Maldives

Covered with lush palm trees and surrounded by sparkling blue lagoons, the gorgeous Maldives islands await you. Besides the stunning landscapes, the Maldivian sea is home to one of the most diverse marine gems of the world and is one of the most impressive things to see while in Maldives.

Maldives Sun Island Resort Spa

Along with nearly two thousand different species of marine life,  the water is home to a variety of rays and boasts a good population of sharks as well. Hello, it’s Sarita & Kamal. Welcome back to yet another video/post from our Maldives Travel Series.

During our most recent trip to Maldives, we were lucky enough to watch the spectacular view of a bunch of sharks being fed in the shallow lagoon at Sun Island Resort & Spa. Here, we are gonna share our experience watching the sharks up-close along with some additional tips and information.

WATCH Maldives Shark Feeding Video – at Sun Island Resort & Spa in Maldives

 

Just like many private island resorts in Maldives, Sun Island Resort & Spa also conducts Shark Feeding activity to entertain the guests. Different resorts have different feeding times which can be either early morning hours or evenings. At Sun Island Resort & Spa, the feeding happens every evening at around 6:30 pm near the Thai Restaurant located over the lagoons.

It’s recommended to reach the spot at-least 20 minutes before the feeding time to watch the sharks arriving and playing around. We reached the spot at around 5:10 pm and were thrilled to see around 8-10 blacktip reef sharks along with a stingray making circles in the water. 

More and more guests gathered along the feeding area and grabbed an ideal spot that would enable them to watch the experience and click pictures. 

Maldives Shark Feeding Sun Island resort

Within minutes, the count increased from 10 to over 25 sharks and a few more stingrays along with some smaller fishes eagerly waiting for their meal. At sharp 6:30 m, the feeding activity started. A guy from the resort started throwing pieces of meat (probably fishes) into the water, which the sharks grabbed in the blink of an eye. 

Maldives Shark Feeding at Sun Island Resort & Spa

Blacktip Reef Shark Facts

Blacktip reef sharks prefer shallow, inshore waters. They can can often be seen swimming close to shore with its dorsal fin exposed. The Younger sharks prefer shallow, sandy flats, while older sharks are most common around reef ledges and can also be found near reef drop-offs.  

Blacktip Reef Shark

It was fun watching these sharks up-close for nearly half-an hour until the feeding came to an end. Within 5-6 minutes all the sharks vanished into the ocean leaving the spectators craving for more.

Maldives – Shark Feeding at Sun Island Resort & Spa

 

Shark feeding at Sun Island Resort & Spa in Maldives

We had a lot fun watching them. Hope you enjoyed watching the video. Subscribe our channel for more travel videos from around the world. Check out these Maldives videos already on this channel and we will catch you soon in our next travel series.

Shark Feeding in Maldives

Shark feeding in Maldives Sun Island Resort

Sunset Maldives Sun Island Resort

 

Image: World Ghoomo, Shutterstock

Maldives is popular for its gorgeous white sand beaches, tropical climate and crystal clear turquoise water that draws tourist from around the world.  Besides the picturesque views, the marine life is one of the most impressive things to see while in Maldives.

Maldives Stingrays Feeding

The water is home to at least two thousand different species of marine life. The ocean boasts a variety of rays.  Manta ray, eagle ray and stingrays often gather in large groups and  can often be seen near the surface of the water.

We had heard about Stingrays – their unique structure, their feeding habits and some strange stories associated with them like how dangerous they might be. All of this made us curious to have an up close look at them.  Recently, we got lucky enough to get an opportunity to watch a bunch of super adorable Stingrays being fed along the shore at Sun Island Resort in Maldives.

Watch Stingrays Feeding VIDEO

 

Stingrays Feeding in Maldives

Stingrays often come up to the shores. Most of the resorts in Maldives organize stingray feeding experience for the guests that might take place in the early morning hours or in the evenings.

Maldives Stingrays Feeding activity

 

Preparation

The resort staff begins preparations at least half-an-hour before the feeding time. They usually set up a barricade along the shore line to maintain a safe distance from the rays. The guests are expected to line up behind the barricade to get the view of these incredibly beautiful species being fed with fishes.

Stingrays Feeding Time

The stingrays are very punctual. Our level of excitement increased the moment we saw a unique pattern of  wave rushing towards us and Boom!!! we got our first glimpse at Stingrays.

Stingray First Impression

Cute & adorable!  

A bunch of stingrays soon gathered along the shore line and the staff started feeding them with fishes. The stingrays are curious and playful creatures. It was fun watching them run after the guys who were there to feed them. 

