14 days Maayafushi, Ari-Atoll, Maldives



We book our trip through a German travel agency(Stopover Travel), since it was about 25 per cent cheaper than in Switzerland. On March 24 we fly to Male, capital of the Maldives, from where a small waterplane brings us to Maayafushi, our Robinson-island. Maayafushi is an island in the Ari Atoll, west of the capital, 4 degrees north of the equator. You could say Maayafushi is kind of small, one can walk around the island in 10 minutes. There are about 65 bungalows for approx. 130 tourists. The bungalows are nice and have the usual comfort. But A/C here is optional and costs a smooth 20 US$ per day. By the way, a one minute phone call from Maayafushi costs 7.50 US$. So think twice about calling your loved ones. There's one divebase on the island, led by Peter Alber. There are two boattrips per day to divespots within no farther than 1 1/2 hrs. from Maayafushi by boat. One can also dive the housereef which is quite vast and brimming with acquatic live. Alternatively, one can go snorkelling which turns out to be a blast. You will find all kinds of beautiful corals and lots of fish. With a little luck you will come across a turtle, a shark, a ray or a mobila. As far as the weather is concerned, we were lucky. The rain season starts in April, but we only had one day of rain.
During the two weeks we stayed on the island, we noted that some popular divespots were frequented quite often, while others weren't featured at all. Most of the days, visibility was rather poor. Despite what many publications suggest, it is quite rare to see any big fish. The biggest shark we saw had no more than 6 feet and the manta around 9 feet wingspan. But if you are into the small stuff and corals as well, you will find the places very rewarding. We also took our Padi Advanced diver course which was ridiculously easy and demanded pretty much no effort on our part, except for dishing out the heavy fee. It seems to be more of a cash-cow for PADI and the divebase(s) than a serious attempt at education.
The Republic of Maldives is totally dependent on tourism. In 1997 the number of visitors rose by 8 per cent to 365,000. Consequently, every year new islands are opened up for tourism. Already, one can detect heavy damages on reefs, accumulated over the last years of increasing tourism. The numbers of large fish frequenting the reefs are also declining rapidly. Indiscriminately, all species are being overfished, legally, or illegally during nightfishing within the marine parks. In 1996, the Maldives, together with India and Sri Lanka, exported 2,000 tons (!) of shark fins, just to give one sad example. Of course the divers don't help to improve the situation. We've come across quite a few underwater photographers who can not snap a pic before having wrapped three of their four limbs around some corals. In addition, tourist resorts and charter boats create a lot of garbage which - in one form or another - goes straight into the ocean. There is no waste management to speak of in the Maldives, not even at resorts. The nights are dark and the ocean is deep...
You can find additional information on the Maldives at www.malediven.de
Some Reef Lingo for the Maldives: a "Thila" is a reef with gently sloping walls in the form of a mushroom, a "Fahru" a steep wall.

 
Divespots
Maayafushi House Reef / Halaveli, Ray-Wreck / Maaya Thila / Maga Thila / Kuda Faru / Ellaidhoo Thila / Bathala Maga Faru / Fish Head / Kandholudhoo Thila / Bathala Thila / Manta Point / Bodu Thin Thila / Beiru Madivaru / Medu Thin Thila / Ellaidhoo Wall

Maayafushi House Reef Top
From the divebase it's a three minute walk to the beach and a short swim to where the reef starts to drop off. The housereef is quite interesting, well populated with a wide variety of fish and the corals on top of the reef are in a very nice condition and very colourful (too shallow for scuba on top of the reef). One always finds large schools of trumpet and needlefish, many sea cucumbers, thunas, groupers, parrotfish and many other reeffish, a sea turtle, scorpionfish and sometimes sharks. During our stay, there were a couple of sepia hanging around the boat ramp for mating. The whole reef is ideal for snorkelling but going from one end to the other at a leisurly pace will take around two hours.

