The Maldives is indubitably one of the most delightful holiday destinations on earth not only for seekers of sun, sand and surf but also for nature-lovers. The pearl strings of atolls abound with a wealth of flora and fauna, and the surrounding seas are vibrant with gardens of living coral and shoals of fish, not to mention schools of that sea-dweller dearest to the human heart – the dolphin!
Maldives is rated by marine observers as one of the five best places in the world for dolphin and whale-watching excursions. In terms of whales, what the Maldives lacks in quantity, it makes up for in diversity, and when it comes to dolphins, it’s hard to think of any other place where seven whole varieties populate temperate waters in their tens of thousands. That is the other benefit of going whale and dolphin watching in the islands – unlike most waters frequented by these sea mammals, there’s no need to bundle up against freezing arctic winds in the balmy tropical climes of the Maldives.
The last tally of these rare aquatic animals seen around the islands records over 20 varieties. The “Big Three” refers to Bryde’s whale, the sperm whale and the blue whale, known as the largest animal to exist in either land or sea. The Maldives takes special pride in the dwarf whales, Cuvier’s beaked whales, the melon-headed and pilot whales which locals will know as the commonest residents of the area, and the tropical bottlenose whale, long thought to be the rarest whale species in the world but recently revealed to be a native of the seas around the Maldivian atolls. One may also catch a rare glimpse of the killer whale, or Orca, effectively debunking the myth that they only reside in cold seas.
There are seven dolphin varieties to be found consistently around the atolls: the bottlenose, spotted, striped, Spinner, Risso’s, rough-toothed and Fraser’s varieties. The most common of these is the comparatively tiny and very acrobatic Spinner dolphin. Thousands of them live peaceably in the area, living as a community with an established daily routine of feeding off the shallows by night-time, visiting the atolls in the light of dawn and leaving for the deeper oceans in the afternoon. This predictability of route is one reason why the commonest dolphin-watching cruises offered by Maldives resorts feature the Spinners.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t figure out how to tell all these varieties apart. Most of the Maldives cruises will feature an accompanying naturalist and guide who will help you identify and be informed about the habits of the different species of whale and dolphin.
So set sail on a safari boat and marvel at the antics of playful dolphins performing for an appreciative audience, or the powerful surging bodies of massive whales passing close by, as you enjoy the beautiful blue skies and clear turquoise seas of the Maldives.
