JOURNEYS

Reef Reconnaissance
A post-tsunami dive trip to the Maldives reveals a bustling underwater world.
by scott goetz

should have bought a new mask before coming to the Maldives. A month ago, while I was on a trip to Belize, a bottle of habanero sauce broke in my suitcase and soaked into my mask, and now it is burning my face. To make matters worse, I am being tested on my diving skillsthe regulations in this strict Muslim nation require that even the most seasoned divers demonstrate their skills before setting outand the scorching silicone is causing me to panic. Although I have 94 dives under my weight belt, I have become a hyperventilating fool in six feet of water. Ten minutes later, after catching my breath

on a postcard-perfect beach lined with coconut palms and thatch-roofed huts at the Soneva Gili resort, I am calm and back in the ocean with a new mask that leaks water on my stillsmoldering face. I pass the test (barely) and head off into the Maldivian blue. Rainbow Reef teems with sweetlips, butterflies, and Moorish idols. Massive schools of anthias move in sheets through vibrant yellow, blue, and orange corals, while boxfish scuttle around sea fans, and moray eels hide in caverns below black coral trees. Even with a leaking mask and a burned face, I fully grasp why people from all corners of the planet come to the

Soneva Gili (diving school shown above) is one of several island resorts that cater to divers in the Maldives.

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Soneva Fushi (above) is larger and more family-friendly than Gili. The Explorer (below) soon will be joined by two Four Seasons resorts.

Maldives to dive in the Indian Ocean. But this underwater world is not entirely as I heard it would be. The Republic of Maldives is a nation of 19 coral atolls, which together comprise about 1,200 islands and stretch for some 35,000 square miles along the equator south of India and west of Sri Lanka. The archipelagos extraordinary diving owes to its geological history. Sixty-five million years ago, a midocean volcanic mountain range became inactive and submerged.

Gradually, coral formations grew on the ranges underwater ridges and eventually surfaced as atolls. Oceanic currents eroded the atolls rims over time and created the channels through which, today, flow the plankton-rich tides of the Indian Ocean. Before planning my trip, however, I heard that the Maldives dive sites had been damaged by the Indian Ocean tsunami that ravaged several of the countrys islands in December 2004. The catastrophe purportedly

exacerbated a situation already rendered bleak by the regions coral bleaching in 1998, when the warm waters of El Nio whitened many of the local reefs. (Extended or frequent bleaching kills coral and releases toxins into the water.) To judge for myself, I arranged a nine-day dive trip that would take me aboard the Four Seasons Explorer and to three private island resorts.

after two days in an over-water

residence at Soneva Gili, a sensationally eccentric resort that resembles something you might find in a convergence of Waterworld and The Swiss Family Robinson, I take the 15-minute boat ride back to Male, the capital, to join the Explorer. Four Seasons (which at press time was scheduled to reopen its tsunami-damaged Kuda Huraa resort in mid-September and open a new resort, Landaa Giraavaru, in November) runs three-, four-, and seven-day excursions through the Maldives on this 128-foot catamaran. The boat has 10 spacious stateroom cabins with full baths and picture

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windows, as well as a suite with a private deck and dining area. Getting aboard this floating haven, however, proves to be a bit problematic. Locals say that it rarely rains in the Maldives, and when it does, it never lasts long. I am somewhat surprised, then, by the torrential downpour in Male, which is creating swells so high that our transport boat crashes repeatedly

into the side of the mammoth Explorer. After several failed attempts, we transfer to a Zodiac and then board the catamaran in pounding surf. Once all of the passengers are on board, the crew calms us with drum-beating and cocktails and then brings us to gentler seas. By the afternoon, I am outfitted with a new mask and ready for a drift dive at Lankan Reef, where an explosion

of colorful corals greets me. I swim past huge sea fans and violet soft corals that cover inlets to caves, providing sanctuaries for the smaller reef fish from the tuna and Jacks that patrol the outer edge of the reef. After inadvertently swimming into a school of barracuda, I, too, seek refuge in the caves and coral passages. On the boat that evening, the Explorers resident marine biologist, Dean Bray, explains that dive sites in the Maldives fall into four categories: kandus (large, deep channels, best known for their pelagic and schooling fish); farus (circular reefs that rise from the ocean floor, usually within a channel); thilas (underwater pinnacles that top out at 15 feet or deeper and are marked by their coral growths and overhangs); and giris (pinnacles just below the surface that are ideal for beginners and night dives). Over the next few days, we dive them all, including the kandu of Rasdhoo Madivaru, or Hammerhead Point, where we watch gray sharks whipping through the waters as they feed on schooling fish.

