The Maldives is a luxury holiday destination and is not just a beautiful archipelago visited by many people to rest and rejuvenate, but also a haven for marine life enthusiasts, where they can experience the diverse range of sea life that enriches the islands. Maldives is a nation of coral islands divided into twenty-six atolls, an atoll being a ring-shaped reef or chain of islands formed of coral. Made up of approximately 1,200 islands, Maldives is famous for its sandy white beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters, beautiful coral reefs and abundant marine life, and has some of the best diving and snorkelling spots in the world.
You can witness an array of marine life, observed in their most natural state at many resorts. If you are a fan of underwater marine life, your choice of resort should take into account its location and the likelihood of sighting such amazing creatures! The marine species mentioned below have been spotted in the Maldives and attract visitors year-round.
Sharks
The first of these, likely to stir attention for different reasons depending on the observer, is the shark. The Maldives has over 25 species of sharks, the most common of which are the whale shark, the black-tip, white-tip and grey reef sharks.
Whale sharks can be sighted in the Maldives all year round, favouring the western side of the archipelago from May to December, and the east from January to April. Did you know that a whale shark can live to be 150 years old and is the largest fish in the ocean? It can grow up to 12m long and is approximately twice the length of a great white shark. Whilst whale sharks do produce eggs, these develop and hatch inside the mother, who then gives birth to the tiny young, usually around 300 of them. Unfortunately, the majority of these (90%) do not survive to maturity. Whale sharks are regularly sighted in the South Ari Atoll throughout the year, and the likelihood of seeing them when snorkelling increases when wind conditions are low. The southern tip of Ari Atoll is known as “Whale Shark Point”, and is one of the best places in the world to swim with whale sharks.
White-tip reef sharks are a common encounter, especially when diving in the Ari Atoll. These sharks pose little danger to divers and will remain in a home range for long periods, which means that the same shark is likely to be encountered in the same place over several visits. The best time to see the white-tip reef shark is at night when they are usually most active. These sharks generally rest in coral reefs and sea caves during the day, which is when they often let scuba divers approach them quite closely while they rest. An interesting fact about white-tip reef sharks is that these, unlike other requiem sharks which are required to move to pass oxygenated water over their gills, are able to pump water over their gills whilst remaining stationary.
Baby black-tip reef sharks are commonly spotted in the shallow waters (mangroves and sand flats along the coast). These sharks are predominantly seen by resort guests when dipping their feet in the shallow waters – they are completely harmless and will most likely swim away if you edge closer. The babies mature extremely quickly, growing as much as 23cm per year for the first few years of their life. The adults spend most of their time hunting in water which is only a few metres deep, and are often observed hunting co-operatively, seen as they herd schools of fish together, however, it is unknown whether or not this behaviour is intentional.
Grey reef sharks thrive in the Maldives, especially since 2010 when the ban on shark fishing was introduced. These sharks are moderately-sized (on average they are less than 1.9m long) with a blunt snout and large, round eyes. In the western Indian Ocean the grey reef shark has a narrow, white tipped first dorsal fin. Grey reef sharks feed mainly on bony fish, but they can sometimes feed on cephalopods and crustaceans. They are a social species and will form groups of between 5-20 sharks during the day, splitting up in the evening as they begin to hunt. Grey reef sharks can be curious about divers when they first enter the water, and may approach closely, although they tend to lose interest for subsequent dives. They can become dangerous in the presence of food, and tend to be more aggressive when encountered in open water rather than near a reef. The grey reef shark will attack if pursued or cornered, and if it begins to behave threateningly, divers should retreat slowly, making sure they are always facing the shark.
The final shark to be featured is the tawny nurse shark, and as a member of the “carpet shark” family, is the one most likely to be spotted on the “carpet” of the sea. Did you know that tawny nurse sharks possess powerful jaws with many small, serrated teeth? Whilst these sharks appear slow and sluggish during the day, they should be treated with caution and respect if you go diving as their teeth can surprise you, even though some may let divers stroke them. The tawny nurse shark’s teeth are used during the night when this shark becomes an active predator. The way that they feed is both intelligent and amusing, as it is a form of “suction feeding”, where they suck prey out of holes and crevices in their environment. This shark rests during the day, usually in groups in shaded caves, or on the seafloor – they have not only been observed laying horizontally together, but also stacked on top of each other!
