Soon after the close of ADEX we set out to capture on film the untouched reefs of the southern most atolls in the Maldives. After a quick plane ride from Singapore we found ourselves in the bustling Maldives hub of Male. The Maldives is a place of absolute beauty. In all my travels I have not seen a more gorgeous beach than that of a Maldivian atoll. Unfortunately its underwater world has seen much destruction over the last decade. 2004’s tsunami, global warming and pollution issues have destroyed many of the Maldives’ reefs and fish populations. But all is not lost, during our time at the southern atolls we were rewarded with exquisite dive sites, many never before dived on. This along with a newly created shark sanctuary, growing education on pollution and it’s effects on the reefs, and a concentrated effort on the part of Maldivians to protect their marine ecosystems looks to have many of the reefs heading back in a healthy direction.
After two weeks of craziness on this Maldivian adventure; watching a Nat Geo shooter get run over by a sea plane (it’s okay, he was fine thanks to quick thinking), a visit to the local fish market in Male, and getting stranded with on a boat with no gas for a day or two, it was time to once again return to the States. After six plane rides, two taxis and a boat ferry, 46 hours in all, I finally made my way back home. I look forward to making my way back out to the Maldives again soon, to see mantas and whale sharks in the northern and western atolls.
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