Tool or Misguided Meddling? Marine Pollution Bulletin 37: 474-487
If you want to design an artificial reef for your resort or undertake a large scale reef restoration project, please contact: Water Solutions Ma.Shah, Dhidhi Goalhi Male’, Maldives Tel: (+960) 334 1643 Fax: (+960) 333 1643 Email:info@water-solutions.biz Web: www.water-solutions.biz
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Environment
A designeD reef for Coco Palm Bodu hithi
Photo:Digitalglobe
Background The luxurious Coco Palm Bodu Hithi Resort was lucky to recover fast after the mass coral bleaching event in 1998, which has killed one third of all tropical reef-building corals worldwide and was felt in more than 90% of Maldives’ coral reefs. However, in areas where the main requirements for corals – namely sunlight and a stable substrate – are not met, reef growth slows down or does not occur at all. Therefore, the creation of an artificial reef is sometimes a useful tool to speed up coral growth and to enable these tiny animals to grow on a firm base under their preferred conditions. Reef rehabilitation on Boduhithi On the north-eastern tip of the resort (see the above photo), several areas were identified suitable for coral restoration. Next to walkways, as well
3 8 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
as in the Spa and Restaurant reception, concrete structures will be placed on to which live corals will be attached. Such structures, elevated from the sandy sea floor, will also attract coral larvae to settle, indirectly promoting coral growth. In addition, a coral nursery will be set up to propagate corals in order to place them on the island’s house reef after a period of supervised growth in the shallow lagoon.
Designed reefs created by Water Solutions are sustainable, because only broken coral pieces from the seafloor are used for transplantation; therefore, they do not damage the existing corals of an island’s house- or lagoon reef. To find more information about this project or if you are interested in undertaking such projects, please contact:
Designed reefs by Water Solutions Together with Coco Palm resorts, Water Solutions is currently undertaking a very ambitious project to restore the coral reef of Coco Palm Bodu Hithi. The project will establish cost-effective, artificially created coral gardens that provide an important habitat for young settlers and attract numerous reef fish, but also snorkelers and divers! Such areas benefit overall reef health and increase biodiversity.
WATER SOLUTIONS
Ma.Shah, Dhidhi Goalhi, Male’, Maldives Tel: +960 334 1643 Fax: +960 333 1643 Web: www.water-solutions.biz Email:info@water-solutions.biz
Environment
01
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Why You Should
S
Not Hate Seagrass Text by: Mag. Verena Wiesbauer Ali. Photos by Amooo
eagrass beds surrounding Maldivian tourist resorts are often destroyed because their guests expect clean blue water to swim in and no washed up grass on the beaches in the morning. A common method to do so involves laying down sheets of plastic over the seagrass and weighing it down with bags full of sand, thereby smothering the grass, leaving it and other benthic fauna and flora to rot. Their biological importance as a habitat that offers food, shelter and essential nursery areas to many fish species is often ignored.
The complexity of seagrass habitat is even increased when several species of seagrasses grow together, their leaves concealing juvenile fish and benthic invertebrates such as crustaceans, bivalves or echinoderms. Juvenile stages of many fish species spend their early days in the relative safety and protection of seagrasses. Seagrass meadows help dampen the effects of strong currents, providing protection to fish and invertebrates, while also preventing the scouring of bottom areas and seeds, and manufacturing their own food via photosynthesis.
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Did you know? Within seagrass communities, a single acre of seagrass can produce over 10 tons of leaves per year. This vast biomass provides food, habitat, and nursery areas for a myriad of adult and juvenile vertebrates and invertebrates. Further, a single acre of seagrass may support as many as 4000 fish and 50 million small invertebrates.
In the Maldives we find three different stages of seagrass extent: 1 - The “uninhabited remote atoll� condition: very clean sandy lagoons with zero or minimal seagrass, mostly thin, patchy, sparse and often monsoonal/ephemeral growth due to the very nutrient-poor waters, except following a brief upwelling or heavy storm rainfall event. 2 - Inhabited islands with limited nutrient increases associated with some beaches which are big enough to enable a relatively dense or thick, permanent seagrass meadow - e.g. beside a beach where historically regular washing, fish cleaning/cutting or boat-building services took place. 3 - Places where there are larger nutrient inputs into poorly flushed waters (islands with embayments or islands that use fertilisers; waste from a fish processing factory; broken sewage line etc). Due to their morphology and growth habit, seagrasses are also sometimes confused with marine macroalgae. However, closer examination reveals that seagrasses are more closely related to terrestrial plants. Like terrestrial plants, they possess specialized tissues that perform specific tasks within each plant. Conversely, algae are relatively simple and unspecialized in structure. While algae possess only a tough holdfast that assists in anchoring the plant to a hard substratum, seagrasses possess true roots that not only hold plants in place, but also are specialized for extracting minerals and other nutrients from the sediment.
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What can you do if your resort develops new seagrass meadows? 1 - Check your main treated sewage outfall line for breakage or leakage. Check buried sewage collecting lines near the problem beach for breakage. 2 - Check if your gardeners use too much fertiliser in the landscaped areas. 3 - Consider that recent dredging activities and beach nourishment operations could have mobilised previously buried nutrients and therefore could have enhanced seagrass growth. 4 - Monitor if the seagrass meadow occurs only seasonal/ephemeral during the southwest monsoon and
disappears in the dry north-east period. 5 - Do not attempt to kill seagrasses with plastic sheets - this is a messy and unreliable procedure unsightly to guests. It does not manage the nutrient cause, instead reduces local water quality from the decomposing organic matter and keeps the nutrients still circulating around your island. 6 - Inform your guests about the benefits and ecological value of seagrass and create their interest in the animals that live within! 06
1 - A branching coral growing in a shallow lagoon among a colony of seagrass. 2 - Exposed seagrass beds between the island of Hoadehdhoo and Madaveli in Gaaf Dhaal atoll. 3 & 4 - A circular patch of sea grass formed on the eastern side of the island Kaadedhdhoo, where the regional airport is located. 5 - A resort island in North Male’ atoll with heavy sea grass growth around it. 6 - A sea urchin skeleton found in a seagrass patch. Photos by Amooo
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Environment
01
SAFEGUARDING
THE WHALE SHARKS
Hanifaru in Baa atoll declared a protected site
F
inally good news for Whale sharks and for the people who love this amazing creature. A sanctuary has been declared for them in the Maldives. Hanifaru reef in Baa atoll declared a protected site on the occasion of the 2009 World Environment Day. This famous reef is well known as a breeding and feeding ground for Mantas and Whale Sharks. Textby:Amooo
At present there are few protected sites in Maldives and there is no overall zoning plan for Baa Atoll. As a result, decisions, regarding development activities and use, are currently made without any strategic overview of the area’s capacity to support such activities. The recent allocation of one of the top sites for Whale Sharks and Manta Rays (Hanifaru Bay) for development exemplifies this issue. There was lot of criticism from the general public and notably from environmentalists and groups regarding this decision. Similarly, access to marine resources either for fishing or for tourism, is also not managed, with free access to all users. The only exceptions in Baa atoll are the two protected areas: Olhughiri Island and Dhighali-ha dive site. However, these designations exist on paper only and are not respected. However, with the support of the Atoll Ecosystem Conservation (AEC) project, things are moving in the right direction in terms of conservation. Hanifaru is one of the most beautiful reefs in Baa atoll. Hanifaru rah is a small uninhabited island formed on Hanifaru reef. This small island on the western end is used as a picnic island by nearby resorts. This island has a beautiful beach all around and is small enough to walk around in a few minutes. Located on the eastern rim
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of the atoll, Hanifaru is a popular dive site where whale sharks and manta rays are often sighted. Every year, hundreds of tourists visit the bay for diving, mainly to watch whale sharks and mantas. Hanifaru bay is known to divers as “Aquarium” or locally as “Vandhumaafaru adi” and is home to a large number of whale sharks, grey reef sharks, manta rays and sting rays. It is also a nursery for these animals. Hanifaru ecosystem is vital for the aggregation of whale sharks and mantas and is a unique natural habitat. It is also one of the few such places in the world. It is a beautiful reef to view from above and rich in diversity underneath.
in Baa atoll, whale sharks are sighted from May to October. These mass feeding events only happen a few times each month and depend on the relative plankton concentration.
There is a seasonal movement of whale sharks observed within the Maldives and
References
With the declaration of Hanifaru as a protected site, Maldives has taken a new step in protecting this vital species from extinction. It is heartening news for nature lovers and the hundreds of divers visiting Hanifaru every year to watch whale sharks and mantas. More visitors to the atoll also translates as more income for the islanders.
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www.biodiversity.ac
“
Hanifaru bay is known to divers as “Aquarium”or locally as “Vandhumaafaru adi” and is home to a large number of Whale sharks, grey reef sharks, Manta rays and sting rays.
”
06 1 - Hanifaru reef 4 - Hanifaru reef, Dhonfan and Kihaadhuffaru Resort Photo credits 1 by DigitalGlobe 2,3 by Rifaa 4 by Amooo 5 by Guy Stevens (photo courtesy of AEC project) 6 by Shafraaz Naeem (photo courtesy of AEC project)
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Environment
01
Maldivians & SANDBANKS
T
he islands in Maldives are known for its beauty and tranquility. For generations we, as humans, have ignored our environment. Never fully understanding how important it is for us. But for us Maldivians it is difficult to ignore it, as our islands are scattered in the middle of the Indian Ocean without much protection from the vast Indian Ocean. Our islands are formed on delicate coral reefs surrounded by the ocean. From within these reefs, sandbanks are formed. As scientifically and geometrically explained, a sandbar or a sandbank is somewhat a linear landform within or extending into a body of water, typically composed of sand, silt or small pebbles. A spit or sand spit is a type of shoal. Shoals are characteristically long and narrow (linear) and develop where
4 8 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
Text by: Riya
a stream or ocean current promotes deposition of granular material, resulting in localized swallowing (shoaling) of the water. Shoals can appear in the sea, in lakes, or in rivers. The term bar can apply to landform features spanning a considerable range in size, from a length of a few meters in a small stream to marine depositions stretching for hundreds of kilometers along a coastline, often called barrier islands. Each sandbank is unique. It has its own shape and size. These shapes include circles, triangles, square and rectangles. In other words it has its own individuality and uniqueness. At times you may find a single sandbank with its own reef, like an island. Most of the time you find many sandbanks near an island or islands. As Maldivian islands also have different shapes and sizes, sandbanks also continu-
ously change shape and size due to natural causes and human activities. Natural causes include erosion and the monsoons while human activities include mining sand that significantly alters the shapes and size of these sandbanks. If you fly over Maldives, chances are that most of the time you will see these sandbanks which are like little drops of pearls. The formation of these sandbanks is important to the fishing and tourism industry and for protecting the environment of coastal waters as these banks are near the atolls and islands of the Maldives. Normally one can find different species and varieties of birds in these sandbanks. If you wish to see seabirds you can be sure to find them on sandbanks. As the sandbanks mature, vegetation
grows and there will be small shrubs growing. As the vegetation grows, it protects the sand bank from being washed away and the process of creating an island begins. You may be thrilled and surprised to find sea turtles laying their eggs in many of these beautiful sand banks. Turtles need a landmass to lay their eggs and a sand bank is an ideal place for them, because they are secluded and uninhabited. The main source of income for Maldivians is through tourism. Most of the tourist resorts in Maldives utilize these sandbanks as a luxury hideaway for its guests. These sandbanks are strikingly beautiful and have an ambience of peace and tranquility. Tourists are often taken to these idyllic sandbanks for private dinners, barbeques, soothing walks, private functions and many other activities. These sandbanks are not only used by tourists, but also used by Maldivians for picnics and private functions as well.
1 - A sand bank formed near a small uninhabited island in Lhaviyani atoll. 2 - An oval sandbank 3 - Sea birds in a sandbank in Baa atoll 4 - A hut and a dining table in an isolated sand bank in Baa atoll.Mostsandbanksareusedbytouristresortsforpicnicsand barbeques. 5-TheuninhabitedislandofKashidhooandthenearbysandbank in Baa atoll
We as Maldivians have been living in these beautiful islands for hundreds of years and have used sandbanks for various purpose. In the past, sand from sandbanks have been used as a source for construction of infrastructure in our islands, but today due to increased awareness, people have reverted to other sources. It is no longer a common practice to mine sand from sandbanks.
So if you are interested and curious to see a sandbank and find out what’s there and its shape, try to do some island hopping and see, explore and experience a sandbank for yourself next time you visit Maldives. Who knows after all this maybe a wonderful experience and adventure for you? And did you know, some tourists visiting Maldives have even got married on sandbanks. References www.wikipedia.org
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Photo credits 1 by DigitalGlobe 2,3,4 by Riya 5 by Amooo
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JOIN ECOCARE TODAY !
Ecocare Maldives was registered under the Ministry of Home Affairs on 15 November 1994. This is an independent non-profit-making non-governmental organisation (NGO), which works for the protection and sustainable development of the environment. Ecocare is a relatively young NGO. However, when viewed in proper perspective, especially within the view of its main objectives, that is creating and increasing environmental awareness among the population of the Maldives, the organisation has existed for a considerable period of time within the community. In 1978, concepts like the preservation of archipelagic ecosystems was relatively unknown not only to the average Maldivian, but to the rest of the world as well. Environmental degradation and the scourge of sea level rise were relatively new expressions used within groups in certain academic institutions. People who campaigned for the protection of nature in its complete form were viewed for the larger part as flower eaters, if not as eccentrics that were best ignored. The im-
portance of the environment to the survival of the Maldivians became an issue in the early 80’s. At the time, the attention given to the environment in the Maldives was improving, but not to a level that environmentalist would have hoped for. Dumping of chemical substances including used oil and expired pharmaceutical products, the indiscriminate slaughter and sale of turtles and other marine creatures with no regard to the survival potential and the cutting down of trees to make way for concrete was acceptable practice. As the Maldives entered the 1990’s, the concerted attempts made by the government to rectify the situation started bearing fruit. It was into the scenario that Ecocare was born. The co-founders of Ecocare Mohamed Zahir and Ibrahim Waheed “Ogaru”, two young persons from very different backgrounds were thrown together frequently not in their professional areas of work but in area where certain personal interests covered that of writing on issues of social concern. While Mohamed Zahir was a professional photographer who worked for a
legal newspaper, Ibrahim Waheed “Ogaru” worked in the area of education. Formally untrained, and certainly lacking formal education in the area of environmental protection, these two young persons utilized their courage, determination and inventiveness to develop into the complex world of environment protection. Their writings and other efforts supplemented and augmented official efforts made at a national level to increase environmental awareness in the nation. Their efforts were so rewarding and successful that they decided to commit themselves to the environment of the Maldives by formally registering Ecocare. If any person or party wishes to join the team as a member or give assistance financially or otherwise please contact the general secretary of Ecocare. Mr. Moosa Manik General Secretary Ecocare Maldives, Ma.Kinaaraa House, Iskandaru Magu Male’. Republic of Maldives. Phone: (960) 7771504, (960) 9991504 Email: contact@ecocare.mv
SAVE THE SHARK
A campaign started in 2000 to Save the Shark.