date: March 27, 98 depth: 18 m bottom time: 0:40 visibility: 40 m current: light
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Halaveli, Ray-Wreck
(PADI Advanced Open Water Kurs)		 Top
During our advanced course we do a deep dive by Maaya Thila. On this Thila we always find heaps of surgeonfish patrolling the top of the reef and the upper parts of the wall. A few small reefsharks cross our way to the sandy bottom. On the way up we see some turtles. There is a mother of a turtle residing on Maaya Thila and it can be seen frequently. Towards the end of the dive we catch sight of three octopi changing colors, it's like a firework, but it is probably erupts more from aversion against us divers disturbing them. Unfortunately we did not get a rush from the depth, 37 meters don't do it yet.

date: March 27, 98 depth: 27 m bottom time: 0:24 visibility: 20 m current: strong
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This is a "petting zoo"-spot near Halaveli. In 28 m depth lies a freighter 33 meters long, nicely grown over and populated by a variety of fish. The main attraction of the dive, however, are a couple of veritable stingrays who greet every group of divers. The rays can be touched (no gloves!) and are coming back for more petting as long as there are divers. Consequently, there are sometimes three groups of divers trying to lure the rays away from the other groups stacked on top of each other around the wreck. But there are other things to see as well. For example, there is a huge moray (which can also be touched) in the between the bow and the bridge and a smaller one in the stern part of the boat. Underneath the stairs to the bridge we found a shrimp cleaning station and some young batfish. Despite the rumble, it is a must-see dive.

date: April 6, 98 depth: 27 m bottom time:0:45 visibility: 30 m current: medium
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Maaya Thila, Maayafushi
(PADI Advanced Open Water course, night dive)		 Top
Maaya Thila ist sozusagen das Haus-Thila von Maayafushi. Man erreicht es nach knapp 25-minütiger Dhoni-Fahrt. Sofort sind wir umringt von Doktorfischen und grösseren Fischschwärmen. Mehrere junge Weisspitzenriffhaie sind am Jagen, einige kapitale Muränen suchen nach Beute, Riesenschild- kröten werden beim Schlafen beobachtet, Einsiedlerkrebse gehen Ihres Weges, ein Oktopus sucht das Weite und die Korallen und Anemonen leuchten in intensivsten Farbtönen. Natürlich gibt es hier noch viel mehr Tierarten, so z.Bsp. Feuerfische, Kofferfische, ausgewachsene Nashornfische, Makrelen, Wimpfelfische, Drückerfische usw. Es ist ein sehr eindrücklicher, schöner Tauchgang.

date: March 28, 98 depth: 20 m bottom time:0:45 visibility: night dive current: light
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Maaya Thila, Maayafushi
(PADI Advanced Open Water course, deep dive)		 Top
One day later, wo da a deep dive by Maaya Thila during our advanced course. On this Thila we always find heaps of surgeonfish patrolling the top of the reef and the upper parts of the wall. A few small reefsharks cross our way to the sandy bottom. On the way up we see some turtles. There is a mother of a turtle residing on Maaya Thila and it can be seen frequently. Towards the end of the dive we catch sight of three octopi changing colors, it's like a firework, but it is probably erupts more from aversion against us divers disturbing them. Unfortunately we did not get a rush from the depth, 37 meters don't do it yet.

date: March 29, 98 depth: 37 m bottom time:0:36 visibility: 20 m current: light
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So, da wir den "Naviagationstauchgang" sowie den "Suchen und Bergen Tauchgang" auch schon durchgeführt haben, sind wir nun "Zertifizierte Advanced Open Water Divers".

Maaya Thila, Maayafushi, night dive Top
This was our second night dive on Maaya Thila, the usual night divespot from Maayafushi. There are always a few small whitetip reefsharks around, and with some luck they come quite close during the night. We also saw several hunting morays. We were also very lucky to see a stonefish totally unobstructed by corals or rocks from our view. The diving activity also woke up the local turtles and we can see them swim back to their resting places. Just off the reef in the dark we see a school of large batfish cruising by. Their greyish black colour comes out very nicely in the beams of our torches. Various sponges gleam in the brightest colours when the light is put on them. A very nice night dive with lots of aquatic activity, unfortunately limited to 45 minutes diving time, although air would permit another 20-30 minutes.

date: April 4, 98 depth: 17 m bottom time:0:47 visibility: night dive current: light
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Maga Thila (also: Magala Thila) Top
This shallow reef - the top starts at around 3 metres - offers a breathtaking coral garden with lots of life between big tablecorals and anemones. There are also some nice overhangs and various small canyons running through the reef. Here we found some nudibranch (phyllidia), cleaning stations and various small species of fish.

