Snorkeling – just skimming the sea's surface – is a buzz. But if you want to see more, explore, dig deep, diving is just the ticket, especially wreck diving.
What better place to experience the spooky thrill of a sunken ship than the Maldives? The waters off the Indian archipelago serve as the grave and stage for some bewitching wrecks. Despite downed ships' crusty image, most Maldives wrecks with a reputation only vanished in the late 20th century. These wrecks are more retro than historic.
Still, explore them with care. You never know quite what obstacles a ship that went the way of the Titanic may present to your rubber-clad body.
The Halaveli
When you think of wrecks, you may picture sunken Spanish galleons dating back to the likes of Long John Silver. Equipped with immeasurable character, the old relics are hard to beat. But spare a glance for the Halaveli: a humble inter-island freighter languishing in 25 meters of water near Halaveli Resort Island. The Halaveli sank in 1990. Plastered in colorful coral, it attracts a procession of boats freighted with divers. One reason is its enclave of marble stingrays that waft around the wreck. To boost the entertainment that the Neoprened watchers get, divemasters feed and handle the rays that are so much part of the picture that people call the wreck site Stingray City. Daring divers visit the city at night. Imagine how it feels to see a giant ray caught in your torch beam.
The Victory
Freighted with beer bottles, the cargo ship the Victory ran aground on Friday February 13, 1981 and sank the next day. The Victory was lost thanks to the inattention of its captain, who may have been sampling the merchandise. Either way, the wreck remains imposing. Resting at a depth of 35 meters, like an aircraft carrier, the Victory stretches 110 meters and it is still armed to the teeth. Beware jagged seashells and "hydroids" – plant-like jellyfish relatives equipped with stinging cells. Watch out too for sharp metal fragments sprouting from the wreck. On the natural side, the payoff includes neon nudibranch on the deck and scorpionfish and honeycomb whirling around it. You may also find cargo: sacks of cement, bottles and more. Also beware treacherous currents.
The Shipyard
Because of all the gear and travel involved, diving can be logistically tricky. All the more reason to visit a dive site that features two wrecks: in this case the baldly named Skipjack 1 and Skipjack 2. Since the early 1980s, the twin fish factory freighters collectively known as the Shipyard have stood at the bottom of the channel, perpendicular to each other. Because Skipjack 2 went under vertically, its bow sprouts from the water. Both ships are encrusted with coral. In the ends of broken pipes nest big-eyed blennies, outshone by regal rivals – emperor angelfish, damsels, butterfly fish, glassfish and scorpion fish. You may also see dozing stingrays that treat the undersea yard with the peculiar geometry as a refuge. Turtles may materialize too, nestling on ledges. Good value.
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