Maldives 2020

[bamagrad75]

It was a hell of an effort between trying to arrange flights & getting valid covid tests but we made it through Dubai to the Maldives for a bit more than 2 weeks diving & snorkeling on the island. It was heaven to walk around without a mask most of the time.

A few pictures from our journey

Emperor Angelfish



Coral Beak Butterflyfish




Sometimes an eel just doesn't WANT his picture taken & lets you know that




View from our island to another one.





A blacktip and a whitetip reef shark. We had sharks around us every time we went in the water. In the early morning & late afternoon, we'd go up to a sheltered area to watch the baby blacktip sharks swim around. The only time I got a little nervous was when one blacktip started circling me on a morning snorkel. No music so I was okay.

 

[bamagrad75]

A few more pictures. Some were taken at another resort about a 10 minute boat ride away where my daughter went to dive with their shop.

I saw 4 octo on the first day, then several more almost every time I fell in the water. This one got seriously angry that I came in close for shots. They will turn this angry red if you are too close.




One day I found 2 octos on one rock. One turned the angry red at me, this one tried to become the color of the rock to throw me off him.




Parrotfish




From the other resort we visited, looking back toward our island




This interesting fish actually looks like a piece of seaweed...except you don't much see seaweed in the Maldives. It's actually a baby rockmover wrasse. The ONLY place I've ever seen the baby is at THIS resort in the Maldives. Found one 2 years ago when I was here & daughter spotted this one this time. It's maybe 4 inches long so not easy to even spot





We spent a day in Dubai on the way back but the temperature was running between 104 and 108 and the city was hazy with heat. Ended up spending most of our time touring the Mall of the Emirates (Ski Dubai) and Dubai Mall (the fountains & giant indoor salt water aquarium). Next year, hopefully we can get out & about more.

 

[Proud_Okie]

Awesome pics, BG.

 

[jvett77]

Really great shots. Love the hungry eel. Tell me what are the red, round objects near the eel. Are those sharks a species that ignore a potential human feast?

 

[bamagrad75]

Really great shots. Love the hungry eel. Tell me what are the red, round objects near the eel. Are those sharks a species that ignore a potential human feast?

Sorry, just saw this.

They are basically a tunicate. It's an invertebrate that feeds on plankton by drawing it in through their "mouth". They can form colonies.

The most beautiful ones are the heart ascidians which can grow large and are very colorful. Beautiful ones in the Pacific and IndoPacific.

Those are white tip and black tip reef sharks. Pretty much are used to humans and ignore us. Had them swim right along side of me, not a foot away.

The only time I've had one get aggressive was on a night snorkel when I accidentally shined my light dead in it's eye while it was night hunting. It caught the flash and thought i might be a silver color fish and came dead at me. It passed inches between the guide and me. Yes, you can scream underwater. Lol.

The dangerous white tip sharks are the oceanic white tips. Its said they can hear a plane crashing or boat sinking miles away. They now think oceanic white tips may have been responsible for the Indianapolis deaths more than tiger sharks.

Basically your reef sharks, black tips, white tips, grey and nurse dont pay much attention to people unless they are separate fishing.

 

[rjshull]

It was a hell of an effort between trying to arrange flights & getting valid covid tests but we made it through Dubai to the Maldives for a bit more than 2 weeks diving & snorkeling on the island. It was heaven to walk around without a mask most of the time.

A few pictures from our journey

Emperor Angelfish

View attachment 256821

Coral Beak Butterflyfish

View attachment 256822


Sometimes an eel just doesn't WANT his picture taken & lets you know that


View attachment 256823

View from our island to another one.


View attachment 256824


A blacktip and a whitetip reef shark. We had sharks around us every time we went in the water. In the early morning & late afternoon, we'd go up to a sheltered area to watch the baby blacktip sharks swim around. The only time I got a little nervous was when one blacktip started circling me on a morning snorkel. No music so I was okay.

View attachment 256825

Where did you stay? Diving the Maldives is definitely on my bucket list. My local dive shop had an annual trip to Misool that I have done twice and I absolutely love it. The first time I went I dove beside a Manta Ray for about 20 minutes before they took off. Simply amazing. This upcoming summer we are planning a trip to Grand Cayman, as long as the island is open.

 

[Gatorchip]

A few more pictures. Some were taken at another resort about a 10 minute boat ride away where my daughter went to dive with their shop.

I saw 4 octo on the first day, then several more almost every time I fell in the water. This one got seriously angry that I came in close for shots. They will turn this angry red if you are too close.

View attachment 256826


One day I found 2 octos on one rock. One turned the angry red at me, this one tried to become the color of the rock to throw me off him.


