June 2012    Download the Entire Issue (PDF)

Vol. 27, No. 6   What's this?

M/V Carpe Diem, Maldives

the abundance of fish is worth the cost and travel time

from the June, 2012 issue of Undercurrent  

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Dear Fellow Diver:

The dinghy captain dropped me in the water in snorkel gear. For a moment, I didn't see a thing. Then emerging from the water, slightly murky from the ample plankton, I saw the whale shark swimming directly otward me, just 10 feet below. Snorkeling faster and faster, I watched in amazement for at least five minutes as the largest fish species in the world swam languidly beneath me, the sun sparkling on its polka-dotted back. Slowly, it pulled ahead of me and disappeared into deeper water. Finally, after thousands of dives, I was no longer a whale shark virgin! This trip yielded two wonderful whale shark encounters, and I'm still smiling.

There are two main reasons why the Maldives are on every diver's bucket list: the diving and the postcard perfection of the archipelago. Though not lush, the islands look like ads for "tropical islands," with snowy sand, swaying palms and crystalline waters. That the diving rocks is icing on a very beautiful cake. This curious nation, only a few feet above sea level, consists of more than 1,000 islands, of which only 200 are occupied by its 319,000 inhabitants. It isn't the center of nowhere, but you can see it from there -- 430 miles southwest of Sri Lanka and 250 miles southwest of the tip of India. It's possibly the world's most Muslim country; locals brag that 100 percent of the population practice Islam. Their customs suggest how strong beliefs run -- not only can one not bring in liquor or porn, but dogs are also disallowed. So no pocket poodles or Chihuahuas to put under your airline seat. They're unclean, you see.

M/V Carpe Diem, a liveaboard in the Blue O'Two fleet, plies a variety of routes in the Maldives. My itinerary cruised the atolls of North and South Male, North and South Ari, and Vaavu, and it featured a number of channel dives, with often powerful currents, low visibility and big animals. There were 19 divers on board, almost all from the U.K. This trip was all about diving and not so much about luxury. The boat was comfortable, and my suite was roomy and bright with big windows, though the beds were rock-hard. The regular staterooms were smaller but looked comfortable, and no one complained about lack of storage. Meals included plenty of veggies and protein but meats were tough, and sauces lacked spice. Tuna and sailfish caught from the stern of the boat while we were in passage provided the best repasts. A mug of delicious Lion, draught beer from Sri Lanka, was $3. Wines ranged from $24 to $35 a bottle, but they were also available by the glass, as were liquors....