Island travel and aquatic safari on Omadhoo Island and Male City in the Republic of Maldives.

Partial map of a few of the total of  26 Atolls &  1192 Islands that form the Maldives  :-  Distance from Male' city, the Capital of Maldives situated in "Kaafu Atoll" to Omadhoo island situated in Alifu Dhaalu  Atoll is approximately 74 Kms. Also note the location of  Hangnaameedho Island which is about 8 Kms from Omadhoo Island . I did my "Turtle Snorkel Safari" off the Coral shelf off Hangnaameedho Island in the deep blue Indian Ocean.

View from the plane of  a Maldive sand bank.

As a avid Naturalist having  traveled across 77 Country's around the Globe and almost the  entire Indian Sub-continent realized that i  had seen almost all the terrestrial  wild-life on Planet Earth , either in zoo's or  National parks. What was missing from my wild-life travel  resume was a visit to a natural aquatic National park and and the Maldives was a perfect destination .The Maldives consists of a chain of 1,192 islands comprising of 26 Atolls spread over 90,000 kms and  having a total combined area of  only 298 Sq Km thus  making it Asia's smallest Country.

Ahoy ! Finally landing at "Velana International airport".

                                           The Maldives is also the World's lowest Country with a average  ground elevation of only 1.5 Meters ( 4ft 11in) and its maximum peak being only 5.1 meters (17 ft). So hill trekking or mountain climbing as a sport is non existent on the Maldive islands.Since the 1970's Tourism  has overtaken fishing as the largest Industry of the Maldives with  its diverse aquatic Eco-system and various different diverse  island resorts transforming the Country into a aquatic Paradise .In the 1980's Maldives was one of the World's 20 poorest Country's and today in 2019 is a Middle Developed economy thanks to its main Industry of "TOURISM".
On Monday(14/1/2019) booked my on-line  return air ticket with "Indigo Airlines" costing  Rs 14,681 through the  travel portal "www.makemytrip.com".Next booked my hotel resort accommodations at "Nemo inn" on Omadhoo island  and "Off Day Inn" in Male city through the travel site "www.booking.com".

My flight "6E  1781" flying over the  2.1 Km long  "Sinamale' Bridge( China- Maldives Friendship Bridge)" and about to land at "Velana Airport" on Hulhule' Island.This bridge was opened on 30 August 2018 and links the islands of Male' and Hulhule'. This view from the plane is classic.

Saturday(9/3/2019)/ Sunday(10/3/2019) Departure Mumbai and arrival Male' :- Arrived at Santacruz Domestic Terminal -1 at 2045 hrs and after the normal check-in  and security checks whiled away my time on my lap top in the waiting lounge . Flight "6E 185"  to Kochi was scheduled for departure at 2330 hrs.

74 Kms journey from  Male' to Omadhoo by "Speedboat"

                                                                                                                                                      Mumbai's domestic Santa Cruz airport has nothing much to write home about ,a drab airport in comparison to the International "Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal -2".Made myself comfortable in seat 21F and departure was delayed by 20 minutes due to traffic congestion . At 0130 hrs landed at Kochi airport (Terminal-2).Excellent airport and after making my exit from "Terminal-2" which is for domestic  flights had  a long early morning walk to "Cochin International Airport Terminal- 3"."Cochin International Airport" is the World's first Solar powered airport and the lighting and cleanliness of the airport was "First world", amazing and beautiful.What caught my attention was "Beef" dishes being served in the plush  airport restaurant menu.Indigo Check-in counter opened at 0330 hrs and after the normal formalities passed through immigration and into the palatial Duty free departure lounge.

Arriving on Omadhoo island at a speed of 31 Knots.

                          A world class airport.Departure of "Flight 6E 1781" was punctual at 0620 hrs with the plane being partially vacant and hence got a entire 4 seat row to myself for the short flight to Male'. Approaching  Velana International airport(Male' Airport ) got a view of  one of the most  beautiful sights from the air with the Atolls defining the wonder's of nature .At approximately 0745 hrs we landed at "Velana Airport" situated on tiny Hulhule' island  in the North Male' Atoll. After alighting from the plane a bus carted us to the main arrivals lounge which had a long queue of tourists reminding me of Istanbul queues.Luckily the queue moved fast and i was soon out of the airport premises into my 78th Country ! Mr Moosa. Fathui  of "Nemo Inn" had "WhatsApp" messaged   me regarding a resort staff member being at the airport to collect me and guide me to the speed boat taxi that would ultimately take make the 74 Kms sea travel to my final destination  Omadhoo  island.

