Joanna James
With 26 atolls which are home to more than 1000 varieties of fish, the Maldives is a paradise for snorkellers and divers. Here are some of the common types of fish that can be found in the Maldives.
The Maldives is home to a vast collection of beautiful Rays that are harmless as long as you keep a safe distance. The Jenkin Whipray or Naru Nagoo Madi as referred to by the locals is a yellowish-brown fish which is 1.5 meters in length and has a tail that shaped like a whip. It is one of the most common rays that can be seen in lagoons and coral reefs.
The guitarfishes or Mandi Miyaru are normally 3.1 meters in length and have a body that looks like a mix between a shark and a Ray. While its tail is similar to a shark's tale the head has a triangular shape, similar to that of Ray.
Many varieties of eels can be found when diving into the clear blue water of the Maldives. The Moray eel or Kalhu Ven, which can grow up to 2 meters in length is the biggest in the eel family and it can be spotted easily. The Moray eel thrives better when the water is warm and can be found in coral reefs located near shallow water. Even though they are fished for commercial usage the Moray eel is not an endangered species.
White Mouth Moray eel, Ribbon Eel and the Spaghetti Eel are some of the other members of the eel family that can be found with a little bit of effort.
The Maldives is home to many varieties of sharks. The Whitetip reef shark spans approximately 1.5 meters and can be identified by the white patterns that appear on their fins. These sharks can be spotted easily during night or day moving slowly amongst the reefs. They are used to divers and are hardly ever aggressive towards them, despite their curious nature.
Diving and snorkelling are quite popular activities in the Maldives, Luxury hotels similar to the Adaaran Club Rannalhi provide these facilities to visitors who'd like to see other shark varieties such as the Zebra shark, Variegated shark, Star spotted a smooth-hound shark, Snaggletooth shark, Bignose shark and Silky Shark.
Angelfish are one of the most exotic types of fish you'll find in the Maldives. Normally found in waters more than 50 meters deep, the Angelfish range from 15 centimetres to 60 centimetres. Semicircular angelfish, Threespot angelfish and White-tail angelfish are some of the common species of angelfish that visitors can observe.
A trip to the Maldives won't be complete unless you see the sea turtles! While 5 out of the 7 types of sea turtles can be found in the tranquil waters of the Maldives the Hawksbill Turtle and the Green Sea Turtle are most commonly spotted species. The sea turtles can be seen coming ashore during the month of November to lay eggs. If you're lucky you might be able to watch the baby turtles swimming in the oceans from the shore once they are hatched from the eggs. Seeing these feeble creatures will certainly be an experience worth your while.
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