Maldives

A week on Emperor’s Voyager on the “Best of Maldives” route: out of Malé, west to Rasdhoo and down through North and South Ari, across to Vaavu, then back up through South Malé. Seventeen dives in seven days, all on nitrox, to 33 m in 28–29 °C water.

North Malé and Rasdhoo. A check dive at Kanduoh Giri on arrival, with honeycomb morays tucked under the rocks among clouds of anthias. The next morning was Rasdhoo Madivaru.

North Ari was thilas, the submerged pinnacles the Maldives is famous for: Bathala Thila, then Maaya Thila as the light went. At Fish Head a school of bluestripe snappers was packed so tight over the reef it looked like a wall.

South Ari. A grey reef shark patrolled the blue at Moofushi, and Kalhahandi Huraa had an arch hung with pink and purple soft corals. That evening there was a barbecue on a sandbank, with the Voyager anchored off the beach at sunset. The next two days were the Kudhi Maa wreck, Dhidhdhoo Beyru, Kuda Rah Thila, Vilamendhoo Thila (the deepest dive of the trip, at 33 m) and Mahibadhoo Rock.

Vaavu gave the night dive of the trip, at Alimatha jetty. After dark the tawny nurse sharks gather under the jetty and circle through the divers’ lights. The next morning was Miyaru Kandu.

South and North Malé. On the way home came Kandooma Thila and the Laguna caves. The last dive was Lankan Manta Point, where a manta came in over us before we headed back to Malé for a final sunset among the boats.

Shot on a SeaLife Micro HD+ with a Sea Dragon 2000. A few shots needed a colour cast trimmed. The map shows the boat’s route as marked on its chart, which is approximate.