Joinnus!
i o J
contact@ecocare.mv
THE BIG SE7EN OF MALDIVES A
byMag.VerenaWiesbauerAli
ustralia has Koalas and Kangaroos, New Zealand has Kiwi’s, South Africa has Lions, Elephants and Leopards, but what does Maldives have? The only wild life found in Maldives are sea creatures and for many years Maldivians have had a special relationship with these sea creatures.
SCUBAdiversatoneofthefew“MantaPoints�intheMaldives,whereMantarays(Mantabirostris)congregateforfeedingorbeingcleaned. Photo by Amooo
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The seas surrounding the Maldives unfold an exotic realm of marine life. Innumerable species of possibly all colours, shapes, and sizes can be found right from the tepid waters of the ocean surface to the cold, dark abyss hundreds of kilometres below. The diving destination Maldives is particularly renown for its large pelagics like whales, whale sharks, manta rays or sharks that visit the area. Reef associated animals like turtles, groupers, moray eels or reef sharks can be frequently encountered during a snorkel or dive trip in the Maldives. Let’s take a closer look at probably the most popular large marine animals in the Maldives - The “Big 7 of Maldives”
THE WHALE SHARK (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish in the world and grows possibly up to 21m in length, but rarely above 12m. With their huge size and distinctive spotting, whale sharks cannot be confused with any other species. These circumtropical pelagic filter feeders occur singly or in small schools, often near the surface. They feed mainly on plankton, sometimes on small pelagic crustaceans or
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small schooling fishes. Whale sharks have been caught for their liver oil and their fins, until the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture imposed a ban on all fishing, capturing or taking in 1995. Whale sharks are sometimes seen by divers, normally during the southwest monsoon off the east coast and during the northeast monsoon off the west coast of the Maldives. Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll is considered one of the few places in the world where whale sharks congregate to mate. It has recently been declared a
Marine Protected Area (MPA). Research by the “Maldives Whale Shark Project” suggests that many of the 90 individual whale sharks recorded from the Maldives are resident here all year round – which is unique within the Indian Ocean. 1-A Snorkellerapproachingthelargestfishinthe world,theWhale shark (Rhinchodon typus), indicating “Everything is OK!”. 2-DiversandsnorkellerscanswimwiththisgiantWhalesharkwithoutrisk,apartfromunintentionalblowsfromtheshark’slargetailfin. 3-Spinnerdolphins(Stenellalongirostris)areacommonsightinthe Maldives. 4 - Dolphins are a common bycatch in tuna fisheries – but not in the Maldives!The Maldivian tuna industry ensures that tuna fishery is “dolphin safe”. Photo Credits 1,2 - by Rifaa 3,4 - by Verena Wiesbauer Ali
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The Maldive islands lie in the Central Indian Ocean, at the very heart of the Indian Ocean Sanctuary (IOS), which was established by the International Whaling Commission in 1979. It is home to a remarkable abundance and diversity of cetaceans, including geographically isolated populations. The Maldivian cetacean community is diverse; a total of 19 different species have been recorded here, including 2 rare species of Beaked Whale (Anderson et al., 1999; Balance et al., 2001). Species include: Blue Whale, Bryde’s Whale, Spinner Dolphin, Rough-toothed Dolphin, Fraser’s Dolphin, Spotted Dolphin, Striped Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin, Cuvier’s Beaked Whale, Blainville’s Beaked Whale, Ginkgotoothed Beaked Whale, Melon-headed Whale, Killer Whale, Pygmy Killer Whale, False Killer Whale, Short-finned Pilot Whale, Sperm Whale and Dwarf Sperm Whale.
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All whales and dolphins are protected in Maldivian waters – the capture of all cetaceans is specifically banned under Maldivian law, as is the export of cetacean products. Perhaps more importantly, all pelagic gill-net and purse-seine fishing is banned in Maldives, in order to protect the traditional pole-and-line tuna fishery. As a result there is no catch (direct or incidental) of cetaceans, and the Maldives is a sanctuary within the Sanctuary. Dolphins are often sighted in almost every atoll in Maldives.
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Whale sharks have been caught for their liver oil and their fins, until the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture imposed a ban on all fishing, capturing or taking in 1995
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MANTA RAYS
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Manta rays are particularly easy to watch in the Maldives as they occur seasonally at regular feeding and cleaning stations. At cleaning stations they are usually seen in small numbers, but when the currents are right for feeding, up to 100 may gather at one time in favoured channels. It is estimated that the total population for this small country in the middle of the Indian Ocean is likely to exceed ten thousand individuals. In three years of data collection, the Maldivian Manta Ray Project (MMRP) has already identified over 1,500 different mantas with new individuals being sighted on a regular basis. In the southwest monsoon, an astonishing number of manta rays can be seen at Lankanfinolhu Faru (Manta Point, North Male’ Atoll) when they come in to be cleaned, whereas during the northeast monsoon they can be encountered at Hukurueli Faru (Madivaru, Ari Atoll). This abundance of marine life has made the Maldives one of the top dive destinations in the world and Manta rays continue to be one of the ‘must sees’ for most of its visitors. Manta rays are therefore extremely important to tourism in the Maldives, which is by far the largest source of revenue for the country. A 5 6 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
recent paper co-authored by the MMRP and other researchers valued direct revenue generation from manta ray diving and snorkelling at US $10 million annually in the Maldives. However, despite this, Manta rays are not yet specifically protected by Maldivian Law and, as natural resources continue to be stretched in this developing nation, the negative associated impacts are increasingly affecting the Manta population.
5-TheMaldivianMantaRayProjectundertakesresearchonall aspectsoftheMaldivianmantaraypopulationtocreategreater awareness and understanding of these graceful rays. 6 - One the best places to observe mantas is at cleaning stations.Whiletheselocationsofferexcellentcloseencounters,it’s importantthatdiversneverswimdirectlyontothecleaningstation or inhibit the path of the mantas. 7 -The Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) occurs regularlyatparticularchannelentrancesandcurrent-sweptreefs. 8-LeopardorZebraSharks(Stegostomafasciatum)arenocturnal andspendmostofthedayrestingmotionlessontheseafloor.At night,theyactivelyhuntformolluscs,crustaceansandsmallbony fishes inside holes and crevices in the reef. Photo Credits 5,6 by Amooo 7 by Rifaa 8 by Dr.Norman Quinn
SHARKS
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Some people are frightened at the thought of swimming with sharks, others are thrilled. Of the forty or so species of sharks that have been recorded in the Maldives so far, the most familiar is perhaps the Blacktip Reef Shark. Juveniles occur in shallow water near island beaches, where they avoid larger, deeper-swimming sharks that might eat them. Large schools of Hammerhead sharks may be observed near Rasdhoo (Ari Atoll) and a few other sites. The Maldives are even home to one of the most dangerous sharks: the Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), which has the worst reputation as one that attacks swimmers, divers and even boats. Nevertheless, the few people who have been bitten by sharks here are divers involved in shark feeding, and fishermen who are careless in landing sharks that they have caught. Therefore, diving with sharks remain popular and safe in the Maldives. The Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus) might be seen on almost any dive or snorkel and is probably the most widespread shark species on Maldivian reefs. The other common species is the Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), which occurs regularly at particular channel entrances and currentswept reefs. Getting into position at the upstream of such dive sites is sometimes a challenge, but always rewarding. In March 2009, the Maldives imposed a ban on fishing all species of sharks within twelve miles from the atoll rim of all Maldivian atolls following the precipitous decline in recent years in the number of reef sharks sighted by divers. It is hoped that the regulation to ban shark fishing would see a reversal in the declining shark populations of the Maldives.
Tel: +(960) 330 6693; Fax: +(960) 333 1643; HP: +(960) 796 1643
Web:www.escalemaldives.com,Email:reservations@escalemaldives.com
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Save the sharks, Message from Water Solutions
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9-Althoughmanypeoplearefrightenedatthethoughtofswimmingwithsharks,Maldivianreef sharks are not at all aggressive towards snorkellers or divers. 10 - Each manta has a unique spot pattern on its underside, enabling researchers to track individual’s movements, plot migration routes and calculate population sizes. 11 - Whale sharks are gentle filter feeding sharks. Their main diet is plankton. 12-Mantaraysarelistedas‘nearthreatened’bytheWorldConservationUnion(IUCN)andmuch scientific research is still needed to properly assess their status worldwide. 13-Swimmingwithmantaraysisanawesomeexperience,howeverdiversandsnorkellersshould alwaysensurethattheyinteractresponsiblywhenencounteringthem.Chasingorattemptingto touch or ride a manta will frequently result in them being frightened off. 14-TheGiantMoray(Gymnothoraxjavanicus,top)andtheHoneycombMoray(G.favagineus,bottom).Morayeelslackagillcoverandthereforehavetoopenanclosetheirmouthforrespiration. Photo Credits 9 by Rifaa 10, 13 by Shafraaz Naeem. Photo courtesy of AEC Project 11 by Guy Stevens. Photo courtesy of AEC Project 12 by Amooo 14 by Dr. Reinhard Kikinger
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15 - Six of the eight species of marine turtles,likethisGreenSeaTurtle(Chelonia mydas),arefoundinthevastIndo-Pacific. 16 -Today, all species of turtles are consideredthreatenedorendangeredbythe InternationalUnionfortheConservation ofNatureandNaturalResources(IUCN). 17- GrouperslikethisCamouflagegrouper(Epinepheluspolyphekadion)predate on small fish and are also highly valued asfoodfish.Theirnumbershaveseriously declined in the past years. 18 - A Giant Moray eel waiting to be cleaned by a cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus). 19 - The turtles we see swimming over the reef are very similar to ancestral forms that shared the seas with ichthyosaursandplesiosaurs150million years ago. 20-Amoray’speculiarbreathingisoften mistaken for aggressive behaviour Photo Credits 15,16,18, 19 By Amooo 17 By Dr. Reinhard Kikinger 20 By Rifaa
TURTLES
GROUPERS
Among the five marine turtles visiting the Maldives, the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) are regularly seen on dives and snorkels and also frequently nest in the Maldives.
Groupers and their relatives (Basslets, Soapfishes and Anthias) all belong to one of the largest and most diverse of all fish families on Maldivian reefs. The Groupers themselves are voracious predators of small fishes. Some species grow up to 90cm or more in size; hence Groupers have in recent years been heavily fished for export to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Earlier fished only for local consumption, Grouper stocks are now said to be dwindling, and sizes of catch thinning. Groupers are normally solitary fish, but they gather in spawning congregations during full moon, normally between September and November. Local fishermen are now aware of the exact times and days when groupers gather for spawning. This makes the spawning groupers very vulnerable. Maldivian fishermen catch Groupers while snorkeling, swimming above their intended prey and dangling a baited hook just in front of its mouth. Such fishermen are now a not uncommon sight around the atolls, with several fishermen swimming off from one boat, each towing a floating basked behind in which they keep their catch alive. This fishery, which started in 1994, is very selective in the sense that it only removes fish of commercial interest, resulting in little waste. On the other hand it enables fishermen to pick out the best fish for capture, and as a result large Groupers are now much less common on Maldivian reefs than they used to be. An awareness-raising campaign for groupers has already been set up by the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture together with the BOBP (Bay of Bengal Program) by printing an attractive poster on commercially-exploited groupers in the Maldives.
The sea turtles’ reproductive capacity increases with age. They start reproducing when they are between 20 and 30 years old, and lay a nest every 2 to 4 years. After the age of 30, they have the ability to reproduce every year, but typically lay just one nest. It is only when they are much older, approximately 45 years and above, that they are able to lay multiple nests. However, because they are often hunted by humans when they reach this age or size, such turtles are generally rare and difficult to come by. The country has a long history of trade in turtle shells, until a Cabinet decision was made in 1995 that prohibited catching or killing of any marine turtle species, and the sale, import and export of its products. This decision was aimed at conserving the dwindling turtle population in the Maldivian waters, which the Government saw as a serious threat to the marine environment of the country.
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MORAY EELS
ence the “Big 7” of the Maldives is a Moray Eels are sometimes mistaken combination of both live-aboard and for sea snakes, but are actually fish that land-based stays. Plan at least 7 nights lack pectoral (side) fins, in contrast to aboard one of the several top-rated “SaGarden Eels or Snake Eels, which do fari boats” (as the live-aboards are called have pectoral fins. Moray eels can grow in the Maldives) and visit a wider range up to 2.2m (Giant Moray, Gymnothorax of atolls and remote sites not accessible javanicus) and have a fearsome reputa- from land-based resorts and dive three tion among fishermen. But to the diver times per day. Then check into one of the or snorkeller who does not provoke luxurious private island resorts for a few them, Morays are gentle and graceful days of sun, spa and a more relaxed dive creatures. One exception is the Bandit schedule. Moray (Gymnothorax breedeni) that preys on the Anthias, but also drives Further reading: 1- Anderson,R.C., Shaan A., Waheed Z. (1999) Records of away other potential Anthias-eaters such as Jacks, Groupers and divers rash cetacean ‘strandings’ from the Maldives. J. South, Asian Nat. Hist. 4(2): 187-202 enough to place a hand near their lair. Some species of Moray regularly swim 2- Anderson C. (2005) Reef Fishes of the Maldives. Manta Marine Pvt Ltd, Republic of Maldives. out in the open, notably the Peppered 3- Balance L.T., Anderson R.C. , Pitman R.L. Stafford,K., Moray (Siderea picta), which forages Shaan A., Waheed Z., Brownell Jr. R.L. (2001) Cetacean on the reef flat or along beachfronts. The optimal way for divers to experi-
sightings around the Republic of the Maldives,
ment. 3 (2):213-218 4 - DeBoer M.N. et al. (2002) Cetaceans in the Indian Ocean Sanctuary: A review. A WDCS Science Report. Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, UK. 5 - Bluepeace Maldives (NGO), www.bluepeacemaldives.org 5 - Grouper fishery www.bobpigo.org/bbn/december_05/P-28.pdf 6 - Maldivian Manta Ray Project www.maldivianmantas.com 7 - Maldives Whale Shark Project www.maldiveswhalesharkresearch.org 8 - Marine Research Center Maldives www.mrc.gov.mv
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIG 5 OF MALDIVES? Send your choices to: info@escalemaldives.com
April 1998. Journal of Cetacean Research and Manage-
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THE STORY Of
JETTIES Text by: Amooo
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etties may not sound much other than just a simple walkway on water. But if you ask a Maldivian what a jetty means, then he or she will have lot of stories to tell. We are not just talking about a wooden deck laid on concrete columns. We are talking about a very important infrastructure for Maldives that is associated with every aspect of life including social well being, economic development, health and safety and many more. Just how much do you know about the importance of this structure to Maldives?