after eight dives, I come to the

conclusion that the rumors about the tsunami having destroyed the diving in the Maldives are exaggerated. Studies, in fact, have found that only reefs above a depth of 15 feet were harmed, mostly by floating debris. But the effects of El Nio, which rendered reefs around the world uninhabitable, are undeniable. Coral in the Maldives sustained significant damage from the warm waters, especially in the shallows, and yet the reefs seem to have recovered here better than they have elsewhere. The corals in the Maldives are more beautiful, profuse and less bleachedthan those of any other Asian dive sites I have visited. I reach this conclusion despite the limited visibility in the water during my trip, a result of ongoing storms. The downpours worsen as I fly north to Soneva Fushi, a larger sister property to Soneva Gili, but regardless, I charge out to the reef upon arriving. The current is strong, making it near impossible to swim, and the visibility is much less than its usual 90 feet. However, I spot a turtle and some feather stars before returning
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to the island, where, the next day, I take a reprieve from diving to have a massage in an open-walled hut while warm rain trickles off the woven grass roof of the Fushi spa. The skies fail to clear as I head for my third, and final, private island resort, the new One&Only Reethi Rah. The storm, locals say, is the worst they have seen in years, but the many activitiesand the spectacular

100,000-square-foot spaat Reethi Rah make waiting out the weather a pleasurable undertaking. Until, that is, I visit the resorts dive shop, which is as clean as a showroom on Rodeo Drive and stocked with Scubapro equipment. When the resorts dive instructor tells me of recent sightings of hammerheads and whale sharks out at Shark Point, I yearn for the swells to subside so I can return to the water.

On my last day, the sun comes out, the sea becomes calm, and the dive guides ready their boats. I pause, however, because my flight home is in less than 24 hours. Flying shortly after diving can lead to decompression sickness, or the bends, but for a moment, I consider risking it for the chance to swim with the sharks. Ultimately, after recalling my reaction to the habanero sauce, I decide to wait until next time.

One&Only Reethi Rah

Diving into the Maldives

most of the
upscale resorts in the Maldives are on private

SONEVA FUSHI Great for families and sportsmen, Soneva Fushi is

a large private island with activities such as biking through the jungle, swimming beneath flying fruit bats in your private pool, and watching movies under the stars at an outdoor theater. Rooms vary from single bungalows to a private residence with a gym and an outdoor bathroom surrounded by 26 palm trees. www.sonevaresorts.com

islands. The government restricts visitation to the countrys inhabited areas, so contact with the local culture is limited. Because you will spend most of your time on a private island or on the water, choosing the right resort is essential.

ONE&ONLY REETHI RAH Opened in May 2005, One&Only Reethi Rah occupies a massiveand largely man-madeisland with 12 beaches, countless private coves, and 130 bungalows that afford complete privacy. The villas feature arched bamboo ceilings in the bedrooms, terrazzo baths overlooking the Indian Ocean, and large, flat hammocks that suspend from private decks above the water. The 100,000-square-foot ESPA facility focuses on what the resort calls Personal Lifestyle and Wellness Journeys, a series of three-, five-, and seven-day experiences that combine fitness, spa treatments, holistic healing rituals, and healthy eating guidelines.Treatments take place in either stand-alone oceanfront bungalows or in over-water couples suites. The spas communal areas offer fitness equipment, swirling vitality pools, crystal steam rooms, and ice fountains. Guests can arrange everything they need for diving at the PADI dive center, and Reethi Rah also offers yachts for charter, catamarans for sailing, boats for waterskiing, and a tennis center with a Peter Burwash academy. www.oneandonlyresorts.com

SONEVA GILI This small island resort is a perfect base for hardcore divers or for those who want to do little more than sit on the beach and relax in the spa. The Crusoe Residences, double-decker units surrounded by water, have large living spaces, baths with outdoor showers, and two sundecks. www.sonevaresorts.com FOUR SEASONS EXPLORER At press time, Four Seasons was scheduled to open its new Landaa Giraavaru resort in November and reopen its Kuda Huraa resort, which had been severely damaged by the tsunami, in mid-September. The Four Seasons Explorer will pick up guests at either resort, as well as at North and South Male atolls,
for three-, four-, and seven-day diving journeys. Guests stay in one of 10 spacious stateroom cabins or in the Explorer Suite, which features a dining area and private deck. Rates include beachside barbecues, snorkeling trips, cultural excursions, and all dives. www.fourseasons.com

S.G.

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