Maldives natural attractions
The highlight of any holiday in the Maldives is its numerous natural attractions. An island nation unique in its character and location, it never fails to surprise visitors with its never-ending array of secrets, both above and below the water.
Natural attractions in the Maldives vary in size and stature, thrill, and excitement level and feature unmatched possibilities to appreciate the multifariousness of its local flora and fauna. As a result, the Maldives epitomizes the perfect beach holiday, one that comes laden with astonishing discoveries and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Parks and Nature Reserves
With utmost importance given to conservation of the environment, the government of the Maldives has been working tirelessly to create special zones, bio-reserves, and parks to protect its prolific wildlife even further.
ADDU PARK
A relatively new addition to Maldives’ ever-growing list of natural attractions, Addu National Park highlights the diversity of the region’s ecosystem found above the ground. Tourists visiting the park for a day trip can cycle through the wetlands, canoe through red mangroves, take informative guided tours, or relax by the lake and bask in the tranquillity of the surroundings.
BAA ATOLL
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Baa Atoll is one of the most critical aquatic regions in the world, having bountiful groups of coral reefs and a rich and colorful oceanic life. Protected against any commercial activity, it has nine core areas with buffer zones that limit any foreign activity. As a result, Baa Atoll has become a popular diving site to explore some of our planet’s most engaging underwater views.
Sunken Ships and Wreck Diving
A paradise for divers, the Maldives is home to several shipwrecks as well as purposely sunken boats. These often decades-old vessels form a distinct underwater environment that helps preserve aquatic life while simultaneously providing scuba divers with a captivating excursion.
With wreck diving becoming a popular sport, there are plenty of sites to visit across the Maldivian islands. Resorts and tour operators thus organize regular trips to facilitate this growing demand. Some of the best wreck dives in the Maldives worth exploring are:
British Loyalty
An oil-tanker torpedoed by a German U-boat towards the end of World War II, British Loyalty makes for a fascinating wreck dive, especially since holes in the ship allow divers to go inside. Lying at a depth of 33m, it is the primary dive excursions in Addu Atoll.
Kudhimaa
Located in the South Ari Atoll near the island of Machafushi, Kudhimaa is a Japanese boat sunk in 1998. The wreck goes down to a depth of 30m, making it ideal for intermediary divers. Lionfish, pufferfish, sponges, and batfish are plentiful, with the boat also playing host to the occasional whale shark.
The Shipyard
A spectacular diving spot in Lhaviyani Atoll, The Shipyard is so-called for having two wrecks, Skipjack 1 and 2. Divers exploring this site can expect to come across damsels, glassfish, butterflyfish, emperor angelfish, and stingrays.
Maldives Victory
Close to Hulhule Airport Island in North Male Atoll, Maldives Victory is the wreck of a Singaporean vessel that went under in 1981. It is now home to turtles, bannerfish, eels, pipefish, hawkfish, and a fair amount of coral.
Mantas and Sharks
When visiting the Maldives, tourists have the privilege to view diverse aquatic life while scuba diving, snorkeling, or even from above the water during a boat trip from one island to another. While there are numerous species to explore in the water, the two that intrigue visitors the most are manta rays and sharks.
Manta Rays
An excellent location to view and swim with manta rays is Baa Atoll, which has snorkeling only spots such as Hanifaru Bay or HorubadhooThila, used by mantas as a cleaning station. The area especially witnesses an increase in the manta ray population between June and November when they come here to feed on zooplankton. One also comes across many whale sharks during this time. Addu Atoll is the other significant yet less touristy site for diving with mantas, all year round. The southernmost atoll in the Maldives, it has many scuba diving spots suitable for every type of diver.
Sharks
South Ari Atoll is perfect for enthusiasts wanting to swim with whale sharks, gentle plankton-eating creatures who are also the largest fish in the world. The grey tip and white tip reef sharks are also common in the archipelago, and visitors often come across them while snorkeling.
Hammerhead Point is an outing meant only for experienced divers. This trip in Rasdhoo Atoll typically commences early in the morning and is an exceptional opportunity to be a part of the hammerhead shark’s natural habitat.
Bioluminescent Beaches
Watching the water light up in a twinkling shade of bright blue is a magical moment that travelers to the Maldives do not forget easily. A natural phenomenon most visible between the summer months of June to October, bioluminescence is light emitted by planktons as they come ashore along with the waves. However, tourists visiting the Maldives during the peak season of December to March can occasionally come across this natural attraction.
The Maldives is one of six places in the world to witness bioluminescence regularly. There is no telling where and when the phenomenon will occur, adding a hint of mystery and excitement for those lucky enough to catch it. The beaches of Vaadhoo Island in Raa Atoll are particularly famous for hosting this spectacle famously known as “sea of stars.” Best seen on a moonless night, one should move towards a dark part of the beach to appreciate the marvel in its full effect.
Underwater Restaurants
Underwater restaurants in the Maldives might not technically be natural attractions, but they are fascinating humanmade structures that promise guests an out of this world adventure. There are presently six underwater restaurants, namely 5.8 Underseas, Ithaa, SubSix, H2O, M6m, and Sea, found across the island chain, located in different resorts.
A chance to feast on gourmet food, these novelty dining spaces exude intimacy and act as an ideal destination to admire Maldives’ vibrant marine life from anexclusive setting. Non-resident guests can relish this delightful culinary extravaganza by contacting the resort and making a reservation in advance.