ThearrivaljettyofChaayaaLagoonHakuraainMeemuAtollconsideredoneofthelongestinMaldives.Photoby:Amooo
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To get on and off an island, you either need a harbor or a jetty or else the consequences can be disastrous
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In simple terms, a jetty can be described as a pile of wooden planks fixed on a horizontal beam supported by either concrete or wooden columns. According to Wikipedia, “A jetty is a structure extending into a body of water, which protects a harbour or coastline from the effects of currents and tides”. This is the simplest description and if you do a detail research on the types of jetties in Maldives, you are likely to come across many. Nevertheless, in Maldives a jetty is the gateway through which people get on and off an island. It is difficult to determine when the first jetty was constructed, but evidence indicates that it has been in existence for a few hundred years. Jetties extend from the island’s shore to an area that is safe for boats to come in, hence the length of jetties will vary depending upon the depth of lagoon. Every island is unique and so there is no hard and fast rules that can be applied when designing a jetty. Therefore, the importance of jetties is inevitable in Maldives. In Maldives, jetties existed before the harbours and even today, jetties are extensively used in resorts and islands throughout the Maldives that act as a bridge between the island and the outside world. Without it, life would be incredibly tough for Maldivians. As important as they are, their placement is also vital in Maldives as the two monsoons can have a significant effect on their usage. On inhabited islands, they allow people and goods to safely get on and off the island without being damaged. On resorts, they serve the same purpose. In addition, you will often see them connecting the over-water structures to the main island. These over-water structures include water villas, over-water spas, over-water restaurants, etc. On industrial and agricultural islands, they serve the same purpose as well. Connect the island to the outside world
1 - The arrival jetty of Coco Palm Bodu Hithi Resort. 2 - The water villa access jetty in Coco Palm Bodu Hithi. 3 - A group of people trying to board a speedboat from an island without a jetty. 4 - A very basic jetty in an inhabited. Similar jetties can still be seen in some islands, though its not very common. 5 - The arrival jetty of Kanuhuraa Resort in Lhaviyani atoll 6 - In Narudhoo island, Shaviyani atoll, a man tries to get on asmallBokkuraa.Nojettynorahabourmeanspeoplehaveto getonandoffthisislandusingsimilarsmallBokkuraa’s,avery difficult task.
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All Photos by Amooo except photo 4 Photo 4 by Riya
Jetties, part of everyday living for rural islands Imagine getting on and off an island without a jetty. Now imagine getting essential food supplies and materials to an island where there is no jetty. Now imagine a pregnant women in labour pain trying to get on a boat from an island where there is no jetty nor a harbour. These may sound extreme events, but these are some of the realities that Maldivians face almost on a daily basis. Despite the current development status, it is a sad fact that even today some islands are without a jetty nor a safe harbour. Getting on and off these islands is a nightmare and people have suffered enormously and incurred significant losses. Due to the scattered nature of the islands, sea transport happens to be the only option; with the exception of islands that are close to regional airports. People on these islands would still have to travel by sea to the airport island. To get on and off an island, you either need a harbour or a jetty; or else the consequences can be disastrous. In calm weather and sea conditions, boats can come up to the beach and get people on and off, but even when the conditions are extremely calm, it still does not solve anything. Large boats cannot easily beach and even if they can, no captain would ever do this as a means to get on and off an island. Although this is the practice most small boats follow, no large vessel will ever do this.
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Fuvahmulah island with a population of 9,000 in the south of Maldives is a typical example of the serious difficulties faced by the people due to a lack of safe means of access to an island. Until 17 July 2003, Fuvahmulah did not have a harbour nor a jetty. The opening of the long-awaited harbour significantly enhanced the social and economic development of Fuvahmulah. www.escalemaldives.com |
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Lack of a safe and an adequate harbour had posed tremendous hardships on the people of Fuvahmulah. Several people have lost their lives while leaving or going to the island. Unfortunately, it includes some of my friends too. Until the completion of this harbour, access to the island had been a perilous undertaking as there was neither a safe anchorage nor a calm lagoon with an entrance. Small boats had to beach with the force of waves breaking on the shore. The lucky ones survive this tough maneuver while the unlucky ones either get drowned or get lost. Due to the unique geography of Fuvahmulah, the island is formed in the middle of the ocean with hardly any reef. Fuvahmulah is one of the few islands that are complete atolls in themselves, among the 26 naturally formed atolls of the Maldives. Among such atolls are Maamakunudu and Kaashidoo. Accessing the island has been a huge challenge until 2003. Due to the impossibility of safely off-loading goods, cargo vessels have had to wait weeks for calmer seas. The only other option is to beach on the shore with the force of the waves in small boats or “Bokkuraa”, as they are commonly called. This is only possible when the waves are not too strong. Had there been a jetty, it would have been all too simple. Goods worth millions of ruffiyya lie on the seabed, all lost during this tough exercise. Whether you liked it or not, it had to be done and this was the practice until 17th July 2003. Though Fuvahmulah is an extreme example, there are also many other islands 6 8 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
where lack of a safe means of getting on an off an island has posed significant challenges. In a recent visit to Narudhoo island in Shaviyani atoll, some people related to me stories where women have given birth on boats. They had to wait until the conditions are right before the small Bokkuraas are able to beach. Until then, all they could do was wait. The nearest hospital is located in the atoll capital Funadhoo which is roughly a hour’s boat ride. Jetties are also very important for the tourism sector without which we would not be at this level of development. If resorts were to build a harbour, then the whole concept of the resort is lost. As a result, harbours are not preferred by most developers as they are aesthetically unappealing and they create more environmental problems. Despite this, few of the new generation resorts are now opting for harbours but they still have not abandoned the jetty. It is almost standard practice to have two jetties on a resort island, one for guest arrivals and one for service. In addition, if over-water structures are present, there is always an access jetty. In very high end resorts, jetties are deliberately eliminated, thereby detaching over water villas and other structures from the main island adding that unique and isolated luxury feel. Good examples are the detached water villas in Soneva Gili resort in north Male’ atoll. Though operationally it poses certain issues, it increases the value of the property.
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Cargo vessels have to wait sometimes weeks before they can unload their goods simply because they don’t have a safe means of offloading their goods
For resort islands, jetties are an extremely important structure. From the very first stage of construction to operation, jetties form the very basic and first infrastructure that come to life. They allow First, they have to be properly located for use during both seasons. Second, they have to extend long enough in to the lagoon so that boats can berth alongside. For jetties that provide access to overwater structures, their existence plays a vital role in the operation of the resort. Imagine the operational cost a resort have to bear if there were 50 rooms over-water and detached from the main island. Without a jetty, it would be a very expensive exercise to manage them.
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Jetties come in all shapes and sizes but the principle is the same. There are long jetties, short jetties, wooden jetties, concrete jetties and even coral jetties. The acceptable means of construction is very simple. Place some concrete columns on a foundation pad and place them on the seabed. Once that is done, connect these columns using a beam and place wooden planks. Or why not just stick some wooden poles or steel pipes and then place some planks on them. Your jetty is complete. Whether they are long, short or extra long, whether they are made from wood or steel, jetties are here to stay for a very very long time. I don’t think Maldivians will ever abandon the use of jetties, at least not in the near future. So next time you go to an island, check them out. Go and take a walk on them. Go underneath them if you can and appreciate their place in our lives. I am sure they will impress you. References www.wikipedia.org http://www.visitfuvahmulah.netfirms.com/harbor.html
12 7-Anexcavatorbeingusedtocarryamanashoretoanisland without a jetty. 8-ABokkuraa(smalllocaldinghy)isusedonthisislandtoget on and off due to the absence of a jetty. 9 - The busy passenger jetty at Hanimaadhoo island. 10-Apoorlyconstructedwoodenjettyinaninhabitedisland. 11 - Cargo offloading on Cinamon Island Alidhoo in Haa Alif atoll. 12 - Floating jetties are the latest addition to the list of jetties in Maldives that conveniently allow people to emplane and de-plane from sea planes. All photos by Amooo except photo 7 & 10. Photo 7 & 10 by Riya.
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PRO Faculty of Marine Studies & Water Sports
Sun Island Resort
. www.villacollege.edu.mv sendi@villacollege.edu.mv
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SH PES OF OUR ISLANDS Text by: AJ
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or centuries, writers and poets have extensively written about the beauty of our islands. It was only a few decades ago that we were able to get a bird’s eye view of this beauty when aerial photography became possible. One of the most striking features of our islands is it’s SHAPE. So what does the shape of an island really represent? Does it have any significance at all? The thrill in seeing these delicate and tiny islands from above is not only due from the white beaches and blue lagoons surrounding the island, but also largely from the various shapes of these islands.
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Facing Page: Islands of Laamu atoll 1 - Kafeena island in Gaaf Dhaal atoll 2 - An uninhabited island in Lhaviyani atoll. Photos by Amooo
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Studying the shapes of islands could be an interesting topic to develop your PhD proposal if you are planning to get away from work and brush up your studying skills. .
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Shape is an interesting topic in geometry. We get introduced to shapes at a very tender age. Some of the shapes we learn to draw are circles, triangles, square and rectangles. Some of our islands have taken these defined shapes. According to scientific research, getting acquainted with the simple different shapes and colours fascinates young minds. Everything they need to learn can be integrated with the use of shapes and colours. It all begins from there. So from an early educational point of view, shapes play a vital role in our lives and how we interpret the outside world. Perhaps, that is the reason why we are so eager about the shape of an island. The islands of Maldives are formed in various shapes and sizes. Unless you see an island from above, it is difficult to determine the shape of it. In spite of having spent our whole lives on these islands, it is still intriguing to see and contemplate about its different shapes. Every time we get on a flight, we can’t help but stare at them. It is only then that we truly realize how interesting the shape of our islands are. Shapes of islands play a vital role in everyday life of the inhabitants of these beautiful islands. Shapes determine where a jetty or harbour can be constructed. These are indispensable infrastructures for an island. Shapes determine the vulnerability of islands, whether it is seasonal erosion or a tsunami. It also determines where people live on an island. The shape of an island are even more important for tourist resorts because it can be incorporated in to the overall design to bring out a specific theme or look. Shapes play a vital role in how an island can be marketed as a destination. For example, the shape of an island determines the linear beach available on an island, thus indicating the number of beach villas and water villas that could be developed. Compare a circular island and a crescent shaped island. Which shape do you think is more important from the point of view of available linear beach?. Of course, the crescent shaped island has more linear beach than the circular island. Shapes also determine where over-water structures can be developed. Over-water structures, most
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notably over-water villas have become a norm in the modern day resort; today it is almost impossible to find an island without them. Shapes also play a vital role in shaping the beach around an island, thus influencing designers and architects to incorporate the elements of nature in the marine environment. For example, sand spits around an island can be formed at certain locations due to the shape of an island. Shapes influence this through altering surface currents and winds that make the sand move or become stagnant. As a result, this natural phenomenon is used for the advantage of many designers and architects while designing an island as a resort. Several of these elements are already incorporated in resorts that are currently in operation in the Maldives. Studying the shapes of islands could be an interesting topic to develop your PhD proposal if you are planning to get away from work and brush up your studying skills. Very few studies have been done focusing on the shapes of the islands, especially in Maldives. It may sound simple, but the topic is extremely 04
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3-KumburudhooislandinHaa Dhaal atoll 4 - Bolifushi island 5 - Eriyadhoo island in Shaviyani atoll 6-HanifarureefandHanifarurah in Baa atoll 7 - Hinnavaru island 8 - One and Only Reethi Rah Photo Credits 3,4,6,8 by DigitalGlobe 5,7 By Amooo
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complex and scientifically there are many theories and underlying phenomena that make the shape of an island unique. A simple example is how the differently shaped islands were affected by the Asian Tsunami that swept through the Indian Ocean in December 2004. It is interesting to note that the island’s shape was a significant factor that made them resilient from the tsunami. It was found that circular islands which were inside the atolls were less impacted by the Tsunami wave compare to other shaped islands located on the atoll rims. Shape of islands was a major part of my research undertaken for a Masters thesis at University of Canterbury in 2007. According to the research, 14.7% of our islands are circular. Most common island shape is elongated, which accounts to 85.3%. This shape includes kite, crescent and rectangular shapes. In Maldives, islands are also continuously changing shape due to natural causes and human actions. Do not be surprised to see an island which you visited some years ago in a completely different shape the next time you visit. Naturally, shapes are altered mainly by erosion and accretion. During the north-east and southwest monsoons, the shore line changes to accommodate the forces of nature thus altering the shape of an island. This is a natural phenomenon which is a very interesting science. But today, the number one reason for drastic changes in island shape occurs as a result of developmental activities, most notably reclamation. In order to create more land for the increase in population and developmental activities, several islands have been reclaimed, thus altering their shape forever. These islands will never be the same again. Though it may look odd and environmentally unjustifiable, it is done to cater for the needs of the people. Today, several islands from north to south have been given new shapes through reclamation. After few years, the new generation will never know that their island was once in a different shape. Some of these islands will probably get a new shape after a few years and some may remain so. Only time would tell.
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Have you ever wondered why circular islands do not have natural harbours on the leeward side; why beach rock is found on one side of a crescent shaped island and how large beaches are found on oval shaped islands? If you are curious to know answers, then consider yourself an island enthusiast. Nature has created these islands with unique shapes and they are part of everyday living for Maldivians. We appreciate the shapes though we do not know much 7 6 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
about how they came in to existence. The shape of Maldivian islands play an integral role in the lives of Maldivians. It determines the individual character of these islands and its relationship with its inhabitants.
13 9 - Naivaadhoo island in Haa Dhaal atoll 10 - Vashafaru island (right) in Haa Dhaal atoll 11 - Maadhoo and Kuda finolhu in South Male’ atoll 12 - Kanifinolhu in North Male’ atoll 13 - Villigili in Gaafu Alif Atoll has a new shape after a major reclamation to increase land. Photo Credits 9, 10, 11, & 12 by DigitalGlobe 13 by Amooo
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Mapping Maldives Why it is a challenge ?
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Text by: Farey
he Maldives was known to ancient mariners, as being a particular hazard to ships sailing to and from India. Today super tankers plying between the Gulf and Japan plus cargo ships bound for Colombo and the Far East from Europe pass very close to the islands.
The Maldives was known to ancient mariners, as being a particular hazard to ships sailing to and from India. Today super tankers plying between the Gulf and Japan plus cargo ships bound for Colombo and the Far East from Europe pass very close to the islands. A captain of a cruise liner confessed to passengers in 1994, ‘I was surprised to see the Admiralty Charts for the Maldives, through which we passed in the dark, were printed in England in 1839.’ It is a fact that the charts still in use today are essentially those surveyed and produced in 1835–39. Before then, the Maldives were marked on charts as a crudely drawn line of atolls, including islands which did not actually exist. Ibn Battuta, the Moroccan traveller, wrote: ‘When a vessel arrives at any one of them [the atolls] it must take one of the inhabitants to pilot it to the other islands. They are so closely set that on leaving one island, the tops of the palms on another is visible. If a ship loses its course, it is unable to enter and is carried by the wind to the Coromandel Coast [Malabar] or Ceylon.’ Even in present day, mapping the Maldives accurately has been a formidable challenge and although the government and the private sector is doing surveying work at various levels, it is yet to be completed.
