21nam » Environment

Grey Reef Sharks

Naomi — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:21:46 +0000

Grey reef sharks in the Maldives are found living around the coral reefs and are most active at night when they are hunting. If you’re interested in scuba diving with sharks in Maldives, you’re most likely to encounter grey reef sharks under water. There are several types of reef sharks Maldives, the most common of which is probably the grey reef sharks. A reef sharks diet consists generally of smaller fish and they are savvy hunters, although there is no evidence confirming the question, are grey sharks dangerous to scuba divers. Grey reef sharks can reach lengths of about 6 feet long and usually have a grey back with a white belly.

Manta Rays In The Maldives

martin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:23:09 +0000

The Manta Ray of known simply as the Manta is the largest of all rays!

For more information about the Maldives marine life and scuba diving visit www.maldivesdivetravel.com

The biggest Manta Rays can measure up to 25 feet across and may weigh up to 3,000 pounds. A fun fact about Manta Rays is that they have the most brain : body ratio amongst all rays and sharks. Manta Rays are bottom feeders they catch food with their plates with spongy tissue filters along the gill bars. Manta Rays are a majestic and delightful sea creature to see when scuba diving; because of their long and huge cape like appearance. Manta Rays are a frequent sight at most coral reefs because they need certain kinds of fish to clean out their gills for parasites; like tha wrasse, remora and angelfish. Some of them are even small enough to enter the gills of the Manta Ray for a more thorough cleaning. In the Maldives it is very important to take note on the Manta Ray season of the different dive sites since the numbers of Manta Rays that can be seen may vary greatly depending on the season and current. Manta Rays usually display curiosity with scuba divers.

For more information about the Maldives marine life and scuba diving visit www.maldivesdivetravel.com

The Perils of Plastic in the Maldives

Naomi — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:05:54 +0000

Plastic is destroying the environment in the Maldives

From polythene bags to nappies, a growing tide of plastic is destroying beaches and harming coral reefs and marine life in the Maldives. Talk to any marine biologist in the country and you will hear tales of plastic bags smothering corals, or turtles mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish and swallowing them whole.

“I dive pretty much every day and come back with plastic bottles and bags,” says Abbie Hine, a marine biologist at Four Seasons. “There’s a lot of stuff down there and with the incredible marine life here it gets ingested by a lot of animals.”

Most plastic is not biodegradable and remains in the oceans for centuries. Naturally buoyant, it gets carried across vast distances, breaking down into successively smaller particles which are ingested by creatures lower and lower down the food chain. Throw in the effects of climate change, ocean acidification and overfishing, and marine animals appear to be fighting a losing battle. “Scientists are now saying there’s more plastic than plankton in the ocean,” says Hine.