Stingrays Feeding at Maldives

These gentle creatures are known for their unique looks –  they have disc-shaped bodies with eyes on top of their heads and flattened dorsal fins. They have no bones and their skeleton is made up of flexible cartilage. 

Stingrays Swimming Pattern

Stingrays have unique swimming pattern. While some stingrays glide gracefully through the ocean by undulating their bodies in a wave-like motion. Others will flap their dorsal fins up and down, giving them the appearance of “flying” through the ocean like a bird.   

Stingrays swimming pattern

 

Stingray Skin Colors 

Their flattened bodies and mottled skin, ranging from a light sandy tone to a dark brown allow them to blend in easily with its surroundings. They settle on the seafloor while feeding, often leaving only their eyes and tails visible. 

Stingrays on ocean bed

 

Stingray Respiratory & Feeding Pattern 

While the stingray’s eyes peer out from its dorsal side, its mouth, nostrils, and gill slits are situated on its underbelly.  The eyes allows them to see prey moving above them while they are hiding in the sand and their mouth located on their underside allows them to feed on creatures that live on the ocean floor.

Stingray anatomy under belly – mouth – gills – nostril

Stingrays have a unique breathing pattern as well  – They have  spiracles which are openings for gas exchange right behind their eyes and gills on their flat underside.  Instead of sucking sandy water in through their gills, they can pull clear water in through the spiracles and then force it out through the gills.  This arrangement also allows the stingray to breathe while covered in sand  and frees the stingray’s mouth (located on its underbelly) to feed on the prey. 

Stingray Defense Mechanism 

Stingrays get their name from the stinging spines or barb located on their incredibly long tail,  which are filled with deadly venom. The barb is mostly used as a defense mechanism. The tail of a stingray may be as much as 2-3 times as long as its body.

Stingray Defense Mechanism Tail

 

Are Stingrays Dangerous ?

The adorable stingray is misunderstood by many. Stingrays are not aggressive. In fact, they are curious and playful creatures.  If they feel threatened their first instinct is to swim away. 

Precautions to be Taken

Always  respect stingrays’ personal space –  enjoy watching them gliding through the water and never threaten them. Always  keep an eye out for their tail – and never – never touch the barb on the end of it. 

Stingrays precautions to be take to avoid danger

The feeding continued for half-an-hour after which these lovely creatures made their way back to the ocean floor. Stingrays  are one of the most amazing and adorable creatures and it was fun watching them. Hope you enjoyed reading this post and found it useful.  Stay tuned for more Maldives posts/articles.

Stingrays feeding Sun Island and Resort Maldives

 

Image: Shutterstock

The tropical landscape, pristine white sand beaches, cobalt blue water, exotic resorts and amazing underwater world make Maldives a beach lovers paradise. No wonder, it attracts tourists from all over the world.

Maldives Travel Guide – For First Timers Traveling to Maldives

WATCH THE VIDEO

These are the ones where the locals stay and have their own guest houses which they rent out to the tourists.  

      

    3.4  Private resort islands for tourists and staff 

Private Resort Island, means a resort on its own private island. Staying at these resorts would mean moving yourself off to a remote island in the middle of nowhere, where you can find lots of privacy. 

4. Where to Stay in the Maldives

     4.1  Staying at a Local Island – What to Expect

Private resort islands are the most preferred choice when it comes to spending vacation at Maldives. There are around 130 private island resorts in the Maldives and here is what you can expect from them.

Private island resorts are in general expensive and prices may further vary drastically from one resort to another. Prices of different room types within the same resort may also vary a lot. So, depending on what budget you have and how long you wish to stay in Maldives, you can select a resort accordingly.

Depending on how far your resort is from Male International Airport, you will be transferred to the island by either a seaplane, by a speedboat or by taking a domestic flight. Keep in mind, domestic flights from Male to private islands may double the cost of your trip transportation. 

While booking with your travel agent, always make sure to ask them about the mode of transportation, the cost that goes into it and then make the payment. A point to note here is, most of the time, the agents will claim a seaplane transfer – which eventually may or may not happen. Coz there are no set schedules for seaplane flights.  The daily change of pickups and drop-offs timings is the main cause.

If you are traveling to Maldives just for few days let’s say 4 days, and wish to save those extra bucks, then it will be a good idea to pick a private island resort that is closer to the Male.

 

Yet another point to consider while booking hotels. As mentioned before,  prices of different room types within the same resort may vary a lot. Along with the difference in price it’s important to ask yourself what kind of experience you are looking for.