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Our island’s are extremely dynamic natural bodies and keeps changing their shape seasonally due to natural erosion and human influences. As a result, the exact number of islands in the archipelago is a mystery. The British Admiralty chart lists some 1,100 islands, while the latest statistics indicate 1,192. If sand bars and coral outcrops were included, the figure would have been close to 2,000. Obtaining an accurate figure is further complicated by the fact that islands appear or get washed out. Some combine, others split in two and occasionally islets emerge from the coral reefs. A 1955 storm created three new islands in Shaviyani Atoll, while others have slowly eroded. Around 1960, for instance, the fairly large island of Feydhoo Finolhu in Male’ Atoll almost vanished through a combination of natural erosion and inhabitants taking away sand. It was later rebuilt. Similarly, the December 2004 tsunami split the island of Kalhufahalafushi in Thaa atoll in two. To compound matters, as yet there is no agreement on what exactly constitutes an island: what, for instance, is the status of a large sand spit? Yet all this is part of the mystique of travelling through the Maldives, where you may come across an island which has no name, is not shown on any map and has no human footprint on its shores. Many more show signs of past settlement, and some desert islands are used regularly by neighbouring islanders for collecting firewood, coconuts, and even for cultivation. Also, some islands (like the island of Kuda Bandos, near the capital) are often used as a destination for weekend / holiday breaks. So as a surveyor, we need to be able to find a way to map these dynamic environments and find methods to represent these changes in such a way that it becomes simple and understandable for the user. In concept, it’s simple. All we need is to refer to one point as a reference level which is known as Datum and keep recording the changes at given intervals. But in practice, it is a bit complicated. When measuring the height of the island, especially in coastal areas, permanent reference points have to be established. This can only be done in inhabited islands or resorts where permanent structures like harbours, jetties, villas and bungalows exist. In remote and uninhabited islands, due to lack of any permanent structures and thick vegetation, it becomes very cumbersome to establish these markers. In Maldives, these constraints have created huge challenges
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to surveyors for a very long time and continues to do so. Use of aerial photographs have been a common method to measure the changes in the shoreline, but more importantly this method also require ground control points for correction, alignment and quality control. Today we use high precision GPS to map the coastal areas by deriving coordinates in XYZ using Real Time Kinematic (RTK) techniques. This not only allows completion of mapping in less time but also assists in analysing the spatial data using powerful Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Town planners, engineers and architects have great ideas to develop a property or an island. Yet they do require a map to commence any venture. How can one be aware of an island or a sand bank unless it is marked on a map? Or how can an architect determine the size, shape and number of rooms in developing a resort? How about the depths in the lagoon where the over-water villa will be constructed? All these decisions require a proper survey. Unfortunately, many developers fail to recognize this and tend to skip the surveying component hoping to save money. But in-fact, what they don’t know is that without a proper survey, architects, engineers and planners will not be able to do their job properly. This is where a surveyor comes handy.
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I was surprised to see the Admiralty Charts for the Maldives, through which we passed in the dark, were printed in England in 1839
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1 - Mapping Maldives is a tough job. Surveyors from Water SolutionsPvtltd.undertakingalargescalemappingprojectin GaafuDhaaluMadaveliregion.Duringthisproject,theteamhad towalkontheseagrasscoveredlagoonforhourscrossingthree inhabitedislands,mostofthetimecarryingheavyequipment. 2 - A surveyor using differential GPS to map an area. 3 - A surveyor undertaking a beach profile in an island to be developed in to a resort. 4-Sonevafushi(foreground),Eydhafushiisland(middle)and Maaddoo island (far end) in Baa atoll 5-Ahydrographicsurveybeingcarriedoutbyasurveyorfrom Water Solutions Pvt.Ltd. 6 - The December 2004 tsunami split the island of Kalhufahalafushi in Thaa atoll in two. Photos Credits: 1,3 by Riya 2,4,5,6 by Amooo
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Features The main market for the surveying and mapping industry in the Maldives is developing large scale Topographic Maps of 1:1000 and 1:500 scales. In simple terms, a topographic map is a representation of the land and its features. When topographic maps are developed, it is important to be able to compare it with old maps for changes to landscape. This is especially relevant to determine the changes in vegetation and urban areas. Most of our islands have not been mapped in a large scale at 1:1000, which creates problems for surveyors. It is essential to establish a reference network on the island in order to map the island. Most countries would use a National Coordinate System as US State Plane 1983 for USA and Ordinance Survey National Grid for the UK. Maldives does not have a National Mapping agency to regulate mapping nor a National Coordinate System has been established. This creates conflicts in aligning different maps due to different coordinate systems and map projections. The final prospect of mapping that I would like to highlight is Hydro-graphic or sea bed mapping. The British admiralty office charted the Maldives to develop admiralty charts in the 19th century and these charts are still used in navigation although some southern and central regions have been updated in recent years. These are small scale charts covering large areas. Recently, due to development of more resorts and reclamation projects, a number of hydrograhic surveys have been 09
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undertaken by companies like Water Solutions (www.water-solutions.biz). Most importantly, the private and public sector stands to gain enormous benefits and cost reduction from highly detail and accurate bathymetries. I have been working as a surveyor for the past few years and each and every mapping project that I undertook has been a challenge. The development of modern survey equipments like Air-borne Lasers, Laser scanners, high resolution satellite images Multibeam Sonar would increase precision and save a lot of time. Mapping this tiny nation is a tough job, but being a surveyor, additional benefits I receive are the opportunities to visit different islands and the thrill and enjoyment found along the way. With every survey, I learn something new, meet new people and also get to visit and learn about new places.
7 - Surveyors fromWater Solutions checking a map before a survey. 8-UseofdifferentialGPStomapanislandbyWaterSolutions. 9 - Water Solutions surveyors in the field. Photos credits: 7,8 by Amooo 9 by AJ
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BOOKS ON MALDIVES
Features
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What kind of water villas? Text by: Amooo
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ater villas, as we all know, are at the top in luxury accommodation in Maldives. They are unique, expensive and provide a different kind of experience for the holiday makers. Everything about a water villa is about water. They are constructed over water and are surrounded by water. When you wake up, you see the ocean and in some villas, even while taking a shower or answering the call of nature, you see nothing but water.
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The first luxury water villas in Maldives were developed in Vaadhoo island in south Male’ atoll, somewhere in the early 90’s. Today they are everywhere and they can cost from US$ 250 per night up to US$ 10,000 per night. During off season, rates may be low but in general, they are always more expensive than beach villas. Of course, very few people have that kind of money, especially when it comes to a US$ 10,000 per night water villas. Although water villas are everywhere in Maldives, not many Maldivians will get to ever take refuge in them, except for few lucky ones. Today hardly a resort comes to life without a water villa, simply because it increases the value of the property and also provides a unique accommodation option for the wealthy. These water villas are carefully designed by engineers and architects. Building some of them is one of the most challenging tasks in the Maldivian construction industry. People who stay in these villas may not have any clue about the challenges in building one nor realize the hard work that goes in making it real. They may also not realize that before the water villas they are residing in, a new kind of water villas ruled the resort; long before the island came to life as a luxury resort. Unfortunately they were not designed for the luxury market, instead serve the opposite. Today there is a new type of water villas and the good news is that there are plenty of them in Maldives now. When resorts are first constructed, hundreds of labourers are brought to these small islands for construction. All these people have to be managed on the island. The standard practice and tradition has been to construct temporary accommodation on the island and manage the workforce. This was creating bigger problems. Most resort islands are small and together with thousands of construction materials, space is always a problem. Therefore this problem was always bugging contractors and resort developers. As resort developers and contractors evolved, so did their methods
and mentality. They started introducing new methods and techniques and at the same time speeding up construction and managing people and working more efficiently. New types of machineries and tools were used to do things more efficiently. Overtime, these techniques caught up with how contractors managed the people on limited space which resulted in some contractors developing the concept of constructing temporary over-water accommodation to house hundreds of labourers. This became an instant hit and in my view, that person / group / contractor deserves a Maldivian Oscar. Today, you can see these types of water villas in virtually every resort under construction. With the capability of accommodating hundreds of labourers, they are a cost effective way to construct temporary labour accommodation on islands, especially on small islands where materials and people compete for space, while being under the careful watch for the environment.
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Today, you can see these types of water villas in virtually every resort under construction
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In comparison to a luxury water villa, they cost very little to the contractor. All that is needed are some pipes, second hand corrugated steel sheets, some used timber, and used plywood (or new in some cases). Simply stick a load of pile of pipes on the seabed and build your villas on them. It’s as simple as that. They are often and almost always created close to the shore and connected by some kind of a walkway or a bridge to allow people in and out. It’s all done as a single unit, just like a warehouse and labourers sleep on bunk beds lined along the length of the structure. Just how many labourers can be accommodated is purely at the mercy of the contractor. 07
1-WatervillasatChaayalagoonHakuraa 2,3-WatervillasatCocoPalmBoduHithi 4 - A detached water villa at Soneva Gili resort 5 - Water villa at Reethi Beach Resort 6- Water Villa at Coco Palm Dhunikolhu 7 - Double story water villa at Cinnamon Island Alidhoo Photo Credits 1,5,6,7 by Amooo 2,3 by Coco Palm Bodu Hithi 4 - Courtesy of Soneva Gili Resort
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8,9,11-Abatchofover-waterlabouraccommodationsinaresort under construction.They are built very close to the shore and connected to the island by timber ramps. 10-Plumbingandotherservicesprovidedtotheseover-water villas are very basic and temporary. Photos by Amooo
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Although they have few disadvantages, there are plenty of advantages which make them very attractive and suitable for resort islands that are under construction. Most significantly, they eliminate the need to clear space on islands thereby preserving the vegetation which is an important component for any resort. They are also very cheap to build eliminating expensive temporary accommodation and lastly but not least, they provide space on the island for other purposes; such as material storage. Conditions are not always at their best in these accommodation blocks and with the lack of appropriate regulations and monitoring mechanisms, some contractors take the maximum advantage. Unfortunately, it is these labourers who do all the hard work on these resorts. They go to great lengths and take high risks in finishing the resort so that someday you can enjoy the US$ 10,000.00 per day luxury water villa. So don’t always be fooled by the term “water villas”, as now you know there is a new type that doesn’t possess anything luxury. So are these water villas as luxury as the ones we are familiar with? Definitely not, but for labourers, they are part of their life and enjoy every day they spend there. Unfortunately, the real heroes get forgotten as soon as the resort is opened. For me, these labourers are the real heroes.
ScubaDiving
III Dive sites for the absolute beginner M aldives is renown for its beautiful white beaches, atolls and islands, but there is much more than this that the Maldives has to offer. What is beneath these unique atolls is more interesting than one can ever imagine.
Text & Photos by: Amooo
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iving is one of the biggest industry and more than 50% of the tourists to Maldives are divers. It is strongly believed that despite the widespread diving throughout the Maldives, there are still many unexplored dive sites. But just how ready are you to explore all these places? Are you ready to jump in to Emboodhoo express and watch all the sharks there or would you be more comfortable to make a shallow dive at Thulhaagiri house reef with the myriad of reef fishes lurking around the table corals? Or how about a channel crossing, are you ready to cross Guraidhoo channel hoping to see all the passing sharks and all other big sea animals that everybody is so keen. None of these will really matter if you are an experienced diver, but will definitely send shockwaves if you ask a novice diver. As a novice diver, no instructor will take beyond the recommended depth level based on your diving certification simply because diving has associated inherent risks. As diving is supposed to be fun, instructors and divemasters will usually take beginners to places where it is usually easy and comfortable to dive and not necessarily to the best dive sites. When I first started diving, it was all about depth and for some reason I had this notion that diving is all about depth and the deeper you go the better it is. This preconception soon changed and I realized that to enjoy a good dive, I did not have to go deep. As I made more and more dives, I realized that there are many reefs in Maldives that offer some of the best scenery and marine life even
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Instructors and dive masters will usually take beginners to places where it is usually easy and comfortable to dive and not necessarily to the best dive sites
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at as shallow as 5 meters. Shallow dives are not only easy and less complicated than the deep ones, they allow you to stay longer and capture better photos (without strobe) as the proportion of light that gets absorbed is considerably less than on a deep dive. Most beginners complain about not being able to visit beautiful dive sites or not being able to see many fishes or a Napolean. On your first few dives, chances are that your instructor /dive master or dive guide will take you to a dive site based on comfort and conditions most suitable for beginners rather than it’s beauty or diversity. As a result, novice divers will miss many things that they see portrayed on dive magazines, unless of course if you make other arrangements. But the good news is that there are unbelievably beautiful dive sites within the reach of even the most inexperienced divers, even for the first time divers. As a beginner, I had the same problem and so decided to focus this article on providing some details about three dive sites for the absolute beginner that will ensure that the dive is not only comfortable, but beautiful and that you see a variety of sea creatures and fishes. So for all those divers who are beginners and for those of you who are planning to start diving, hurry hurry!!!, there are lots of places to enjoy. All these dive sites share one thing, they are shallow, beautiful and can be explored comfortably. It is also good news for experienced divers who do not wish to go deep but enjoy what the shallow waters has to offer. So here are my choices.
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Moofushi House reef Moofushi is a resort island in South Alif atoll and can be reached via a speedboat from Male’ in less than 1.5 hrs. The resort is currently under development. However, this does not necessarily mean that one cannot dive here. The site of focus lies on the eastern side of the island and can be accessed from the beach. This is the first feature of this site that makes it absolutely beginner-friendly. There are no giant stride entry’s or the ever rocking boat. Just get your gear ready on the beach and simply walk. As you enter the water, the depths suddenly go from 0 to half a meter and you could still walk backwards with your gear. Once you are knee deep, you can see the reef slope and it is mainly a sandy bottom. As you go down to 5 meters, you will see a patch of corals with hundreds of fishes. This is the site of focus. As this area contains lot of sand, it is very easy for the novice diver, especially with all the complications of buoyancy control. You can carry extra weights and simply relax on the sandy bottom and watch the beautiful corals and the fish life. On my first dive here, despite having had many other dives, I enjoyed watching all the beautiful corals and colorful fishes just resting on the sea bed. If you are keen on exploring, it’s always a good idea to circle the patch of live corals. There are quite big table corals as large as 3 feet in diameter. The best thing about a dive site with sandy bottom is that your focus never deviates. There is nothing much to see on a sandy bottom (except garden eels), which helps to divert your focus on anything alive. That is why isolated coral patches are found to be the most interesting. The negative space is just perfect to take a great photo, the subject gets isolated and the viewer’s attention is instantly diverted to the subject. But on the downside, you need to have good buoyancy control. If you are keen on exploring more, you could go up to 20 metres and explore two small dinghy boats with many lion fish.
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quick facts WATER CONDITIONS: On most days, visibility is between 20 to 25 meters. CURRENTS: Slow currents DIVE DRILL: Even DSD divers can enjoy this site. Site accessible from the beach, even without a dive guide. MARINE LIFE: Very diverse in terms of fish and corals. You can see different types of corals and multitude of reef fishes, mostly small ones, sting rays, sea cucumbers, lionfish, snappers and eels. DIVE OPERATOR: Escale Maldives (www. escalemaldives.com) organises special diving tours to most dive sites in Maldives. MAX DEPTH: 10 metres but can also go up to 22 metres to explore further.
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quick facts
BOLIFUSHI House Reef Bolifushi is a very small beautiful island (presently under development) in south Male’ atoll which I consider a perfect island. It has got beaches, it’s very small and best of all, it has got a fantastic house reef. If you wish to explore the entire house reef, you will need to make a few dives. The site of focus is a natural underwater bay formed on the southern side of the house reef. Again, this place can be accessed from the beach itself and you could simply swim towards the slope before descending. From above, the site is easily distinguishable with a characteristic semi circle shape. This bay like area is mostly sandy and around them is numerous live coral patches and where corals live, there is always good marine life. Ideally, you should descend from the western end of the bay and slowly swim east . As you swim towards the eastern end of the bay, at around 4 to 5 metres you should be able to see the coral patches. At times, the visibility may be poor here and you might need to get a bit close to enjoy the full view of the corals. However, most of the time, you can expect good visibility. The site is a beauty and you will see all kinds of corals including table corals, branching corals, soft corals etc. The unique feature of this site is that as you swim towards east at around 5 metres, the coral population increases and so does the variety of fishes. There is one particularly huge moray eel that has made a huge coral boulder its home and if you are lucky you will most likely see it. If you are keen on going deep, you may do so but below 10 meters, the percentage of corals decreases and it no longer gets interesting. If you continue your dive towards the east, it will just keep getting better and better.
