In late March and eary April 2012, we traveled to the Maldives. As part of this trip,
we spent ten days on the live-aboard dive boat
Carpe Vita.
The dive boat was, without doubt, the roomiest and most luxurious live-aboard that we have
ever experienced.
The Maldives have been near the top of our "bucket list" for a very long time. In 35 years of diving, I have read many dive magazine articles about the spectacular coral and fish life in these islands. In a tropical country of 1,200 islands over an area of 35,000 square miles, this is just what you'd expect. Although we were aware that the area suffered a major coral bleaching event in the late 1990s, we were hopeful that the coral had recovered enough that the previously reported beauty would have been restored. (If you're not familiar with coral bleaching, click this link for a brief explanation.) The reality was both good and bad news. When we were snorkeling, we found the coral very disappointing. When diving, the coral was good but not spectacular on about 50% of the dives. However, the good news was that the fish life and critters were abundant and excellent. On a more positive note as you can see from the picture above, the scenery from the boat was awe inspiring. We never tired of sitting on the top deck gazing out at the many turquoise reefs contrasting the cobalt blue deep water as well as the powder white sandy beaches backed by lush tropical greenery. It was breathtaking! Share our experience in the following pictures: |
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© copyright Gary & Nancy