Maldives

A tropical paradise is the best way to describe the beautiful and serene Maldivian islands. In the middle of the Indian Ocean, stretching out over the equator, the Maldives incorporates 26 coral atolls with over 1000 small, inhabited and uninhabited islands, south-west of Sri Lanka and India. SCUBA diving, fishing and other water sports are the main tourist attractions along side luxury resorts and hotels. The atolls are ring shaped coral reefs that grow on top of submerged volcanoes and create lagoons in the volcanic crater. Some parts extend over the surface of the water to become white, sandy islands with palm trees and mangroves. Under the water, the shallow reefs grow with brilliant colors and drop off to mesmerizing walls that fall hundreds of feet to the bottom of the ocean. There are 3 main parts to dive in each atoll - the lagoon, the inner part of the reef; the outer reef walls, on the outside of the atoll; and the channels that let water run in and out of the lagoons with the rise and fall of the tides. The lagoons, usually, have shallower dive sites with many reef fish and juveniles. Over the outer walls you can often see more Turtles, Wrasse, reef sharks, fan corals and great formations and overhangs. And the channels offer strong currents that bring with them bigger, more exciting encounters with Hammerheads, Manta rays, Whale sharks, Eagle rays, Tunas and more. Warm and clear waters, with nutrient filled currents keep the diving spectacular.