WATER CONDITIONS: On most days, visibility is between 20 to 25 metres. CURRENTS: Slow to moderate currents that varies between east to west and vice-versa, driven by changing tides. However, beginners can take refuge in the bay to avoid currents. DIVE DRILL: Even DSD divers can enjoy this site. You can even access this site from the beach, but will need a good dive guide. MARINE LIFE: Very diverse in terms of fish and corals. You can see different types of corals and multitude of reef fishes, mostly small ones. Schools of Banner fish and orange striped emperros make this their home. DIVE OPERATOR: Escale Maldives (www. escalemaldives.com) organizes special diving tours to most dive sites in Maldives. MAX DEPTH: 10 metres.
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the rock This is a site I discovered in early 2009 and I am sure many people would have seen this place. This is a huge coral rock, whose base rests at 10 metres and is located south of Velassaru Island or Velassaru Maldives Resort in south Male’ atoll. The main rock is surrounded by detached pieces making this site structurally very interesting. Since the site is very close to Velassaru Island, it can be reached in just a few minutes from the island. One day on an exploration tour, I came across this rock and got curious to see what’s beneath it. Most people would not bother to go and check such places. As you descend, you see the entire rock
sitting on the sandy floor and there are numerous small dismantled rocks surrounding the main rock. Although this is not a huge rock, the site provides everything for the novice diver. The rock formation is of particular interest as there are passages through which you can pass through and explore the rock. Numerous fishes including snappers make this their home and on my first dive, I even saw a Napolean. Again, the white sandy bottom eliminates distractions and diverts all the focus to the rock. You can circle around the rock in less than 10 minutes and once you are done, you can come up to the top where there are beautiful
live coral colonies isolated and growing on the dead substrate. With this in the foreground and with a diver behind, it makes a perfect winning shot. The top of the rock is around 3 metres. The only downside of this place is that you have to access it on a boat.
quick facts WATER CONDITIONS: On most days, visibility is between 15 to 25 metres. CURRENTS: Slow to mild currents that varies direction depending on the time of the year. Beginners can always take refuge on one side to avoid currents. DIVE DRILL: DSD friendly site. Need a good dive guide who knows the exact location plus a boat to access. MARINE LIFE: Very colourful marine life, mostly on the top. Watch out for Napolean and sting rays. Lots of small fishes. DIVE OPERATOR: Escale Maldives (www. escalemaldives.com) organizes special diving tours to most dive sites in Maldives. MAX DEPTH: 12 metres at the bottom.
The Rock
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ScubaDiving
Exploring the mystery of the Maldivian Queen M
Text & Photos by: Amooo
aldives was once ruled by a woman, Sultana KHADEEJA REHENDHI KABAIDHI. In the history of Maldives, only very few women ruled this island nation. This was hundreds of year ago in 1342 AD. In the new millennium, a new queen ruled the Maldives until 29 June 2007. Her name was Nooraanee Queen and unlike Sultana Khadeeja, she was ruling the Maldivian seas, not the land.
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Nooraanee Queen was a famous liveaboard yacht, the largest luxury cruise of its kind ever built in the Maldives. Of course today there are much larger vessels. Engineered in 1999, Nooranee Queen was one of the largest and finest liveaboards in Maldives. She was 135 feet long and ruled the atolls, most notably Male’, Ari and Vaavu atoll. With state of the art equipment and engine, this liveaboard vessel provided superlative facilities to her passengers. In her heyday, she was ranked as the number one liveaboards in Maldives and the largest. With the capacity for a crew of 22, Nooranee Queen was designed to 01 provide accommodation to around 40 passengers in 20 fully air-conditioned 1 - View of the wreck from east to west showing the stern 2 - The badly damaged viewing deck hanging. cabins, including six deluxe double rooms, three superior double rooms, one superior single and one superior triple room. Each of her cabin had satellite television, music system, telephone and en-suite bathroom with hot water shower in addition to a top class kitchen, restaurant serving international dishes, coffee shop, two fully stocked bars and two sun decks. In addition, water sports activi-
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ties and even PADI diving courses were offered to passengers on board. Truly befitting the “Queen” title. Sadly today, this famous Queen lies at the bottom of the sea at 24 metres and just 300 metres west of Guraidhoo in Guraidhoo lagoon, south Male’ atoll. This was her last berthing place and her final resting ground. The vessel was completely destroyed after catching fire which quickly spread across the entire vessel, leaving nothing salvage. June 29, 2007 was a typical day for the Queen. She was ready to welcome a large group of tourists the following day for another epic tour of the atolls. The crew was busy preparing the vessel for guests. According to Abdul Latheef, the captain, at around 8:15 pm, the fire alarms went off and they discovered the fire. The blaze quickly spread across the entire vessel. The crew did their best to contain the fire and in their effort used eight fire extinguishers, but none could save the queen, recalls the captain. She was engulfed in flames within minutes.
04 3 - The glory days. The queen in her heyday was among the top liveaboards in Maldives. 4-Awell-deservedbuffetdinnerbeingenjoyedby guests after a full day of cruising the atolls. 5-Theexposedengineroomwiththetwogenerators . 6 - View of the wreck from the port side.
quick facts WATER CONDITIONS: When visibility is good, the wreck is visible from above. CURRENTS: Generall slow. DIVE DRILL: No reference line or reef, so have to descend until the wreck is reached. MARINE LIFE: Very poor as the wreck is very young. Dont expect to see any interesting marine life. DIVE OPERATOR: Escale Maldives (www. escalemaldives.com) organises special diving tours to most dive sites in Maldives. MAX DEPTH: 24 metres at the bottom. YEAR SUNK: 2007.
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Fortunately, the queen had two diving dhoni’s (local name for small boats) and one rescue speedboat besides her, which always stays with her no matter where she is. These vessels were used to evacuate everyone on board. Unfortunately one crew member died but fortunately the two diving dhonis and rescue boat along with the rest of the crew survived this ordeal. The badly burned dead body was later recovered by Maldives police. None of the surviving crew members could salvage anything; except the cloths they were wearing. Today, beneath the blue lagoon, she is just another wreck, perhaps the latest addition to the list of wrecks in Maldives. Many divers wouldn’t know about this wreck as this was sunk very recently and none of the diving books nor guides currently on the market feature this wreck. Only very few liveaboards have become shipwrecks in Maldives. Most wrecks in Maldives are cargo ships, fishing vessels and small dhoni’s. Nooraanee Queen will remain there for a very very long time. Unlike other Queens, her graceful aging attracts more visitors and will continue to do so in the years to come.
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For experienced divers, this may not be a wreck worthwhile diving, but it surely does have an interesting story behind her. For people who had spent time with her, it will be a memorable dive to see her at the bottom of the seabed, looking completely opposite of what she was during her days of ruling the Maldivian waters. A friend of mine told me about her and instantly I had the craving to go and visit her although I am married. I wanted to bring her back to life, perhaps not the way she used to be, but through a story. Although there is nothing much to see in terms of marine life, it’s an amazing experience to see the amount of destruction and damage. I was curious because she has been down there for only a short period of time and that she has been such a famous and talked about Queen in recent years. Although famous, I have never even seen a photo of this beautiful queen before the dive. I wonder what the subjects of the Queen would feel when they see her at 24 metres beneath the lagoon. The wreck is not difficult to access and with good visibility; it is even visible from the surface. She lies with her bow facing west and starboard towards north in an upright position. If the visibility is not good, then you will need a good dive guide familiar with the location as otherwise visibility can make it difficult to pinpoint the exact location. Most importantly, the location is a famous berthing point for safari vessels and chances are that there will always be at least one safari vessel docked nearby. Therefore before diving, make sure you have surface marker buoys and a surface support boat or a dinghy. A typical dive would be a straight descent as the wreck lies away from the reef slope. Depending on the currents, the dive can begin either from the bow or stern and as it is not very deep, it can be circled and inspected and still come up with enough air. Most notable features of the dive include the three generators in the engine room which are all exposed resulting from the entire destruction of the top two decks and a toilet seat, which would otherwise be accessible through a staircase. According to the captain, the owners recovered the two main engines a week after the incident, but they were too www.escalemaldives.com |
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damaged to be salvaged. There are also partially burnt dive tanks, plates, kettles, jugs and I am sure there will be plenty more to explore beneath the lower deck. One note of caution though is that divers shouldn’t attempt to enter the lower deck unless they are properly trained on such manoeuvres. If anyone has seen a photo of this queen while she was alive, it will only be seconds before realizing the amount of destruction caused by the fire. The entire top two decks have been completely burnt. The entire structure above the hull seems to have been destroyed by the fire. It has not been underwater long enough for any coral growth but during my first dive here, few species of fishes were observed and algae has already started growing on the wreck. There are broken pieces of wood, sun deck and windows lying all around the wreck. Towards half way along the length, you could see debris from broken ceramic plates, tea cups and even a rusty kettle indicating the dining and kitchen area. The wreck has a thick layer of silt from the ashes and forms a thick lining on the exposed deck. Good buoyancy control is therefore a must to maintain good visibility, especially when you dive over the wreck. Towards the stern, lies the exposed generators and the entire engine room itself is badly damaged and exposed. There are so much debris covered under a layer of silt, it is very hard to make out which is what. There are all kinds of debris from electrical wires, metal and wood scrap, broken windows, glass, tables, engines, dive tanks and much more in this area. The most dramatic view of the wreck is seen from the east facing the stern. To see the wreck from this angle, one needs to dive slightly east from the stern and then approach the wreck from east towards west. You can still see the staircase to the upper deck and the sun deck hanging from the wreck. This used to be at the back of the vessel. Nooranee Queen is a wreck that has just begun the journey in to becoming a true wreck. In time, corals will grow and fishes will make this their home. It is very likely that in future many divers will include this in their list of wrecks to dive in Maldives. But even before that, she
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08 7 - The bow of the wreck. 8 - View of the bow from the lower deck. 9 - Part of the engine room showing debris of all types. 10 - Location of the wreck.
has already ruled the atolls and won the hearts of many people and surely she will be talked about for many years to come. Perhaps, Nooraanee Queen is on course to rule the waters around her, just like she ruled the atolls entertaining people from all works of life. Who knows? During the interview with the former captain, he highlighted the importance of proper safety measures to prevent such incidences. According to the captain, proper training on safety procedures and fire drills should never be ignored and underestimated. He emphasized the need to train the crew in proper safety procedures and fire drills and to do it regularly so that the crew can handle and manage such disasters. He insists that the safety procedures and drills should be conducted regularly on all vessels and they must be up to International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) standards. The captain hopes that owners and operators of other vessel will take this advice seriously.
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Nooraanee Queen is certainly not the best wreck to dive, but she has her place in our history and for travelers and people who loved her and had been with her, it will certainly be a wreck worthwhile to visit, even if once. The good news is that she is gracefully aging in the clear waters of Guraidhoo lagoon. Soon she will rule the seas and awaits to entertain YOU.
Guraidhoo Nooraanee Queen
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Wreck Hunters
Dream Destination Text & Photos by: Amooo
A diver resting besides the schooner
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ScubaDiving This is definitely not your average dream destination. It combines natural beauty and a collection of strategically located wrecks around her, making this destination a heaven for Wreck Divers. This is a very small and beautiful island on the north-west rim of south Male’ atoll formed on a large coral reef. A very popular tourist destination until September 2008. In my opinion, this is a perfect island. Currently undergoing a geographical overhaul, she is just 25 minutes boat ride away from the capital Male’ and the international airport. This makes the island a very popular and easily accessible destination. It is also home to one of the most beautiful house reefs in South Male’ atoll. The house reef is practically at arms length from the beach with bountiful diving spots. That’s probably too much to digest, but we are talking about Bolifushi. Bolifushi Island Resort is located in South Male’ atoll about 12 km South West of Male. This island may be undergoing a geographical metamorphosis, but the treasures beneath the sea are not changing nor going away, especially those that are around Bolifushi. They are there to stay for a long time. The island is fortunate to be located close to six (6) wrecks making it heaven for wreck hunters. Two of these wrecks are on her own house reef, the other two not more than 150 metres from the shore. The furthest is just 800 metres away, reachable in a small dinghy boat in less than 3 minutes. That is literally close enough to swim, but I wouldn’t advice that. Wreck diving is an interesting fun activity, because ships on the seafloor provide a unique diving experience. Divers have always been fascinated to explore wrecks. Regardless of their size or history, they provide a different kind of diving experience. In Maldives, wreck diving is very popular as well since it is different from diving at a reef in our clear waters. Unlike the Pacific, almost all wrecks in Maldives are either a cargo ship, a fishing boat, a safari or a fishing Dhoni. You will find wrecks almost in every atoll and it is not difficult to find a wreck for your next dive regardless of where you are in Maldives. From north to south, they are scattered all over the Maldives. So what does a shipwreck offer for a diver? Many things, in short. They can provide numerous new diving experiences that you will never experience in a reef dive. For wreck divers, Bolifushi is an ideal 1 1 0 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
tHE SCHOONER
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paradise, simply because it is very easy to access them from the island. You can simply be based on the island and explore all these fascinating underwater structures without having to travel far. Around Bolifushi, there is a good mix of wrecks from small wrecks to large cargo ships. Some of these wrecks have been deliberately sunk within few hundred metres from the beach. Some of them can be accessed directly from the beach itself while others require a short boat ride. So, think about this island before you plan your next diving holiday in Maldives or when planning to explore most wrecks within a short time. The Schooner - Wreck one (1) The first wreck on the list is a schooner. The beauty of this wreck is that you can access it from the beach and its only 150 metres from the shore. This is approximately a 60 feet long yacht sunk in
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the early 1990’s. It is home to many large snappers and lionfish. The surrounding sandy bottom has garden eels and hundreds of them can be seen popping out of the sea floor. At just 22 meters, the wreck lies with its bow towards the south and starboard on bottom facing west. Divers can spend enough time to explore the entire wreck and go around it without getting deco. At least two comfortable rounds can be made easily. If you have the courage, divers can also explore the submerged reef roughly 20 meters south of the bow but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you have a guide. In order to locate this submerged reef, you need an experienced diver. However, If the visibility is good, then this reef can be visible from the bow itself. There is at least one entry point from where you can take a peek, but inside is dark and a school of glass fish makes this their home. On the wreck, there isn’t much corals but algae growth is quite extensive. How to access
WHAT TO SEE: Snappers, lion fish, glass fish, sting ray, garden eels and puffer fish around the wreck. When you go further south to the submerged reef, you will see a large school of Kashmir snappers and many types of live corals.
Map of shipwrecks near Bolifushi Island
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ALIA Wreck (6) ?
Bolifushi Island
Wreck 2 (10m) Wreck 4 (23m)
Wreck 1 (22m)
Wreck 3 (12m) Very small wreck (2m)
Aproximately 800 meters from Bolifushi.