My Classic "Room No 103" :- A Honeymooner's Dream.

                                                             .No one greeted me with a placard on my exit from the airport and hence got a bit worried.Inquired with one of the numerous travel agents outside the airport and they were helpful with one of them guiding  me to the travel receptionist for usage of the free tourist  telephone .She rang up the resort and told me a person was on his way to pick me up which relaxed my mind as i had not slept for 24 hrs, something that i have got  accustomed over the years during employment as  a former Marine engineer on ships. Inquired regarding currency exchange  values  at the airport money exchange bank with 1$ U.S = 14.2 Maldivian Rupiah .The  U.S $ is accepted all over the Maldives and most tourists do payments in $ U.S with a small amount changed into local Rupiah's for basic personal usage.

"HONEYMOON WELCOME" to Omadhoo Island.

                                                                                                         As for me it would always be comparing the purchasing power of the Maldivian Rupiah to the Indian Rupee with 1 Maldivian Rupiah = 5 Indian Rupees. "Nemo inn " representative Mr Humaidh.Humey  finally arrived and after a short introduction he directed me to the local ferry for Male' City.The Ferry fare was 1 U.S $/Person and in a few  minutes we were transported from Hulule' Island(Airport Island)  to Male'city  , the tiny Capital island of the Republic of Maldives.With completion and opening of the "Sinamale' Bridge " in September 2018  the island of Male' and Hulhule' are now linked by this 2.1 Km bridge which was initially called "China-Maldives friendship" bridge.Hence tourists can now also reach Male' city by road from Velana airport but the ferry boat is definitely more convenient as the boat jetty is just opposite the exit of the airport terminal. On reaching the island of Male' it was again a short motorcycle ride to the main "Speedboat Terminal" where i was finally shown my speedboat with  Mr Humaidh.Humey taking leave for further errands as tourism is the largest revenue of Maldives.

Nemo Inn :-  Traditional welcome with "Coconut Juice"

                                                                     I thought the speedboat was partially  empty akin to my flight from Kochi to Male' but was mistaken as just a few minutes before departure at 1100 hrs the entire boat got filled with tourists and locals resembling a overloaded bus.Picked up a conversation with two young expatriate lady teachers from the State of Kerala and seems most teachers in Maldives were Indian's.The Speedboat finally left the jetty at 1100 hrs and its speed shocked me although having donkey years of sailing experience under my belt."007 James Bond" would have been highly impressed by the speed of this extremely loaded boat that did upwards of 30 knots( 1 Knot = 1.852 Km) ,zipping and cutting through the waters.The last time i sailed at such high speeds on water was in 2005 during the hovercraft journey from Hong Kong to Macau.

Map of tiny Omadhoo Island situated west of Alif  Dhaal Atoll of the Maldives . The island  is only 0.950 Kms( 0 .590 Mi) in length from North to South  and 0.300 Kms( 0.186 mi) from East to West.In the recent  2018 population census the count was  of only 1089 people  of which many were foreign expatriate residents connected with the Island's tourist Industry."Nemo Inn" can be seen in the map situated on the South east side of the island."Bikini Beach" is also prominent in the North West of the Island  as also the "Dhoni Harbour Reef" to the west with both locales being  my snorkeling haunts during 3 days on this remote island.Understood the definition of owning a island as this was the smallest inhabited island town i had visited in my lifetime of travel.Who say's money can't buy you happiness ? A  walk along "OUTER BEACH ROAD" is amazing   as its not often that a person has the chance to walk along the entire boundary of a inhabited town in minutes. 

We finally  touched Omadhoo island at approximately 1220 hrs, a total journey of 74 kms accomplished at breakneck speed that would make Valentino Rossi (The Dr) think of giving  up motorcycling post retirement  and taking  up to Speed boat racing for Adrenalin Junkie thrills."Nemo Inn" proprietor Mr Moosa.Fathuhi  personally greeted us on arrival and our baggage was transferred to a handcart while we tourists  walked the short distance to "Nemo Inn in the hot blazing afternoon sun..

BOAT YARD :-Village technician repairing  a tourist boat.