Spinner Dolphins
Next is an all-time favourite for many tourists across the world, the spinner dolphin whose home is the tropical oceans. The spinner dolphin is a marine mammal deservedly mentioned because of its amazing ability to jump out of the water and spin mid-air. Spinner dolphins can jump up to 3 metres and perform complex aerial manoeuvres. Whilst the exact reason for this behaviour is unknown, it has been hypothesised to serve several purposes, from removing parasites to signalling to others in their social group.
The most abundant dolphin in the Indian Ocean, the largest pods of spinner dolphins can reach numbers of over one thousand. However, they typically form pods which are much smaller, usually below one hundred. During the day spinner dolphins move to shallower waters and protected lagoons where they socialise and rest. They travel outside the atolls to hunt during the night time, when their prey (mainly fish and squid) migrate from deeper waters to get closer to the surface. Research from just under a decade ago (Anderson et al., 2012) found that across 95 resort islands, at least 21% of these resorts offered spinner dolphin sightings as part of their excursions, making this marine mammal one which is fairly easy to spot in Maldivian waters.
Rays
Another particularly docile creature is the ray. The Maldives is home to a variety of rays including the manta ray, eagle ray and stingray.
The manta ray is an all-year resident of the Maldives. The perfect companion for new and experienced divers, the manta ray has an inquisitive nature and is completely harmless despite its remarkable size (reaching 7 metres for the larger species and 5.5 metres for the smaller ray). Manta rays have become one of the most popular creatures to see when visiting the Maldives – it has been observed that manta rays reside on the western side of the atolls from November to April, and on the eastern side from May to October. Manta rays feed on zooplankton at the surface and small fish whilst at lower depths, and can be seen moving between the different atolls as the shifting seasons change the distribution of their food. Manta rays often feed in groups, which can lead to interesting ‘feeding chains’ as well as ‘cyclone feeding’. In a feeding chain, the rays line up in a row organised horizontally in a conga-line style of around a dozen rays. Sometimes this can create a looping formation, or cyclic ‘cyclone feeding’ if the leader circles around and starts to follow the ray at the back. Interestingly, one of the largest populations of manta rays in the world is in the Maldives. The best time to visit Hanifaru Bay, a feeding hotspot for manta rays is between June and October.
The round ribbontail ray is a type of stingray which is popular with divers due to its interesting appearance and inquisitive nature. It is smaller than the manta ray (still quite impressive as it grows up to 3.3 metres) but beware of its venomous barb – this species has been attributed to the death of at least one diver! Whilst developing, the young rays hatch from their eggs and continue to develop inside their mother. They are fed using a form of ‘uterine milk’ which contains all the nutrients the young rays need to survive. By the time they are born they are 30-60 centimetres long, already a third of their maximum growth. The teeth of the round ribbontail ray are small and arranged into plates, perfect for crushing the hard bodies of molluscs and crustaceans, which are these rays’ favourite food.
Eels
Next, we move onto the eel, smaller in size, but as equally interesting as the ray.
Moray eels are a common sight in the Maldivian reefs. They are known to co-operate with other marine predators, namely species of grouper fish. Moray eels hunt inside coral reefs and rocky caverns, using their slender body to manoeuvre through the tight spaces. The grouper hunts by chasing down fish which are flushed out by the eel, but may also chase fish into holes of the reef as they attempt to escape the grouper. To add to their terrifying toothy jaws, moray eels also have another set of jaws at the back of their throat that are known as pharyngeal jaws. When capturing prey, they use their first set of jaws and long, backwards facing teeth to grasp the prey, then their pharyngeal jaws shoot forward and grasp the prey, pulling it deeper into the mouth. The moray eel is the only fish to use its pharyngeal jaws in this way.
The banded snake eel is often mistaken for a sea snake – this is by design. This eel has evolved to imitate the highly venomous Yellow-lipped sea krait (a species of sea snake rare in the Maldives) to discourage predators from trying to eat them for fear of a dangerous venom filled bite. Unlike other eels, which predominantly hunt under the cover of darkness, this species hunts during the day, perhaps due to the protection afforded by their sea snake disguise. Whilst hunting, they bury themselves in the sand of a lagoon with only their head exposed, waiting for passing fish or crustacean small enough to eat. Many tourists have claimed to have spotted a rare sea snake in the Maldives, which is likely to have been the banded snake eel – either way, seeing this eel in the water is an exciting ordeal.
