Joanna James
The Maldives has acquired a reputation as a premier destination for scuba diving. In the Maldives, you will find different types of dive sites that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of the diver, as described below.
You will find that a reef's edges, which slope into the water depths will be the most appealing sections of a reef in which to dive. The slopes to be found in the inner part of the reefs where the waters are sheltered make for simpler dives whilst featuring many kinds of small reef fish. A 'house reef' is the reef that surrounds a resort island, at which usually only guests of the resort may dive and snorkel. Meanwhile slopes in the outer sections of the reefs, at which the open ocean meets the atoll, frequently feature attractive terraces, caves and overhangs, and are frequented by pelagic creatures.
This is the term used for the channels that may be found between the reefs, islands and atolls in the Maldives. As you might expect, strong currents may be found within the kandus, which make them a setting where soft corals flourish. Water from within atolls is rich in plankton, and when this water leaves an atoll via a kandu to the open ocean, the plentiful amounts of plankton become a magnet for large marine creatures like whale sharks and manta rays. At the time of the southwest monsoon, water currents generally exit an atoll via eastern kandus whilst during the northeast monsoon, the flow will be through kandus on the west.
You will see that a thila in the Maldives is a formation of coral which rises sharply from the floor of the atoll reaching a height of as much as 5 m to 15 m beneath the surface of the water. Often a thila will resemble a striking undersea mountain around which divers will have the opportunity to move around like flying birds. A thila's upper parts can feature abundant amounts of coral and reef fish, whilst the steeply inclined sides feature caves, crannies and overhangs that also attract different kinds of fish. One of the dive resorts in Maldives to consider from where you will have the chance to dive at thilas would be Baros Maldives.
The term 'giris' is used in the Maldives to describe a formation of coral which rises to a level just beneath the surface of the water. You will find that a giri features attributes that are similar to those of a thila, with the exception that the upper surface might not be deep enough for diving. Both giris and thilas may be located within kandus, inside which the currents that are rich in nutrients facilitate the growth of soft corals. These structures may also be found in more sheltered areas within atolls, where the ocean waters are warmer as well as slower moving.
Despite the fact that numerous ships have over the years capsized on the reefs of the Maldives, you will not find many wrecks that are accessible to divers which have historical importance. In any case, any historically significant wrecks will necessitate obtaining permission before diving. On the other hand, the wrecks at which diving is possible will be within the atolls whilst also being relatively recent. However, these wrecks will have interesting corals and other aquatic life which will have developed on the hulks. Interestingly many of these wrecks are the result of intentional sinking, with the objective of creating attractions for diving enthusiasts.
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