Marine Life in the Maldives – Discovering the Delights Hidden under the Water

The reef that surrounds most islands and resorts like Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort is the backbone of the country's marine life. These reefs house two varieties of coral; hard corals and soft corals. When dead, hard corals leave behind limestone skeletons, on which more corals develop. This endless sight of corals stretching on amongst the clear blue water is a marvellous sight. More importantly, the reef and its corals form a massive ecosystem for marine species.

As mentioned above, the reef forms a massive ecosystem that houses schools of fish as well as moray eels and octopuses. Meanwhile, the crustaceans (like crab and lobsters) number at around two hundred and if you peer closer to the seabed and you will see the lesser spoken about Maldives marine life. I am talking about filter feeders such as clam and sea squirts. Fish of all sorts and sizes fly past you without a care. Some of the most colourful species you can find include butterflyfishes, clown fishes, and parrotfishes. Many predators such as the Barracuda swim unsettlingly close to you looking for their next meal.

These majestic creatures are a delight to watch. Stingrays and manta rays effortlessly glide around the reef while eagle rays can be found in the deep sea. On your lucky day, you might even come across the massive devilfish which measures around twenty to twenty-five feet. Turtles are equally peaceful sea creatures that loiter around the reefs of the country. Out of the seven types of turtles, you can find up to five of them in the Maldives. These five species are the loggerhead turtles, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, Olive Ridley, and leatherbacks. However, for some weird reason, the leatherback turtle does not go ashore in the Maldives, although you can catch a glimpse of it in the reef.

Safe to say, sharks are one of the most misunderstood creatures in the world. A dip in the reef will bring you face to face with many small species. Do not worry, you will only come across the larger sharks in the deep sea. The zebra shark is definitely one of the unique sharks you will see. It is nocturnal and sleeps on the seabed throughout the day. The hammerhead shark and the grey reef shark are some of the other species known to frequent the reefs.

While the deep sea is regarded as the scarier portion of the ocean, it is also home to a large number of rare fish such as tuna and Marlins. This makes the deep sea an ideal location for a bit of game fishing. You can feast your eyes on pods of dolphins as they frolick around in the water while whales make their appearance during some days.