Parrotfish and the Maldive Anemonefish
Some of the other marine life commonly found in the Maldives are parrotfish and the Maldive anemonefish. The parrotfish is the most recent coral reef fish to be added to the ‘prohibited species’ list of the Maldives. Though not traditionally targeted by fisheries, the fish has become more popular for sport fishing which led to its decline over recent months. A contributing factor to this was the COVID-19 outbreak which saw increased numbers of recreational fishers. The parrotfish gets its name, not from its beautiful colouring, but from its impressive beak-like teeth. These teeth are formed from closely meshed together teeth which create a strong beak which the parrotfish uses to feed. Parrotfish graze on the hard corals, using their powerful jaws to crush up the coral to get at the algae within. Amazingly, a bi-product from this unusual feeding strategy is the white sand found across the beaches of the Maldives, which is actually parrotfish poop. Due to their diet you might think that parrotfish are detrimental to coral reefs, in fact it has been shown that they actually benefit the reef by pruning away algae. Feeding on the algae prevents algal blooms from occurring, (algal blooms prevent the coral reef from getting enough sunlight which causes them to die) and therefore the parrotfish act as local gardeners and are vital for the preservation of coral reefs.
The anemonefish, as its name suggests, lives in close association with sea anemones. Sea anemones are usually predatory to fish, which they capture in their tentacles and move into a central mouth to be consumed. The anemonefish has developed a layer of mucus which makes it immune to the sea anemone’s stinging tentacles allowing the two creatures to live harmoniously. Sea anemones and anemonefish demonstrate a good example of a mutualistic relationship, meaning one which benefits both species. Anemonefish provide a constant supply of faeces which can be a food source for the anemone.
It is also believed that their presence could act as a lure, tricking other fish into thinking that the anemone is a safe hiding place. In turn, the anemone provides a shelter for the fish and a safe place to raise their young. The anemonefish lives in social groups consisting of a dominant female and a harem of smaller males. Interestingly, all anemonefish start off as males and mature into females (sequential hermaphrodites) which could explain their harem and female dominance within groups. Native to the Maldives, the Maldive anemonefish is easy to spot and can often be seen when snorkelling in the Male atolls, Ari Atoll and Lhaviyani Atoll.
Sea Turtles
Finally, a personal favourite and definitely one that I would love to see is the sea turtle! Sea turtles, due to their marine lifestyle, drink seawater to stay hydrated. A consequence of this is that they ingest high amounts of salt, which is undesirable and dehydrates them. To counteract this, sea turtles have adapted a solution; they ‘cry’ out the excess salt.
One of the smallest species of sea turtle is the olive ridley sea turtle, which usually grows to around 70cm in shell length. This is less than half the size of the largest turtle species, the leatherback sea turtle. As they spend their adult life in the open ocean, sadly these turtles are the most common to be trapped by ghost nets (fishing nets that have been left or lost in the ocean) around the Maldives. A survey carried out in May 2019 found that olive ridley sea turtles made up 94% of all the turtles caught. The “Olive Ridley Project” (ORP) was founded in 2013 to protect sea turtles and their habitats not just through rescue and rehabilitation of injured sea turtles, but also education, outreach and scientific research. The Marine Turtle Rescue Centre opened by the ORP at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu Resort in Baa Atoll helps and treats marine turtles that have become injured due to ghost nets. Another good place for spotting olive ridley sea turtles is Kuredu Resort & Spa, located in the northern atoll of the Maldives, which boasts its own resident sea turtle biologist from the ORP and is reportedly a turtle hotspot.
The loggerhead sea turtle is named for its large head which sports powerful jaws. This is needed as the loggerhead feeds on the most well-protected conchs, bi-valves and hard crustaceans. The sex of a turtle hatchling is determined in part by their genetics (like humans) but also in part by the external temperature the eggs develop in. Warmer temperatures produce more females, thus global warming could be a potential problem for turtle reproduction in the future. Whilst the leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all sea turtles, the loggerhead holds the record for the largest hard-shelled turtle. Can you believe that they often grow to 1 metre in length and 113 kilograms – that’s one heavy, oversized toddler!
We have featured just a few of the amazing sea creatures you could hope to spot on a getaway to the Maldives – we hope you have enjoyed reading our blog and have learned a few interesting facts. With so much on offer for divers and marine life enthusiasts, Maldives is a location which will not disappoint. When it comes to the Maldives, we are the experts! If you are planning a trip to the Maldives for a peek at the amazing underwater world in the near or distant future, do get in touch.
Written by: Harvey Rowe, BSc in Zoology with Evolution