The Northern Atolls are going to be a tough act to follow…
The Maldives are just one of those places every diver has to visit yet somehow I had never managed to make it out there. Until last week that is! I have just got back from a storming trip on Monsoon, which sails the remote northern atolls and it completely exceeded all of my expectations. The Maldives is perhaps most famous for it’s many manta and this trip certainly delivered!
But first things first. Having an afternoon flight meant for once I had been able to pack in relative calm. Parking was prebooked and super speedy. I then checked in to the Monarch desk in a mater of minutes. I had prebooked my excess baggage to cover all my camera kit so the whole process really was hassle free, leaving me bags of time to pick up some sun cream and have a coffee in departures. The flight itself was also direct – such a blessing. After a meal and a movie I could curl up and catch some sleep before landing in the Maldives. On arrival in Male I was pleased to see Michael, one of our 2 dive guides, waiting by the door to guide me through the mayhem to the seaplane check in.
The seaplane itself is a fabulous way to see just how many islands and atolls make up the Maldives. The journey to Kuredu in Lhaviyani atoll was only 40 minutes – just long enough to enjoy the view and take my first pics. We landed right next to Monsoon, grabbed some lunch and then the diving began. Excellent. As check dives go you could not ask for a better site than the Kuredu house reef. A huge stingray and eel garden were my first sightings in the Maldives but there is so much to see on the house reef you could explore it for hours. We then set sail into the sunset for Baa atoll.
From Male to Monsoon in one easy seaplane journey
Baa atoll lies to the east of Lhaviyani and is where we spent the next 2 days of the trip. An early morning wall dive was appreciated by all, but the real highlight of the day was Hanivaru. This lagoon is nothing special in itself – a shallow sandy bottom looking uninspiring but plankton are swept into the lagoon by prevailing currents and we all know what eats plankton…. MANTA. There is no guarantee that manta will be in the lagoon but Chris, our other dive guide, went to check it out and returned with a broad grin on his face. We were in luck. Quickly everyone grabbed snorkels and dive gear and rushed to the lagoon. And what a sight awaited. We later estimated that around 40 manta were in the lagoon but in all honesty, it felt like an unending stream of 4 metre rays were passing you. They would all swoop off in one direction, start looping and then in the blink of an eye swish off to the other side of the narrow lagoon. I chose to snorkel this one as the majority of the manta were feeding close to the surface. Hundreds of photos were taken as the manta effortlessly passed a hair’s breadth beneath me. It was one of the most inspiring encounters I have had in 9 years of diving.
Reluctantly people left the water for lunch. In the afternoon the manta had moved on so we headed Dhigu thila for a dive. This was a pretty spot with a gentle current that drifted you along the reef at the perfect pace. Here I had my first encounter with the beautiful orange clownfish in the Maldives and splendid anemones that they live in. Photographically you could not ask for a better subject and the pink purples skirts of the anemone are captivating. As we sent up the SMB for the safety stop, 2 more manta cruised on overhead. A night dive rounded off the day. This was going to be hard to top as I nodded of to sleep that night.
Day 2 started with Dhonfaru thila and a close encounter with 3 grey reef sharks. The reef was packed with all kinds of morays as well as the usual sweetlips and twin spot snappers. Then we went back to Hanivaru for more manta. Well who could resist? The second time around was no less impressive. This time I opted for scuba and floated mid water as manta feed all around me – it was mesmeric. And although I missed it, the performance was closed by the appearance of young whaleshark. Nelivaru was the site for our afternoon and night dive where yet more manta cruised in for a fly by sighting, alongside a massive marble ray and overhangs hiding glass fish.
Manta everywhere! Diving does not get much better
We pressed on further north on day 3 away from other boats into idyllic seclusion. At Dhigalli Haa I saw my first ever porcelain crab. These elegant crabs hide in bead anemones and feed in the passing currents. Swathes of fusiliers were chased by hunting jacks and most of us were content to sit back and watch the show unfold. The afternoon dive was filled with a cloud of banner fish and a hawksbill before (I am told) a brilliant night dive on the same spot at Fenfushi giri.
Day 4 bought a real highlight at Orimas. This is not so much of a reef as a 16m sandy lip along the sea bed. The bat fish here are incredibly inquisitive (fab photos) but the undeniable highlight are the grey reef sharks. It must surely be a nursery as there were few adults but scores of tiny baby greys. I counted over 16 sharks in view at once. The current can be fast here so hook in and enjoy. In fact, Orimas was so good that we just had to come back for a second dive the following day. Noonu atoll was also the site of a fast drift along Maavaru Kandu where I saw draping soft corals as well as healthy large table corals as I flew past.
All too soon it was time to head back down towards Kuredu, but the diving continued to exceed my expectations. Christmas Tree rock is a boat ride from Kuredu but you can literally tick everything off your wish list here. We saw a grey reef, marble ray, large schools of all manner of fish and excellent corals. It was a stunning and relaxing dive that hit all the right notes. Kuredu Caves is another local dive with plenty to boast about. The are turtles everywhere and a rather rare leaf scorpion fish hiding on a ledge.
Just some of the fish life that awaits
Overall I was startled by the quality and variety of diving on offer in the northern Atolls. I personally love big fish and macro life and there was plenty of both. Large schools of reef fish are found on almost every dive and despite what you might have heard about the Maldives, the corals are also healthy and growing well in many locations. Monsoon works brilliantly as a boat – from the smiling crew and captain on the dive deck to the super chef that kept tasty food coming all week long. Chris and Michael worked tirelessly, checking every current, to ensure we had the right conditions for each and every dive. In between dives Monsoon has all the mod cons you would expect or need including a fully stocked bar for the all important sun downers. From beginning to end my trip really was seamless and on hearing about our recent floods and weather in the UK, I certainly did not want to come back!
We still have some spaces on Monsoon this winter so why put up with another drab UK holiday? Escape to paradise and call the travel team on 0800 072 8221 today
For many of us, sunset marks the end of the day’s diving. Be it on shore or a liveaboard, the lure of a sun downer is great. But hold off for a couple more hours and you can experience a whole new kind of diving. Night dives reveal entirely new behaviours and critters you will not see during the day. Feed lion fish (nasty but fun) or watch the basket stars scrabble out of their hiding holes. The marine life tends to be small scale although many a turtle or reef shark have been found on a night dive. The pace of life on a night dive is far slower too so they are well suited to anyone that enjoys a slow bimble along the reef. Switch your torch off and watch for phosphorescence in the water as the grand finale.
Manta are breathtaking creatures and to get a photo of one is impressive, but David Nurse has no less than 7 in this picture! But it was not just the numbers that won David November’s photo competition. The composition of this shot is near perfect. The manta look as if they are about to swoop in to land, flying in formation through the water. The lighting is spot on.
