Byron Conroy heads to the Maldives in search of the mythical ‘wall of sharks’ – would his week on the luxury Blue Force One liveaboard be a success? PHOTOGRAPHS BY BYRON CONROY
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hen people think of the Maldives, they immediately think of paradise - white sandy beaches and blue oceans. The resorts with over-water bungalows and all-day sunbathing. However, for a diver it’s all about what lies beneath the blue ocean surface. I have stayed in island resorts in the Maldives before, and while the diving can be very good from a resort, to get the real true taste of variety the Maldives offers, it’s best to explore via a liveaboard. The sheer distance a liveaboard will cover during a week will offer much more from the diving than any one resort can. Dive seasons in the Maldives are around two different itineraries - last time I was there I took the classic ‘Best of Maldives’ route, the diving was great and we saw a wide variety of subjects, including everyone’s favourites, sharks and mantas. However, after discussing the trip with the local guides, they told me that if I wanted lots of sharks and the elusive whaleshark, then the time to come was February/March on the Deep South route. The Deep South route runs for about eight weeks, as this time of year the inward currents bring nice clear water into the atolls along with big currents, and this in turn brings in the sharks. Rumours of walls of 100 sharks were something I had heard for a long time, but thought were a diving myth. Currents on this itinerary can be strong, so it’s only recommended for advanced experienced divers.
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