View attachment 256827

Parrotfish


View attachment 256828

From the other resort we visited, looking back toward our island

View attachment 256829


This interesting fish actually looks like a piece of seaweed...except you don't much see seaweed in the Maldives. It's actually a baby rockmover wrasse. The ONLY place I've ever seen the baby is at THIS resort in the Maldives. Found one 2 years ago when I was here & daughter spotted this one this time. It's maybe 4 inches long so not easy to even spot


View attachment 256830


We spent a day in Dubai on the way back but the temperature was running between 104 and 108 and the city was hazy with heat. Ended up spending most of our time touring the Mall of the Emirates (Ski Dubai) and Dubai Mall (the fountains & giant indoor salt water aquarium). Next year, hopefully we can get out & about more.

Went to the mall a few years ago. Did you catch the penguin show? Also, did you go up the Burj Khalifa?

 

[bamagrad75]

Where did you stay? Diving the Maldives is definitely on my bucket list. My local dive shop had an annual trip to Misool that I have done twice and I absolutely love it. The first time I went I dove beside a Manta Ray for about 20 minutes before they took off. Simply amazing. This upcoming summer we are planning a trip to Grand Cayman, as long as the island is open.

A place I wont recommend. Daughter ended up catching a daily boat over to another resort to dive. Saw her first whale shark.

Havent been to Misool yet. I have done Raja Ampat.

Last Sept in Komodo we had over a hundred mantas swimming with us at the surface. It was magic. Check out Komodo Dive Resort.

 

[bamagrad75]

Went to the mall a few years ago. Did you catch the penguin show? Also, did you go up the Burj Khalifa?

We were staying at the Kempinski at The Mall of the Emirates. Daughter refused to try Ski Dubai.

Headed over to Dubai Mall but the water show wasnt running at the Burj. It was 108 and hazy so she skipped going up for another trip.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Great photos @bamagrad75 ! Thanks for sharing!

Makes me feel a little less stir crazy over here in the states.

 

[bamagrad75]

Great photos @bamagrad75 ! Thanks for sharing!

Makes me feel a little less stir crazy over here in the states.

We are headed home from Caribbean today. Hope to get some from here up this week including some pretty good shots of an eagle ray that booked by us.

Hope you are doing okay

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

We are headed home from Caribbean today. Hope to get some from here up this week including some pretty good shots of an eagle ray that booked by us.

Hope you are doing okay

How long is the trip home? I'm sure you have an entire itinerary of connecting flights lol. Safe travels!

Doin well! Day by day!

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

Beautiful pics bama, thank you. If there is one good thing that came from 2020, i know im grasping at straws here but, its rhat wildlife has really rebounded and flourished. I always look at the glass as half full, so there is that. Enjoy.

 

[bamagrad75]

How long is the trip home? I'm sure you have an entire itinerary of connecting flights lol. Safe travels!

Doin well! Day by day!

The flight back to Miami is only couple hours, then another 90minutes or so back to Birmingham. Not like the 40 hour marathon to Maldives.

 

[bamagrad75]

I will say, if you WANT to get away, dont be afraid to go. It's a monster pain, we had flights change on us constantly. Getting the covid certificates in time is a challenge but can be done.

The main ingredient will be patience and ability to adapt to changes on the fly.

Daughter and I did Maldives/Dubai in Sept. Then she headed to Belize in Oct and we booked it to Roatan late Nov.

Places are open. Mask wearing in transit a pain but you can get there. Live life, every day is precious

 

[rjshull]

A place I wont recommend. Daughter ended up catching a daily boat over to another resort to dive. Saw her first whale shark.

Havent been to Misool yet. I have done Raja Ampat.

Last Sept in Komodo we had over a hundred mantas swimming with us at the surface. It was magic. Check out Komodo Dive Resort.

Raja Ampat is one that my dive shop has been suggesting for a few years, but the timing has not been right so far.

One of my first dive trips about 15 years ago was on a live aboard in Belize, we got to see the blue hole, and on the last day I got to see a whale shark, still the only one I have seen.

My dad was certified 5 years ago, and this past summer my Mom got certified, her choice is Grand Carmen which the wifey loves for shopping, but she doesn’t dive, yet.

 

[bamagrad75]

Raja Ampat is one that my dive shop has been suggesting for a few years, but the timing has not been right so far.

One of my first dive trips about 15 years ago was on a live aboard in Belize, we got to see the blue hole, and on the last day I got to see a whale shark, still the only one I have seen.

My dad was certified 5 years ago, and this past summer my Mom got certified, her choice is Grand Carmen which the wifey loves for shopping, but she doesn’t dive, yet.

The Sorong to Sorong route is fantastic but only runs Nov to about April so it's sucky timing. But plenty to see, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorses, mantas, great for fluorescent night diving and snorkeling. I did 12 days and could have turned around and gone right back.

Daughter just dived the Belize Blue Hole. Said it was interesting. I've snorkeled the Blue Hole in Egypt. Way creepy. We have scheduled it for this coming July. Plus she'll do a 7 day Red Sea liveaboard which includes The Thistlegorm.

Grand Cayman nice, lots of good wrecks, easy access. Dont forget Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

We are also looking at Truk Lagoon if Micronesia ever reopens. But heavy technical diving.