No holiday in the Maldives is complete without as least one snorkelling trip. Just one glimpse into the underwater world and you will quickly understand why the Maldives are one of the top dive sites in the world.
The water is so warm that you will not even need a wetsuit (but ensure you have plenty of sunblock on your back!), and the visibility is incredible. The huge variety of undersea life is amazing and it’s easy to understand why snorkelling is one of the most popular pastimes in the Maldives.
Anyone who can swim can snorkel, it’s very cheap and often free to hire the gear from your resort, and there is literally a visual feast awaiting you under the water.
Most of the islands are completely surrounded by a sandy bottomed lagoon, this is not a particularly interesting area for snorkelling though it is very safe especially if you are taking kids with you for the first time. Outside the lagoon there is a reef flat made up of coral, this then slopes often steeply into deeper water. It is here at the coral slopes that the best snorkelling is to be found, this is often called the house reef at a resort island. The slope is full of interesting features with caves and terraces offering hiding places for some truly amazing wildlife.
If your resort island does not have a ‘house reef’ there will generally be boats available to take you to other snorkelling sites nearby, however, these are generally crowded and do not offer much in the way of peace and quiet.
Some of the best house reefs are; Bathala, Kuredu, Soneva Gili, Embudu Village, and Ellaido.
There are also several live-aboard safaris that offer nearly unlimited access to a wide variety of different snorkelling sites.
Remember do not snorkel alone, and always let someone else know where you will be and what time you expect to be back at, carry a safety balloon and a whistle at all times.
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Tags: diving, island vacation, maldives, maldives holiday, maldives vacation, snorkel, snorkeling