Legend Island Ship wrecks
Wreck 5 (26 m)
Reef 0
500m
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Access to this wreck is direct from the beach, but you need a guide to follow the exact path. There is a rope attached to one of the groynes on the beach that will lead to this wreck. It will usually take about 9 minutes to reach this wreck from the shore. However, due to construction, these reference points are no longer valid. The other option is to descend directly from above, but in order to do this, you will need a good guide who knows the exact location. As with anything else, there are also few disadvantages of this wreck such as: 1-Light penetration is poor at times so visibility is important. But again keep in mind that in Maldives, even bad visibility is good for diving and you can enjoy. 2-At times, currents can be strong, so inexperienced divers might find it hard to get there. But once you get to the wreck, you can always take refuge on one side depending on the current. 3-The wreck is roughly 150 m from the shore and as you enter the water from the beach and go south, there is little reference points such as corals or reef areas or rocks. This means that in bad visibility, you will feel like you are going nowhere and for beginners, diving in to the blue and swimming without seeing anything can be uncomfortable. So keep this in mind. 4-Good buoyancy control is a must or else the fine sand will ruin the visibility and for people with cameras and flash, this is not good. 1 - A diver exploring the schooner 2 - View of the stern 3 - Map of wrecks around Bolifushi
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The speedboat - Wreck two (2) Wreck two is a small fibre glass speedboat sunk roughly 95 metres from Bolifushi beach, on the eastern side. The wreck lies with its bow facing north-east and slightly slanted and resting on its starboard. Despite its small size, this is a good place to practice photography as plenty of light penetrates. There are interesting schools of small fishes inside the cabin, which is too small to penetrate. Around the wreck is just blue water and white sand and nothing else. The bow lies roughly at 10 metres and therefore, for beginners, this will be a very good place to dive and practice buoyancy. The wreck is guarded by schools of various fishes, most notably grazers and bat fish. Despite its small size, it is a very interesting piece of machine when you see under the sea.
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How to access Access to this wreck is very simple. Either enter direct from the beach and swim 95 metres east or better you can swim north from wreck 3 which lies 27 metres south of this wreck. Currents can be strong at times and so it can be difficult for beginners. 1 1 2 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
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the colOSSEUM
WHAT TO SEE: Large schools of bat fish, eels, puffer fish, eel (if you are lucky) garden eels, live corals and grazing surgeon fish’s.
The Colosseum - Wreck three (3) or the Dhoni wreck 4, 5, 6 -The Speedboat wreck. Despite its small size, its an interestingpieceofwreckwhenyouseeitunderwater.Many types of fish makes this wreck their home. 7 - Colosseum is an interesting object to visit and see. Divers will not be disappointed after a dive to the Colosseum.
The reason for calling Colosseum for this wreck is that actually has some resemblance to this famous monument when photographed from one side. But infact, its nothing like the Colosseum, but just a hull of a Dhoni. Dhoni means a local fishing vessel. This was sunk off the eastern lagoon at around a depth of 8 to 12 metres. It is about 95 metres from the beach. Although this is a small dhoni, the wreck is home to many types of fishes including a large school of batfish that always guard the wreck and are very friendly. It is possible to see them almost always and they are not at all shy but very friendly. If you have the patience to wait for few seconds in mid water, you can get as close as a feet. There are other types of fishes as well, but most notably the bat fish has to be the number one attraction here. How to access Accessing the wreck is very easy. Simply get your gears on and enter the water from the beach. The route to the wreck is perfectly clear and safe for beginners as there are no corals and only white sand on the bottom. The wreck lies upside down with the bow facing west and
starboard towards north. The bow is at 8 metres and the stern at 12 metres. The wreck is approximately 65 feet long. This is an ideal place to practice your buoyancy and photography skills for many reasons. First, the wreck is only 8 metres at the bottom, meaning that you can stay below for a long time. Secondly, the wreck can be reached from the island’s beach, so you can prepare all your camera and dive gear and enter the water without any assistance from anyone, of course with the exception of your buddy. Being very shallow, there is plenty of natural light and therefore good news for photographers. Its small size and shallow depth also means that divers can circle around and explore the entire wreck and take photos from all angles and still have enough air to explore more. This eliminates the psychological pressure of having to worry about extended bottom time. Lying upside down on a sandy bottom means divers with bad buoyancy can also enjoy this dive. There are no corals around, meaning that nothing can be destroyed even if you are the worst diver in terms of buoyancy control. For photographers, it’s even more good news. The best thing I like about this wreck is that I can take shots while resting my knees on the sandy bottom and carefully take photos while checking them. And last, but not least, if there is something wrong www.escalemaldives.com |
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with your camera or anything similar, you can always quickly get to the island and return at anytime. It’s like a parked car in your backyard. Despite the few coral growth and nothing interesting to see on the wreck itself, this wreck is quite interesting from the inside. Yes, you can actually go inside the wreck and see some interesting marine life. Once inside, you will feel like being in a giant air craft hanger that has been bombed. Seeing the light rays passing through the openings of the hull from above and sides is a marvelous sight to see. Once inside, it is hard to believe that such a piece of “junk” could be so interesting. However, one note of caution, going inside the hull should be attempted only by experienced divers. The entry points are located at the port, starboard and from the stern, but they are very small and extremely dangerous and hazardous. There are exposed steel bars that can easily cut a diver and entangle the equipment or diving gear. As always, there are also the down side of diving this wreck. Firstly, this is a very small and simple wreck, meaning you won’t find any complex mechanical parts or engine rooms to go in. This is a wooden hull of a dhoni, upside down and slowly in the process of degrading. The 1 1 4 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
wreck is also not very old, as a result, there is very limited coral growth on it. Perhaps, the biggest disadvantage would be to dive in strong currents. Beginners will find it hard to cope up with currents when it’s strong, but divers can always take refuge on one side. Nevertheless, I recommend this wreck for all scuba divers and especially for beginners who may not have the experience to explore deep wrecks. It’s also a good place to brush up your buoyancy and underwater photography skills and prepare yourself for deeper and complex wrecks. Due to it’s small size, the entire wreck can be easily captured using a 10mm fish eye lens. Last but not least, this is a very suitable wreck to try filter photography as plenty of light is available on a normal day. One last warning before you think about diving this wreck, it may be a piece of junk, but once you reach her, especially inside the wreck, you will simply be amazed!
8 -The Colosseum, the bow rests at just 8 metres. Facingpage:PhotosoftheColosseum.Thewreckissurrounded by schools of friendly bat fish.
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the yachT
WHAT TO SEE: Remora’s, bat fish, eels, garden eels, soft corals, hard corals, glass fish.
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The yacht - Wreck four (4) This is similar to the wreck one in many aspects. First, it is almost the same type of yacht and the environment is also the same, just white sand around. The wreck lies at 22 metres and can be accessed from the eastern side of the island, yes direct from the beach. If you are more adventurous, you can first reach this wreck, explore and then come up to the Colosseum which is about 20 metres west. The wreck lies with its bow facing south and resting on the starboard side. This wreck is also guarded by a large school of remoras and batfish that makes diving around this wreck interesting. Coral growth is much more extensive than the first wreck and there are hard and soft corals growing on the wreck. Part of the wreck’s railing is detached and lies slightly west of the wreck, possibly during impact. This piece of metal is buried in sand but still most of it is visible. If you have the patience to calmly rest on the sandy bottom and wait for few minutes, you will have a very close encounter with remoras and batfishes as they will be very curious to know its visitors. It is not clear when this was sunk but its believed that it went down in mid 90’s. Just like the wreck one, there 1 1 6 | DISCOVER MALDIVES | 2010 issue
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is a school of glass fish hiding inside the wreck. How to access Accessing the wreck is very easy. Either direct from the Colosseum or use a small boat. I don’t recommend swimming to this wreck from the shore, although its possible for advance divers, but beginners should not try this as sometimes strong currents can tire divers very easily. 9 -Colourful softcorals on the yacht 10 - A school of remoras approaching a diver. 11 - A diver displaying the scale of the detached parts of the yacht.
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The fishing boat – wreck five (5) This is a fishing boat on the south side of the reef immediately south of Bolifushi. This is a very interesting wreck as the top is just about 3 metres from the surface and can be seen by snorkeling. The wreck lies straight on the stern with the bow facing directly top, which is at 3 metres. The entire wreck is kept in equilibrium with the help of one of her mast that rest on the reef slope. The bottom of the wreck is at around 22 metres and is very interestingly aligned on the reef slope. This used to be a small fishing boat and is a popular dive site in south Male’ atoll. Divers from resorts nearby visit this wreck as part of their routine diving. The top of the wreck has very large table corals growing and on the hull itself, there is a good mix of coral growth. The reef is alive and varieties of corals can be seen. Inside the wheel room, glass fish and soft corals can be found and one can enter the wheel house from east and exit from the west or vice versa. During my few dives here, I did not encounter any large animals but there are plenty of small fishes and some interesting coral growth, which makes diving this wreck worthwhile.
the fishing boat
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How to access Accessing the wreck is from a boat.
12 - The wreck with its bow pointing at the surface. 13 - Hard corals growing on the hull. 14 - A school of glass fish inside the wheel house.
WHAT TO SEE: Glass fish, soft corals, table corals and varieties of small fishes.
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SO WHERE IS ALIA WRECK ? Alia Wreck – (wreck 6 on the map) used to be a cargo ship owned by the famous ALIA company, which went down sometime in the 90s. According to unofficial reports, the ship got damaged beyond repair and eventually sank before it could be salvaged. For this issue of “Discover Maldives”, a lot of time was spent to search this wreck, which lies in the atoll lagoon east of Bolifushi believed to be not more than 200 metres from the island. Not many people have dived this wreck and therefore, our efforts to find this wreck has not been successful, but Escale Maldives in collaboration with Water Solutions and Island Projects is continuously on the lookout for
this wreck. One thing certain is that its down there somewhere, but the exact location remains unknown. The very few people who have dived this wreck were also contacted to gather information about this wreck, but due to their busy schedule, they could not join the search team. Escale Maldives would like to thank Water Solutions, Atoll Images, Island projects, Amooo, Hussain Rifaa, Thorif Waheed, Hussain Mohamed and Hamittay for their continued support to find this wreck and bring images to all the curious divers out there. Hussain & Hamittay during a search mission
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Travel Diary
EXPLORING
South Male' Atoll D
etail account of a two day diving adventure to explore the underwater beauty of South Male’ atoll.
Text by Amooo
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have been diving for nearly two years and this was the first opportunity to go on a diving adventure on a luxury safari boat. Despite having dived in many outer atolls, I have not had much luck diving in the famous Guraidhoo region in South Male’ atoll. This story covers events of a two day diving adventure to explore the beautiful dive sites of South Male’ atoll. I prepared for this trip for more than two weeks that included a whole list of things from organizing the charter boat, meeting boat owners, working out the logistics and continuously worrying about the weather. Finally it all began on the evening of 21st May 2009 from Jetty no.7, in Male’, the capital of Maldives. Since I was organizing this trip, I had to ensure that all arrangements were made. The plan was to meet at jetty no.7 (Male’) and go to our safari boat “the Equator”.
Preparation Fortunately, everyone came on time and soon got on the dive dhoni. After a brief equipment check, the dhoni left to Hulhumale harbour at around 7.30 pm. Once on board Equator, the crew welcomed everyone with drinks followed by room allocation. Afterwards, a small briefing was given about the dives for the next 2 days. The first night on the boat was only a sleepover, there was nothing much after dinner, except some chatting and drinks. I was excited and a bit worried too as the weather had been quite nasty during the past few days.
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Photo by: Amooo
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Travel Diary
Day ONE
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Top Dive Sites in south Male’ atoll Emboodhoo Express Kandoomaa Thila Kuda Giri Miyaru Faru Guraidhoo Kandu Villivaru Giri Guraidhoo Corner Cocoa Corner Dhigu Thila Emboodhoo Canyon Laguna Caves Vaadhoo Caves Bolifushi House Reef Vaagali Caves
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1 - Leopard shark encounter at Guraidhoo corner 2 - Children enjoying a game of cards on the island Gulhi 3 - A shy nemo fish at Kuda giri 4 -The colourful Kuda giri reef 5 - Luxury safari boat “Equator” 6 - Locals at rest on the island Gulhi Photo Credits 1, by Dr.Norman Quinn 2,3,4,5,6 by Amooo
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I Got up at 5.30 am and was very disappointed to find out it was raining. As the weather was bad in the past few days, the boat was heavily anchored with multiple anchors so it took one hour to take all the anchors and leave the harbour. Finally we were able to leave Hulhumale around 7.20 am. The weather was finally clearing up. The journey thus began with everyone looking forward for a lot of adventure and fun. Our first dive was planned at Emboodhoo Express, the famous channel just 30 minutes from Male’. We reached Emboodhoo express at around 8.30 am and were able to make the 1st dive around then. The dive was made from our dive dhoni that took us to the edge of the reef. Our entry was directly in to the blue and headed straight down towards the channel slightly towards west. Emboodhoo Express is a famous dive site for shark watching and it was always on my mind. Although it is a famous dive site, we could not see much, not even a single shark and worst of all, the visibility was very poor. Despite being so close to Male’, the city where I live, this was my first dive here and in my excitement, not even halfway through the dive, I lost the weight belt and still managed to end the dive without much difficulty. I have dived with one kg before and I always knew I could go down even without a weight, so this did not surprise me. We spent roughly 45 minutes and ended the dive. After the first dive, we had breakfast and everyone had a quick nap. The journey continued and the boat headed south, to Guraidhoo Island, where she anchored on the south west side of the island. By then it was time for the 2nd dive of the day and after the dive briefings, everyone got onboard the diving dhoni for the 2nd dive at Kandooma Thila. I have to admit, it was a fantastic dive I had in a long time. I have been diving the same dive sites in NorthMale’ atoll repeatedly for many many months and this was the perfect dive I needed to bring some excitement and fun. Similar to the first dive, we had a negative entry and headed straight to the bottom of the reef. As we descended, it was just a normal dive with poor visibility and nothing interesting to see. Since I had the video camera, it took few more seconds to prepare and as a result, my buddy and I were a few metres behind the group. At around 30 metres, I saw the group lined up as if they were trying to watch something over a high wall. We reached there
and that’s when it started getting interesting. By then we were about 30 metres and there was excitement in the sea!. Emboodhoo Express
At 30 metres, we encountered a large school of Jack fish, Napolean Wrasse, eagle rays and my all-time favourite, sharks. At first I got too excited and didn’t know what to shoot but then calmed myself. I quickly fixed my hook on the reef that I always carry in my BCD and started shooting video footage of everything crossing my camera. There were particularly two sharks, who made few rounds towards us and back. From the look of their eyes, I could tell that it was checking on us and probably wondering who these intruders were. I wanted to wait longer but my two buddies, for some reason left and so I had to leave the sharks. Though I did not see any more sharks, it was a very interesting dive and finally we ended the dive after 45 minutes. With everyone so excited, finally the trip was showing signs of real adventure and everyone became more comfortable and satisfied especially with the dodgy start and a not so good first dive.
Kuda Giri
Kandooma Thila
After the second dive, we got back to our boat, had lunch and everyone took a short rest before the last dive. Finally, our worst nightmare came true. Just before everyone was getting ready for the last dive of the day, a huge storm cloud engulfed us and heavy rain ruined everyone’s expectation. Finally after 30 minutes, we were able to make our 3rd dive. The plan was to make a dive to Guriadhoo Kan’du.