date: March 23, 98 depth: 25 m bottom time:0:42 visibility: 20 m current: light
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Kuda Faru Top
This reef for easy diving is located only twenty minutes by boat from Maayafushi. One of its features is a coral covered pinnacle of about 10 meters height, full to the brim with small aquatic life. One is well advised to spend some time there to check out the little holes and crevices. We found a gorgeous yellow trunkfish with blue spots there. On the sandbank before the reef we came across an enormous pineapple sea cucumber, well over one meter in length. The whole reef is very nicely covered with corals and anemones. You find some nice examples of mushroom and finger soft corals as well as small sponges in red and yellow (don't forget to bring a torch to get all those colours out in full). Just off the reef some tunas sprinted back and forth.

date: March 30, 98 depth: 22 m bottom time: 0:54 visibility: 5 m current: light
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Ellaidhoo Thila Top
This reef lies in the centre of a channel in front of Ellaidhoo island, another tourist resort (with good food we hear). The terrace-like formation runs from 8 to 14 meters with lots of attractions. In some of the smaller caves we found some large groupers hiding from us and in another one a stingray resting. A little later we came across a scorpionfish, wasting the day away. You can also see the occasional moray and maybe a whitetip like we did. On top of the Thila we found another smaller scorpionfish as well as a really impressive finger soft coral. Upon surfacing we were surrounded by a large school of balaos.

date: March 31, 98 depth: 25 m bottom time: 0:42 visibility: 20 m current: medium
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Bathala Maga Faru Top
date: March 31, 98 depth: 18 m bottom time: 1:03 visibility: 20 m current: light
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Fish Head Top
A "must for all divers" and "the most famous divespot on the Maldives" we read in brochures, promising an abundance of big fish of all sorts. Forget it! That was some years ago. During the briefing on the boat we find out that we will be lucky to see even one shark. Overfishing, overdiving, and the fact that the sharks do not get fed anymore, reverted this "most famous" back to a "normal" divespot. However, it is still well worth a dive.
The Thila starts at 10 meters and is very small, so that one can easily go around it in one dive. Always be aware of the current, it is quite strong. Thanks to this, the reef is well populated. Divers are regularly greeted by a local Napoleonfish waiting for food. Fumble around with the pockets of your vest and he may expect you to produce an egg (which you should not). There was also a large school of snappers, a very large emperor angelfish, a bunch of adult batfish. We were also able to watch some tuna and makarels hunting. Luckily, some grey reefsharks marked their presence repeatedly. There are nice overhangs but this reef is not one for corals. We saw quite a few colourful clams, gorgonia and some beautiful yellow crinoids, however.

date: April 1, 98 depth: 22 m bottom time: 0:41 visibility: 10 m current: strong
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Our second dive at Fish-Head was also our last dive on the Maldives. There is less current this time and we are once again greeted by the Napoleonfish. Today we see two young batfish with their grossly oversized fins. In a tiny hole we detect the eye of an octopus, the rest is hidden from us. Again we watch the spectacle of hunting bluefin tuna. They have such an enormous speed, it's like watching Formula 1, just a lot more beautiful. After about half our air is gone, we settle on a large rocky terrace and remain there watching two grey reefsharks cruising by every twenty seconds. They are beautiful to watch, so efficient and powerful and they stick around until we have to leave since our air is running out.

date: April 7, 98 depth: 23 m bottom time: 0:55 visibility: 20 m current: medium
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Kandholhudhoo Top
A small reef with an even smaller top starting at around 3 meters. Although the brochure hails this as another top of the top Thilas of all times, we find it doesn't make us chocke on our mouthpieces from excitement. We came across a nudibranch and a scorpionfish in its usual "can't be bothered" pose. On the top we met up with an octopus who refuses to hide from us and instead entertains us with a displaying a selection of his colors. Eventually, he glides over rocks and corals into a new refuge.

