It's something of a surprise, nay, a veritable shock that more people don't try scuba diving or snorkelling whilst they are on a Maldives holiday. Especially given that you will be on an island surrounded by water which has much more going on in it than anywhere on the land.
You do hear a lot of excuses running along the lines of' I cant swim particularly well', 'I can't hold my breath all that long', ' I don't fancy getting eaten by sharks' and even 'What's the point in snorkelling?'
I do understand several of these opinions; but to those of you who feel this is not for you for any of the 'myths' listed above I have one thing to say 'You are missing out!
With around two thirds of the world covered by water it stands to reason that there is a fair amount for us to explore under the sea; we have all seen the documentaries from the Jacques Cousteau era onwards and I guess from those there may even be an element of professionalism which deters us from daring to think we could explore too. I suppose it's a little like watching Premiership football - it would never stop us kicking a ball around the local park and getting a real thrill from it!
So if you are planning a Maldives holiday this time and are not even considering taking a look under the water that surrounds you please, please think again!
I really did not fancy the whole mask thing and the thought of breathing through my mouth did not appeal at all either so believe me, I had my insecurities before I even got into the classroom. I think it is really important to go through the whole process systematically, a little bit like a proper ski school in the alps, it prepares you for what you are going to see and for what you need to look out for. It also puts to bed all the fears of sharks and nasties that you may think are lurking under you as you potter around on the surface.
I happened to be staying at Kuredu Maldives which has a superb dive-centre similar to many on the Maldivian islands; they offer a beginners course and provide snorkelling equipment and instruction. The session begins with a small group in a classroom-style lesson with illustrations of the sort of fish you are likely to see and tips on any you are best not getting too close to. It gives lots of valuable information on how reefs are formed and how important it is to respect and treat with care the coral which sustains so many lives.
Next we were introduced to our snorkel and flippers; again a basic lesson but if you are wavering with the old 'this is not for me' excuse then this gentle step by step approach really will take things at a pace with which you are comfortable. And don't forget you are all in the same boat (pardon the pun) and learning can be fun!
To allay yet another fear, you will not be taken out in a boat and tipped overboard into the deep on your first encounter. As with most Indian Ocean Islands there is a 'house reef' within paddling distance of the beach so taking your first snorkel may well mean simply wading in and looking down. Our guide took us to the waters edge where he explained with ultimate patience how to put on your mask so that it did not fog up or leak and how to walk and swim with flippers.
So, confident that we could all simply float comfortably on the surface looking down into clear waters we set off into the sea behind our guide who pointed out interesting sea life as we went. Getting around 20m out to sea we found our house reef, it sat between around 1 & 10 feet from the surface so with unbelievable clarity we could view literally hundreds of species of fishes and coral types. By this point breathing through a mouthpiece wearing a mask had become second nature and the desire to gaze in awe at what was underneath was addictive. And all this just yards from the sun beds and parasols on the beach.
Within minutes I was hooked and totally fascinated by what I could see; it was like high definition TV with surround sound and feel but 100 times better! From here I simply wanted more so I booked on a boat excursion which took me to a different reef which hosted different species. The boat took us out to a stretch of reef and dropped us at one end we simply drifted with the gentle current whilst the boat repositioned itself to pick us up at the end. Joy.
Next on the agenda was the full-on turtle experience which consisted of more classroom work - fascinating and fun - followed by a boat dive to a nearby reef where both green and hawksbill turtles were known to live. We spotted both and could even tell them apart. Into the bargain we saw a huge manta ray which was a massive bonus
For those of you off on your holidays this year with the thought of snorkelling please enjoy and if you the Maldives means sand and sun but not water, think again, it is for you and you will be richer for it!
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