Guraidhoo kandu Villivaru Giri Legend Tour route Villivaru Giri
Dive sites visited
Due to heavy rain, visibility was so poor on the top side, we could not see anything but grey surroundings. I was wondering
South Male’ Atoll overview SouthMale’atollisgeographicallyaseparateatoll,butconsideredpart ofMale’atoll.BeingclosetoMale’andMale’Internationalairport,this atollprovidesgreatopportuitiesfordiversandholidaymakersalike.The southerntipoftheatollcanbereachedfromMale’viaaspeedboatinjust aboutanhour.Theatollhasmanytouristresortsandnumerousdivesites. Itisalsobelievedthattherearenumerousunexploreddivesitesinthisatoll. ForholidaymakerslivinginMale’,southMale’atollprovidesagreatwayto experience these dives sites, especially during the weekends. Thereareonlythreeinhabitedislands,namelyGulhi,GuraidhooandMaafushi.EachoftheseislandsarefamousthroughouttheMaldivesaseachof themhassomethinguniquetooffer.Maafushihousesthefamousprison, GuraidhooisHomeforPeoplewithSpecialNeeds”whileGulhihasafamous shipyard. 06
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Travel Diary whether to make the dive or not, but soon the rain stopped and increased our hopes of a third dive. But there was no sun and I was seriously having second thoughts about making the dive or not. The dive master had to change dive sites few times due to poor visibility that upset some divers, but I knew it was the right decision to take. The dive wasn’t particularly great as it was very dark and visibility was bad. We could only see few metres and there was virtually no color, but the reef was structurally complex, exciting and interesting. There were many different sizes and shapes of over hangs and lots of black coral. This is a place that I would want to dive again on a good day. When all of us came up, it was around 5.30 pm. We returned to the boat, had some tea and had dinner at around 9 pm. Soon after dinner, the next day’s plans were discussed so that everyone would get a clear idea of the activities ahead.
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7 - Divers listening to the dive briefing just before a dive. 8-Kandoomadivebriefmapindicatingthelocationoftrigger fish attack 9 - A diver posing for a shot with a shy nemo fish Photos credits 7,8 by Amooo 9 by Dr.Norman Quinn
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Guraidhoo Island Geography TheSouthernmostinhabitedislandinMale’Atoll(andsouthMale’ atoll),situatedabout14milessouthofMale’.Theislandhasanatural deeplagoonadequateforaharbour.Thisisanaturallybeautifulreef, whichisdeepturquoise,andisapopularunofficialmarinaforthe safari yachts. Land Area 1800 feet long and 1070 feet wide this island is a total 1.9 million squarefeetinarea.Thefertilityofthesoildecreaseddramaticallyafter thetsunamirenderedtheislandalmostadesert.Thelandoccupancy for this island is at 100% with only the coconut grove remaining.
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THE ISLAND Averypopulardestinationforthetouristsinnearbyresorts.Touristsvisit Guraidhooalmostdailyforsouvenirshoppingandislandhopping.The islandconsistsofaproperHealthfacility.Thefamous“HomeforPeople withSpecialNeeds”isbasedinGuraidhoo.Tourismistheeconomic mainstayforthelocals.ImportantotherlandmarksincludetheIslandOffice, Island Court, and School. Guraidhoo Must Do’s WhileinGuraidhoodocheckoutthenumerouscoffeeshopsandsouvenirshopsaround.Ifyougetachance,tryandcheckoutthecoconut groves,theonlyremainingwoodsandifyouareevenmoreadventurous, trywalkingtothesmalluninhabitedisland,“Lhosfushi”,locatedjustfew metressouth-eastoftheisland.Thissmalluninhabitedislandcanbe reached on foot.
Day TWO I had a great night and woke up to a beautiful morning and was excited to see some blue sky and no rain clouds. We had coffee early morning and had our dive briefing before jumping on the dive dhoni. We decided to try Guraidhoo Kan’du as the previous day’s attempt failed due to heavy rain. Hence, everyone got onboard the dive boat and headed to Guraidhoo Kan’du. Guraidhoo Kan’du is only a few minutes away from the main island of Guraidhoo and from our boat, so it did not take long to get there. As the current was outgoing, we jumped inside the atoll and descended with slow to moderate currents. It was basically a very easy dive to start with. At first, I wasn’t prepared for what was to come, but then after few minutes, the show began. The first shark was sighted about 10 metres approaching from the ocean side. It passed, then the second one and the third. One by one they came and passed us. Some staring at us with a curious eye, while others were not bothered about us. It was business as usual for them. The current was still moderate and the poor visibility was all soon forgotten with so many sharks around. Most of them were about 1.5 metres long, but they were all fascinating. Halfway down the dive, we saw a turtle and a leopard shark which was as close as 3 metres from some of us. From the way everyone behaved, I could tell that everyone was enjoying every minute of the dive. As I had my video camera on all the time, I was always on the look for sharks which resulted in missing some action that happened around me. In my 2 years of diving, this was one of the most interesting and exciting dives I’ve had as I have always had a fascination for sharks. I think most divers do! It was also very exciting to see a fast moving shark, which later someone told me was hunting. It was circling around some corals and a school of fishes. After a long, comfortable and an exciting dive, we got on the
boat only to be welcome by a passing rain cloud. But business was done for us and everyone was really glad about the timing of the dive. Our boat was still anchored in Guraidhoo lagoon and after breakfast and some rest; it was again time for the 2nd dive. We decided to try Kandooma Thila again, but not the same location as the first day. As Kandooma Thila is a considerably large reef, it could not be covered in a single dive. Our guide was an expert of this region and after the briefing, we headed to Kandooma Thila and dived from west towards east (Ocean Side). As the current was slow, we had a comfortable dive with many encounters of the interesting kind including sharks, huge Napolean, Blue fin jacks and hundreds of other kinds of fishes, most of which I had no idea of their name. The downside was poor visibility. This was also the dive in which I had the most bizarre experience in my diving career. Attacked by a trigger fish, I escaped being bitten and without any injuries or panic. Thanks to some knowledge I gained from reading a book written by Dr. Charles Anderson. Some months ago, I read from his book “Reef Fishes of Maldives”, that the best way to avoid a trigger fish attack is to move away from its nest. For some reason, with my video camera and madness to catch footage of sharks, I was so much concentrating on searching for sharks, I ended up in a trigger fish nesting zone while it was guarding it. Instantly it shot towards me trying to get a bite from anywhere it could get its teeth on. After few funny moves, I managed to escape being bitten and later on the boat, found out that two other divers in my group were also attacked. Luckily no one got bitten or injured. Everyone who saw the fish attacking me thought I was acting funny during then. Too bad no one caught this on camera, but while it was trying to bite me, I had the camera on accidently and caught some footage of the fish ap-
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12 10 - Dive dhoni captain. 11 - A school of jack fish at Kandooma thila 12 - Divers on a coffee break during surface interval 13 - Kandooma thila Photos Credits 10,12,13 by Amooo 11 by Dr.Norman Quinn
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proaching me. Anyway, the memories are still there and will remain for some time. We did not see too many sharks as the current was outgoing. We finished the dive after about 45 minutes. Our 3rd and the final dive of the day was planned near the island of Gulhi. The boat took off from Guraidhoo reef around 12 pm and we all headed north towards the island of Gulhi for our 3rd dive. For the 3rd dive, we decided to check out Kuda Giri, which is a small pinnacle reef with a wreck. The weather was getting nasty and all were in a hurry to finish the dives and head to Male’. I decided to leave the camera and just enjoy the dive. We circled around and took some photos and passed through the caves and it was simply wonderful. The reef was a small but structurally interesting reef with lot of pass throughs, caves and overhangs. This is a great dive site for photographers. That was the final and the last dive and we headed straight to Male’ after a wonderful two days of diving. South Male’ atoll is a wonderful region for diving with many many beautiful dive sites. It’s sad that being so close to them, I don’t get enough opportunity nor time to dive at these great sites. For people living in Male’, this region offers great diving opportunity and if you live in Male’ or visit Male’ for a holiday, do try and get to go and dive this region. Whether you want to give a try or not, I will definitely be coming back to these dive sites soon.
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Kuda Giri The site is dominated by the small wreck that lies upright on the seabed between 30 and 15 metres depth. However the name of the site described the giri, or pinnacle, is the actual reef and this too could be considered a dive in its own right. Due to slow or negligible current most of the time, this is one site the less experienced diver can enjoy. The wreck was sunk on purpose to form an artificial reef and has been well and truly colonised by orange, red and yellow sponges, as well as tubastrea cup coral. There are big schools of glassfish and turtles, humphead wrasse and other large reef predators frequently seen here. The wreck is penetrable from few places. Outside the wreck, the sandy bottom features garden eels, shrimp and gobies. You can spot leaf-fish in the broken staghorn, and there are plenty of nudibranchs and flatworms in and around the pinnacle. This truly is a wonderful dive site where you get two in one.
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Kuda Giri Wreck Reef Basics: Wreck & pinnacle dive Depth: 12 - 30m Visibility: 10 - 25m Currents: Gentle Surface Conditions: Calm Water Temperature: 27 - 30°C Experience Level: Beginner to intermediate Distance: 1.5km from Dhigufinolhu (Anantara), 22km south of Male’ All photos by Amooo
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Tel: +(960) 3306693; Fax: +(960) 3331643; HP +(960) 796 1643
Web: www.escalemaldives.com, Email: reservations@escalemaldives.com
Explore some of the best
MOSQUESINMALE’ Text by: Amooo
M
ale’ is a small city, so if you have plenty of time to explore yourself, it is perhaps very interesting to do it on a bike or just do a walking tour. Of course, taxis are also available. In this issue, we have focused on a guided tour to explore some of the unique mosques in a way that you should be able to do it by yourself without any assistance.
Photo by: Hamid
CityBreaks 01
Legend ATM
CafĂŠ
Places of interest
Specialty shop
Bakery
Government building
Private building
Bank
Hotel / guest house
Restaurant
Supermarket / Minimart
Bookshop
Mosque
School
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Mosque tour Begin your promenade from the Official Jetty . As you cross the Jumhooree Maidhan (Republic Square) through its centre with the flagpole onto your left, you would see a white sandy road in front of you (Ibrahimee Magu). Walk ahead until you come across the majestic Islamic Centre onto your right. Observe the marble steps, the golden dome and the minaret. Walk over to the round-about and continue to your left keeping the Sultan Park onto your right. You are now on Medhuziyaaraiy Magu. Walk ahead, with the
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Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) onto your left, pass by Royal Garden Restaurant until you see the old minaret and the Hukuru Miskiiy (Friday Mosque) . This is a marvel, go inside the compound and observe the intricate coral carvings on the walls, a fine example of art combined with masonry. The burial place around has many tombstones of important people and their tombs. If you have sought prior permission, then do not miss the inside of the mosque, it is mostly made out of wood and coral with Arabic calligraphy on the panels. Permission is not given to non-muslims Once you are satisfied, take the Southern gate of the Friday mosque with the minaret onto your right and
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walk along the road in front, next to Mulee-aage . Turn to the first road on your right and continue until you come across the oldest Mosque in the Maldives . If you visit inside, notice the calligraphy and the wood work. It is very quiet and peaceful inside. Once you come out of the mosque continue on the same direction and turn to your left with the Sheesha
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motorcycle centre onto your left. Continue until you see on your diagonal corner, a very small mosque
which was transported from an island, piece by piece and re-arranged in Male’. Observe the well arranged blocks by skilful masons, giving the mosque its old charm. This mosque is called Kalhuvakaru Miskiiy. This ends your mosque tour. 1 - Tour route map 2,5,6 - The compound of Hukuru Miskiiy with its numerous historic carved grave stones 3-ThecrowdoutsideIslamicCentreduringtheFridayprayer 7 - The minaret at Hukuru Miskiiy compound Photo credits 2,5,6 by Hamid 3 by Riya 7 by Amooo
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Agenda
To book your next holiday to any of these resorts, please email reservations@escalemaldives.com
Development updates Lily Beach The all-new Lily Beach Resort & Spa officially opened on the 28th of March 2009. Three days prior to the promised opening date! The newly upgraded resort boast modern luxury and new additional facilities for guests such as a new over-water spa, new over-water villas, a new restaurant and a complete face lift. Lily beach’s house reef is considered as a snorkellers heaven with hundreds of corals and fish life.
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PhotocourtesyofConstanceHalaveliResort
Constance Halaveli Resort Halaveli resort has reopened after a major upgrading. The newly developed resort has the longest running water villas nearly a kilometer long and is managed by Hotel Constance. Located in North-Ari atoll, this is a Five Star Resort which boast spacious rooms with private pools and with a very beautiful house reef. The resort opened in April 2009. The island is 25 minutes away from Male’ by seaplane and 1h15 minutes by speedboat.
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Photo courtesy of Lily Beach Resort
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Thulhaagiri Good news for Thulhaagiri lovers. New water villas and a spa has been added to enhance the guest services and facilities. The recently upgraded resort opened in July 2009 with an additional set of Water Villas developed in a similar arc shape as that of the existing ones. Finally the resort can host more guests.
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Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives Located in South Ari Atoll on the island of Macchafushi, the resort began operational in November 2009. The resort will deliver a unique premium 4 star resort experience. Featuring 112 suites & villas, the hotel offers diving enthusiasts outstanding diving opportunities including an excellent house reef complete with a dedicated sunken ship wreck, and is within easy reach of the top dive spots in the Maldives.
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Photo courtesy of Centara Hotels & Resorts Photo by Amooo
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Bolifushi redevelopment (Jumeirah Maldives Resort) Bolifushi island in South Male’ atoll is currently under redevelopment. The island will be transformed in to a luxury five star resort from its previous status of a middle class resort. Major changes are expected including more over-water villas and additional new facilities and services. Once completed, the resort will offer guests superlative facilities and services.
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Photo by Amooo
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Irufushi On 2nd July 2009, President Mohamed Nasheed inaugurated Hilton Maldives Irufushi Resort and Spa in South Miladhunmadulu atoll. Irufushi resort is one of the most beautiful islands in the Maldives and among the first to be opened in Noonu atoll.
Photo by Amooo
Alila Villas Hadahaa opened in July 2009. This ultra-premium resort is the first to open in the previously untouched Gaafu Alifu (North Huvadhoo) atoll. The resort has been developed with a balanced environmental considerations with innovative contemporary design, producing a resort that keeps to Green Globe’s rigorous ‘Building, Planning and Design Standard’ benchmarks. Being the first resort to open in Gaafu Alifu atoll, visitors to Hadahaa will get to experience the untouched underwater environment of the atoll.
New protected area declared On the occasion of World Environment Day 5th June 2009 Minister for Environment Mr. Mohamed Aslam declared three new protected areas in the Maldives. Baa Atoll Agafaru Area, Baa Atoll Hanifaru Area and Alif Dhaal Atoll Maamigili Area were declared protected during the ceremony held to announce the declaration. Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister highlighted the importance of conservation and immediate action.
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Photo: Digital Globe
Constance Moofushi Resort Moofushi Island in Alif Atoll is currently under redevelopment. The resort is developed by Constance Hotels and is scheduled to be opened end of 2010. The newly upgraded resort will have a brand new spa and more bed capacity, of which majority will be overwater.
