Villivaru & Biyadoo Islands
Republic of the Maldives
The words "tropical paradise" can
only begin to convey the beauty and serenity of these exotic islands. Located
in
the pristine waters of the eastern Indian Ocean the Republic of the Maldives is
a country of 1,100 islands with only about 15% inhabited. The highest natural
land point in this country is less than ten feet above sea level. The islands
cluster to form rings in the ocean around submerged, ancient volcanic mountains. The middle
of these rings are typically around 200 meters deep. Most islands are host to
coconut palms, tropical flowers, pure white sand beaches, lagoons, and coral
reefs. There location makes them about as far from Arizona as you can go,
literally on the opposite side of the world. Getting there from AquaTouch
required a 10
hour flight to London. Then another 11 hours from London, across the
Mediterranean,
down through Saudi Arabia, on to
the Arabian Sea, and eventually landing on the
coral rock runway of the Maldives airport.
Our journey in March took us by speed boat from the airport past the
capital island of Male' southward about 45 minutes to the islands of Villivaru
and Biyadoo. Boat is only means of transportation between islands save for the occasional
seaplane which is used mostly to ferry tourists to the outer
atolls. Boats are a
traditional dhoni design with some variations. This design has the captain
steering the rudder with his foot or leg at the back of the
boat.
Below are some of the images that we took on this
expedition
to the coral reefs of the Maldives. They help to illustrate the tropical flavor
and rich marine fauna that flourish there. Fortunately we found no evidence of
damage to the reefs from the December 2004 tsunami. Some island communities did suffer
though. We wish the kind people of the Maldives a quick recovery.
Life in the lagoons, above and below water.
Coral communities on the back-reefs and reef-crests.
Inhabitants of the Fore Reef Slopes and outer reef areas