 

Beach Bungalows  

Beach villas/bungalows are usually located under palms, with outdoor space which offers more shade and makes things a bit cooler in the heat of the day. Besides, it’s easier to move around and explore other resort facilities. 

Over-water Villas 

Over-water villas are pretty much synonymous with the Maldives and almost every private island resort has them. However, they are overrated! 

While over-water villas do offer a unique point of view and your own private steps into the ocean, they are usually set on the far end of the resort, making them a waking tour to other resort facilities. 

Some of them aren’t that private as well, and may have smelling bathrooms and poorly-lit jetties that make nighttime navigation a bit difficult.  The over-water villas are also more expensive compared to the beach bungalows.

 

Prefer Beach Bungalows over water-villas,  If you like sitting in the shade.   Water villa decks, which look beautiful, can be very exposed and hot, even with a sun umbrella, offering little protection from the sun.  

 

There are 3 main ways to book a resort: online travel agencies (OTA), travel agency & resort website. 

The specificity of the Maldives is that hotels prefer to work with travel agencies more than with  OTA. This is due to the size of the commission that hotels must pay to the platforms. You can go through travel agency or try booking directly through resort website to get best deal, you will be able to save couple of hundred dollars easily.

 

Before you even take a flight to Male you need to know about the items banned from entry.  Because Maldives is a strictly Muslim country, there are specific bans on some items you may bring into the Maldives. To avoid any hassle or confusion at the airport, don’t carry pork products, alcohol, tobacco and any religious texts to Maldives.

You don’t need any special vaccinations to travel to the Maldives.

 

6.3  Visa

Maldives follows Visa-on-arrival policy. So, visitors to the Maldives do not need to apply for a visa pre-arrival, regardless of their country of origin. Just make sure you have a valid passport, proof of onward travel, and money to be self-sufficient while in the country.

 

6.4  Flight to Male

Most visitors arrive at Malé International Airport, on Hulhulé Island, adjacent to the capital Malé. The airport is served by flights to and from India, Singapore , Sri Lanka, Dubai,  Istanbul, and major airports in South-East Asia, as well as charters from Europe. British Airways offers direct flights to the Maldives around 2–3 times per week.

Maldivian currency is Rufiyaa(MVR), but tourists can pay in dollars and by credit cards. You will find ATM and currency exchange counters at the airport itself but you may not need local currency.

 

The moment you land at the airport, you will walk straight towards the immigration desk where you will find tourists already lined up. Pick up

Maldives immigration arrival cards available at the entrance of the room and fill in the required information before quiening up. 1 card for each tourist.

Present the card to the officer at the desk and get the visa stamped on your passports – that is valid for 30 days.

Next, you will have to go through customs clearance – which basically means scanning of the handbags that you are carrying.

 

The white sand beaches, the various shades of blue that make up the shallows and depths of the surrounding water, the stunning view from your luxury villa as the sun rises and sunsets over the Indian Ocean are the wonders that will leave you awestruck.

Maldives has a tropical climate all year round and ranges from  24 degree celsius to 33  degree celsius.  If you are a water baby, then taking a dip in the ocean will be a bliss. With  Sea temperature around 28 degree celsius, you can swim in the ocean for hours

The frequent sightings of baby sharks, colorful fishes and even stingrays near the shallow lagoon comes as a pleasant surprise and an amazing experience. Besides, you will always find seagulls either flying over or taking a gentle stroll along the shore line. 

Most of the resorts offer a variety of food options to choose from especially for non-vegetarians. However, if you don’t eat non-vegetarian food, then it will be best to not book a full-board/half-board meal plan due to limited Vegetarian foods options.

Maldives boast a number of water activities, both underwater (such as snorkeling and diving) and in water (such as water motorcycle, boating, surfing, sailing and more) Private island resorts charge huge amount for each activity. So be prepared. 

Skin rashes might be a concern while venturing into the ocean – that totally depends upon physical contact with some algae or corals. So it’s good to wear skinsuit.

Most of the corals in the region are now dead. So it might be really difficult to get a sighting of thriving live corals especially during snorkeling. However, you will for sure come across a number of colorful fishes in all sizes swimming around you.

 

It’s recommended to carry your own snorkel gears – not only because of hygiene reasons but to also save good amount of money since most of the resorts rent out snorkel gears for a huge price. Choice is yours.

Maldives has some amazing diving sites where one can explore the underwater world. These are usually very high priced. So, just ask about the packages from your resort desk.