Photo courtesy of Alila Hotels
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Athurugaa redevelopment Athurugaa island in Alif atoll is currently under redevelopment and expected to be opened sometimes in early 2010. The newly refurbished resort will have over-water villas among others. Athurugaa is popular for its beautiful house reef.
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Photo: Digital Globe
Hot events
Underwater cabinet meeting Members of the Maldives’ Cabinet donned scuba gear and used hand signals on October 17, 2009 at an underwater meeting staged to highlight the threat of global warming to the lowest-lying nation on earth. President Mohammed Nasheed and 13 other government officials submerged and took their seats at a table on the sea floor — 20 feet below the surface of a lagoon off Girifushi, an island usually used for military training. With a backdrop of corals, the meeting was a bid to draw attention to fears that rising sea levels caused by the melting of polar ice caps could swamp this Indian Ocean archipelago within a century.
Photo courtesy of Shangri-La
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa in the Maldives will offer guests the fun option of staying in a luxury tree house villa in addition to beach and over-water villas. The resort opened in mid 2009. Perched on stilts three metres above the ground and featuring an elevated infinity pool, the 16 tree house villas will offer guests views of the surfing waves of the Indian Ocean. Robinson Club Maldives on the island of Funamudua in Gaafu Alif Atoll opened on 19th December 2009. Being the 2nd resort to open in Huvadhoo atoll, guests visiting the resort will have the opportunity to discover the untouched coral reefs just 20 to 200 metres away. The resort’s white sandy beaches are ideal for relaxing and the resort offers various water sports and other entertainment activities.
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Photo: Digital Globe
Environment update Maldives Ban Shark fishing The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture officially announced the successful passage of the regulation regarding the banning of shark fisheries. The regulation, which came into effect from March 1, 2009, imposes a complete ban on fishing for any species of sharks within twelve miles from the atoll rim of all atolls of the Maldives. Formerly, the moratorium was limited to only seven tourism atolls but given the recent expansion of the sector, this has been extended to the entire Maldives. Dr. Ibrahim Didi, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture also declared plans to implement a ban on all export of shark products commencing within 1 year from now. (source: Marine Research Centre, http://www.mrc.gov.mv)
Photo courtesy of President’s Office. www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv
Photo courtesy of President’s Office. www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv
Photo courtesy ROBINSON Club Maldives
Photo courtesy of Ecocare
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Hot events continued..
sheets collapsing and low lying areas in danger of being swamped. We must unite in a global effort to halt further temperature rises, by slashing carbon dioxide emissions to safe level of 350 parts per million. “Endorsed by the Cabinet of Republic of Maldives on 17th of October 2009”
By Mohamed Thoriq Hamid, DiversAssociationofMaldives
350 dive The vulnerability of Maldives to climate change is hot news. However until a few months back the question of what Maldives can do to combat climate change was a major question. Just like other vulnerable nations, emission of carbon into the atmosphere from Maldives, the main culprit contributing to climate change, is almost non-existent. How can a small, developing island nation, with a population just over 300,000, make their voices be heard? That is what Maldives did on 17th October 2009 and for a second time on 24th November 2009. Let their voices be heard – in a big way. Divers Association of Maldives teamed up with the 350 movement to create a highly publicized movement in the Maldives. The focus was on the number 350. 350 parts per million is the level that scientists have identified as the safe upper limit of carbon in the atmosphere. If the amount of carbon being released in to the atmosphere continues in the current trend, the effects of it would be drastic. Life on earth as we know would cease to exist. Organized by Divers Association of Maldives, the cabinet of Maldives, including the President and Vice President, took to the waters to hold an underwater cabinet meeting while scuba diving on the 17th of October 2009. The meeting took place at a depth of 3 metres in the lagoon, off the island of Girifushi. President Nasheed and 11 cabinet ministers used hand signals to communicate before signing a declaration calling on other nations to bring down the level of carbon in the atmosphere to 350 ppm. The statement read; “SOS from the frontline: Climate change is happening and it threatens the rights and security of everyone on Earth. With less than one degree of global warming, the glaciers are melting, the ice
On 27th November, a group of 150 participants took the challenge to cover 35 km of lagoon by foot. This historic 3-day “Walk Maldives 2009” event held in Gaafu Dhaalu atoll in Maldives was organized by Tekton Design and Green Tech and ended on 29th November 2009. In this event, the participants WALKED from Gaafu Dhaalu Madaveli island to Gaafu Dhaalu Fiyoree island. The lagoon is 35km long and has more than 80 islands; among them five islands are inhabited. During the trip all five inhabited islands (Madaveli, Hodedhoo, Nadella, Rathafandhoo and Fiyoree) was visited and observed for their habitat, history and environmental conditions. This event is the first of its kind ever to be held in Maldives.
On 24th of October 2009 at midnight, members of Divers Association of Maldives (DAM) headed to the lagoon in front of the President’s Office, on the capital island of Malé, to start off a 24 hour dive rally to commemorate the 350 international day of action. A total of 350 divers participated in the event which depicted how life will be in Maldives if she submerged, owing to rising sea levels. An underwater protest — to highlight Maldives’ vulnerability to climate change, a Bodu Beru show (traditional Maldivian drums), underwater interviews, doing land based sports underwater were among some of the activities that took place during the dive marathon. The idea behind these events was to urge the world political leaders to craft a global treaty, in Copenhagen, which would do justice to the severity of the climate crisis. The message is simple: survival is not negotiable.
350displayatnight,Diverslinedupunderwaterinfrontofthe President’sofficetodisplaythe350usingunderwaterlights. Photo by Azzuu
80 islands 35 kilometres 1 lagoon 3 days
Annular eclipse An annular solar eclipse occurred on January 15, 2010. It was the longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium and the longest until December 23, 3043, with a maximum duration of 11 minutes and 7.8 seconds. Maldives was the best spot for viewing. This was also the longest duration of any city having an international airport in the eclipse track. Thousands of people including tourists watched the eclipse, some from sand banks in the middle of nowhere. In Male’, hundreds of people took out to the streets with their cameras hoping to get a snapshot of this historic event.
PhotobyMeemuZaviyani&Maeed
Photo: Ecocare
islands in the atoll. Officials from the two main organizers indicated that the event was completed exactly as they had expected. The event was sponsored by several prominent local businesses. Some environmental groups raised their concerns regarding this event. According to the organisers, the event gained a lot of exposure and therefore achieved its objectives. The event also opened up the atoll to inhabitants of other regions, for example gaining knowledge of the fact that 80 islands are located within a distance of 35 kilometres on the same lagoon. Did you know this?
According to the organizers, the aim of “Walk Maldives 2009” was to promote hiking in Maldives, attract the attention of locals and tourists to the atoll and to document information about the Photo: Walkmaldives.com.mv
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Agenda
Book reviews
Title: The Complete Guide to Male’. Year: 2007 Size: A5, paper back No of pages: 120 Whats it about?: A new guide book exclusively on MALE’. Includes information on Hulhumale’ and Villingili as well. This is the first and most comprehensive guide book on Male’. This 142 page book will be the ideal companion while in Male’. The book will be ideal fo Short and long term Consultants, Tourists, Expatriates, Locals, Tour operators Tourist guides, and many others...The book contains details of Places of Interest, Things to do, Getting around, Eating and Dining, Shopping, Accommodation, Money matters Health and Well-being, Staying connected, Best of the Best, Useful Information, Detail Maps, Useful tips and Facts, and a very easy to use Street Index & much more. To order copies, please contact info@atoll-images.com.
Title: “Maps of Maldives, The complete guide to the atolls and islands of Maldives”. Year: 2008 Size: A4, paper back No of pages: 120 Whats it about?: This book is the first of its kind completely researched and developed by Maldivians. The book contains details maps of all the atolls, in English and Dhivehi. The fact that the book has been developed both in English and Dhivehi makes this a unique and extremely useful book to everyone from Government offices, private offices and businesses, fisherman, resort owners, resort developers, school children, travellers, holiday makers and many more. All the maps have been updated to reflect the latest changes to the geography of Maldives. In addition to detail maps, the book also provides statistics and detail information on all the inhabited islands of Maldives, next to each atoll map. Each map has vertical and horizontal grid and the islands are indexed in alphabetical order with grid reference which makes searching any island very easy. The book contains all the upcoming resorts, airports and newly leased agricultural islands in addition to tons of other useful information such as island photos, ATM locations and Bank of Maldives branch locations throughout the Maldives. In short, this will be an indispensable reference book for anyone. To purchase copies contact info@atoll-images.com or visit any of the Novelty Bookshop branches in Male’.
Title: “Dangerous Marine Animals - Biology, Injuries & Treatment”. Published Year: 2009 Whats it about?: Size: A5, paper back No of pages: 84 This concise book, DANGEROUS MARINE ANIMALS has two aims. First, it provides information for medical doctors about the wide range of injuries which can be inflicted by marine organisms. Description of symptoms and recommendations for treatment are given. Secondly, swimmers, snorkelers and divers will find information about the biology of dangerous, venomous and poisonous marine animals. This knowledge helps to avoid contact with potentially harmful organisms. Numerous underwater pictures show animals that can be harmful. Their preferred habitat and the type of potential risks are described in detail. In addition, different kinds of seafood poisoning are covered as well. The booklet is small enough to be a helpful travelling companion for holiday makers, and it is voluminous enough to provide quick medical information the case of an emergency. The book is published, marketed and distributed by Atoll Images. To purchase copies, contact info@atoll-images.com or visit our showroom.
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Title: Above Maldives, A photographic journey over the atolls and islands of Maldives Publisher: Atoll Images, atoll-images.com Year: 2009 Size: 210 mm by 280 mm, hard cover No of pages: 96 Whats it about?: A new concept featuring satellite photos of the islands of Maldives. This book will be useful for many people and groups namely, government agencies, planners, private sector, resort owners and developers, potential resort owners, tour operators, tourists, divers, students, marine biologists, geographers, architects, environmentalists and others alike. The book has been designed to provide an insight in to the natural beauty of Maldives, including reefs, desert islands, resorts and inhabited islands from above. More than 96 satellite photos of different islands are illustrated. The book is marketed and distributed by Atoll Images. Most book on Maldives focus all the attention on the resorts, but this book is different. Appreciating the real beauty of Maldives, this book aims to provide the viewer the real picture of Maldives from above. Most visitors to Maldives stay in resorts and do not get to see the real beauty of the Maldives, which are the shapes of islands, reefs, inhabited islands and the blending colours from atoll lagoon to reefs, sand banks and much more. If you can visit these islands, its great, but seeing them from above is just unbeleivable. This book is strongly recommended for people who love Maldives and geography of small islands in particular. To purchase copies contact atoll images at info@atoll-images.com.
Fun zone
How much do you know about MALDIVES? CROSSWORD PUZZLE
photo identification
To complete the crossword, all you need to do is read the magazine. Clue: All answers come from the articles in this issue.
Identify the following island. Clue: This is an uninhabited island and not a resort.
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numbers quiz With so many islands and reefs, Maldives is fascinating when it comes to numbers. See if you can guess the right answer. 1 - Number of inhabited islands in Maldives. a- 312 b- 297 c- 197 d- 500 ACROSS 2 A type of water plant considered a nuisance in Maldives. 6 Local name for a famous channel in South Male’ atoll popular among divers. 8 A type of artificial structure used to aid coral growth in a reef. 9 The common name for island hotels in Maldives. 13 Local name for boat. 14 Type of accommodation that is usually considered superior to beach villas. 15 Maldivian Script. 17 A type of device used in surveying and navigation. 21 The only island in Maldives that is also considered an atoll. 22 Famous dive spot in South Male’ atoll for watching sharks. 23 A protected species considered among the big 7 of Maldives. 24 Type of fish that almost has a triangular shape 25 Branch of surveying science that is extremely important to Maldives. 26 Closest island to Velassaru in South Male’ atoll (on south-west). DOWN 1 An island having the shape of a lip. 3 Schools of this fish often take refuge in shipwrecks. 4 Man made machine extensively used in the Maldives. 5 Type of a coral resembling the branches of a tree. 7 Popular delicacy in Maldives also considered among the big 7 of Maldives. 10 One of the oldest mosques in Maldives. 11 Monsoon that coincides with European winter. 12 Popular tropical fruit grown widely in Maldives. 16 A large inhabited island close to Hanifaru reef in Baa atoll. 18 Local name for the Buddhist ruins in Kaashidhoo island. 19 Shark’s best friend. 20 A small uninhabited island in Lhaviyani atoll, south of a famous diving channel
ANSWERS (USE A MIRROR) NOITACIFITNEDI OTOHP .llota aaB ni dnalsi oodaaM :ZIUQ REBMUN )1402-d( - 6 ;)8873-c( - 5 ;)62-a( - 4 ;)0001-b( - 3 ;)33-b( - 2 ;)791-c( - 1 )0021 naht erom-b( - 7
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2 - Number of Islands with a land area in excess of one square kilometre. a- 23 b- 33 c- 43 d- 50 3 - Population density of Maldives per sq km. a- 1200 b- 1000 c- 1500 d- 850 4 - Number of natural geographic atolls. a- 26 b- 20 c- 18 d- 32 5 - Surface area of the largest atoll in Maldives in sq km. a- 2399 b- 5438 c- 3788 d- 2344 6 - Number of distinct coral reefs greater than 1 ha in area. a- 4334 b- 2900 c- 3500 d- 2041 7 - Number of species of reef fish identified in Maldives. a- 3000 b- more than1200 c- 2500 d- more than 5000
ANSWERS (USE A MIRROR)
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sail your own safari
walk on your own island
swim in your own lagoon
Voyages Maldives is one of the leading Travel and Tour companies in the Maldives, providing all tourism related services. With 30 years of invaluable experience, half a million customers in 2009, 32 international agency representations & 7 sea safaris, Voyages is one of the largest & most reputable agencies in the Maldives. While on any of the 7 Voyages Safaris, you have an endless variety of choices, as to what you wish to do or where you wish to go. There is the option of snorkeling, sailing, diving, fishing, surfing and much more. A day on an uninhabited island or a fishing village or even both! The option is all yours, whether it be Night Fishing, Beach Barbeque or a game of beach volley ball on a Robinson Crusoe Island. Voyages Maldives ‘Narugis’ Chandhanee Magu PO Box 2019 Male’ 20191, Maldives Phone: +960 332 2019 Fax: +960 332 5336 info@voyagesmaldives.com
Moreover, we offer attractive resort packages from a broad variety of exquisite island resorts for holiday seekers. We provide proficient assistance in resort bookings to all our customers in making their holiday programs to suit their wishes from over 80 world class resorts. Thus, the preferred way of experiencing the Most Beautiful Islands in the World is with Voyages Maldives
A private island sanctuary boasting 100 luxurious villas with private pools and four chic restaurants in settings as inspirational as the cuisine. Indulge at the over-water Coco Spa with unique treatments fusing Eastern and Western traditions. For the ultimate in privacy and luxury, stay at the resort’s exclusive Club Coco Palm and its Escape Water Residences. Be pampered with an amazing range of facilities and services including private butler, dedicated restaurant & lounge.
T: 00960 334 55 55
F: 00960 334 66 66, E: reservations@cococollection.com.mv
www.cocopalm.com
GDS Codes:
Amadeus: MLECOC Galileo: 36824
Sabre: 23987