date: April 2, 98 depth: 23 m bottom time: 0:43 visibility: 10 m current: light
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Bathala Thila Top
A small reef near Bathala Island with the top starting at around 10 meters and falling down in a 75-degree-angle to about 30 meters. It is of medium beauty and interesting especially for its stonefish population. We saw a couple of them, posted underneath some of the larger table corals. Unless one knows where to look for, they are almost undetectable. The ones we found were between 30 - 40 centimeters and as usual refused to move even when pushed. We came across another scorpionfish and a nudibranch as well as a beautiful small flatworm with a blue-yellow-whitish colour.

date: April 2, 98 depth: 21 m bottom time: 1:00 visibility: 20 m current: light
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Manta Point Top
This dive went somewhat unlucky you might say. Manta Point is a "secret" spot from the Maayafushi divebase where you can see (with some luck) mantas. The day we chose to go we had very low visibility and strong current along the reef. Upon descending, the whole dive group fell apart and we drifted aimlessly along the reef. We saw a turtle, stayed with some morays and then, suddenly, black wings emerged from the blurr... a manta measuring about three meters across. It was so exciting, so graceful and the manta so shy that we had a mere 20 seconds to stare at it; then it was all gone. We drifted further and finally surfaced without seeing another one. Only two divers who went with the guide at top speed all along the reef with the current saw more, seven to be exact. They called it the dive of their lives and it was somewhat frustrating to listen to their account. Were it not for the mantas, the dive appeared unrewarding. Be aware that seeing a handful of mantas one day will not mean that you are going to see plenty the next day.

date: April 3, 98 depth: 18 m bottom time: 0:47 visibility: 5 m current: strong
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Bodu Thin Thila Top
Bodu Thin Thila is the biggest of three Thilas near Bathala. There are nice corals and some overhangs, but the main attraction is a huge anemone garden. Right at the beginning there is a needle with a shrimp cleaning station. In the sand between the Thila lies a whole colony of tube-eels. Here we also came across a nudibranch of about 12 centimeters, which is quite big for the Maldives. Some Lionfish, a moray in co-habit with a red-banded coral shrimp, titan-triggerfish, various phanthom-wimpelfish, a variety of very nice angelfishes, impressive clams and a miracle grunt, a very shy but amazingly beautiful fish. A very nice, entertaining dive with lots of life to discover. The anemone garden lies between 3 - 5 meters and you can cruise it with the rest of your air before surfacing. Its vastness is well worth your time.

date: April 3, 98 depth: 21 m bottom time: 1:03 visibility: 10 m current: light
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Beiru Madivaru Top
This is actually the housereef of Madivaru Island, a wall recommended for driftdiving. We did not find it very exciting, like most wall dives, although this wall was nicely covered with underwater fauna. However, most of the caves were simply empty and there was not much life around. We came across some morays, but that was about it.

date: April 4, 98 depth: 26 m bottom time: 1:09 visibility: 10 m current: light
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Medhu Thin Thila Top
Medhu Thin Thila is a medium-sized Thila with the reeftop at 5 meters gently falling down to about 30 meters. The Thila can be easily rounded during one dive. The sides of the Thila were brimming with aquatic life, whereas we found the top to be rather disappointing. Mostly, we came across fish we had seen previously, but here life was abundant and an almost complete assortment of our dives up to now. On the westside we watched for a few minutes as a bunch of makarels kept hunting through large swarms of silversides and other of small fish. The constant rushing back and forth of this silvery mass kept us entertained. A very good dive to get a complete overview, you can leave the reeftop aside and expend your air a little deeper.

date: April 5, 98 depth: 20 m bottom time: 1:10 visibility: 30 m current: light
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Ellaidhoo Wall Top
By far our best wall dive on the Maldives. This one is actually the housereef of Elaidhoo, a 25 meter drop-off with lots of big caves. The main attraction right off the island is a wreck in 35 meters depth. The wreck is, however, upside down, a case of screwed-up sinking. It is home to a large grouper, some morays and large swarms of glassfishes. Drifting along the wall, we saw some scorpionfish, a turtle cruising by, a big lobster in a cave and a moray couple in their hiding spot.

date: April 6, 98 depth: 32 m bottom time: 0:55 visibility: 15 m current: light
We're giving this one (1-5 Bundys):

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Update: October 1, 98