                                   A British family consisting of three adults and a baby were the only other tourists besides me arriving  on the same  boat and now heading along with me  to "Nemo Inn". Omadhoo island reminded me of my own parent's  ancestral village of Mangalore and South India with coconut tree's dotting  this tiny small island.On Arrival inside the large  bungalow house that was "Nemo Inn" we were given a welcome drink of extremely sweet  tender coconut served with a petal of red hibiscus flower placed on the straw opening hole of the coconut.The Bungalow resort consisted  of 3 floors with the ground floor being the residence of member's of Mr Moosa.Fathuhi's family which included his parent's as also a storage space for snorkel, scuba diving and deep sea  fishing gear. The first floor was  the main guest room accommodation of the resort  while  the second floor was the dining hall/Kitchen  and the topmost a small private open air dining hall.A tall Water rose apple tree (Jamun tree) with fruits on its branches and totally covered in a net was the prominent tree within the resort property. A mini  astro-turf football ground was situated behind the resort facing the beach. I was allotted "Room Nos 103" which had excellent A/c and a bed decorated for welcoming "Lover's" or "Honeymoon Couples" and realized that at times Bachelorhood is a great disadvantage.Let couples "Honeymoon" while  bachelor's have the most fun without being "tagged" and  i hoped to get a glimpse of a Manta Ray or a whale shark.Had come to the Maldives strictly for aquatic wildlife exploration.Lunch was local dish "Maas Bai(Rice/Fish)" which was dry akin to Indian  Pulao  and no comparison to my home food back in Mumbai which  has also kept me on a weight watch.

A View of "Bikini Beach" on the North West of tiny  Omadhoo Island.The Green Plastic curtain provides privacy as well as a demarcation line for the area allotted for "Bikini" costume swimming for foreign tourists within the "WEST COAST" of tiny Omadhoo island..

Later in the hot afternoon decided to venture into the island village and do some snorkeling in  the sea of the coral sea bed  ."Bikini Beach" situated in the North West  of the Island  is famous with tourists since this is the only locale where lady  swimmers are allowed to wear Bikini's beside's having a good shallow beach with corals for observing aquatic life.Remember that Maldives is a strict Islamic Republic having "Sharia Law" and  alcohol banned although some of the ultra expensive island  resorts  do provide the same to tourists.Yes , at times money does buy happiness !

Sandy beaches  and corals on the Island's north coast.

                                                                                                     The resort staff gave me directions to the beach and surely no one can get lost on tiny Omadhoo island.Made my way out of the resort with  snorkeling gear and after a long straight walk North and a left turn headed  to the beach situated on the west side of the island. On reaching the West coast  came across locals swimming close to the  beach alongside a small boat tied by a rope .This was the site of the "Omadhoo Dhoni Reef" sea locale with a now abandoned long wooden  Dhoni boat pier jutting out into the sea.The local island's "Boat Building/Repair Yard"  was also  situated on this beach with  a few local fishing and "Dive Boats"  beached on the beach "Dry-Dock" for repairs or launching .

View of corals on  sea bed while snorkeling.

               Decided to do my "Bonny(Hindi slang for First)" swim in the Maldives in this locale and after donning my snorkel gear waded into the warm waters.This beach had rough rocks at the entrance  and hence had to  tread carefully into the deep waters to avoid getting sharp cuts on my feet . Finally after treading carefully into deeper waters fitted my leg flippers  and began my snorkeling safari of the Maldives  viewing a myriad variety of fish among the dead corals at the bottom of the sea bed. The sea bed depth was uneven and thanks to snorkeling  for the first time in my life got to understand the sea bed structure of a  beach although have swum regularly at beaches around the World. There were abrupt deep "Sink holes" just near the shallow entrance of the beach which could be deceptive to non-swimmers wading in shallow waters and suddenly finding themselves in deep waters unable to swim.This is one of the root causes of drowning deaths in deceptively  shallow waters of rivers, lakes or Oceans.Suddenly spotted a Stingray  lift itself from the bottom of the sea bed and swim away as i approached the deeper depths of the coral ocean.Initially mistook it to be a Manta Ray as its wings(Flukes) were massive akin to a flying saucer seen in Sci-Fi films but  later at "Nemo Inn"  British tourist Mr Allan, a physicist by profession  who had seen this same "Stingray" at "Bikini Beach" corrected my ignorance on  identification of this  fish species..

Beginner's luck in snorkeling .Spotted my first " Big fish" sighting  of a giant size " Stingray" at this coral locale of " Omadhoo Dhoni Reef " near the "Boat Yard" on  west of the  island coastline.Initially mistook it for a Manta Ray .Notice the cleanliness of the beach and clarity of the  calm turquoise waters that is ideal for snorkeling or scuba diving.The boat tethered in the background was my "MARKER" while snorkeling in this deep coral reef coastline all alone. If "SNORKELING" or "DIVING" solo always be careful of your location in the sea  as its easier to get lost in deep water than on land.Tourists from all over the Globe flock to the Maldives for its water sports and underwater sightseeing.

Omadhoo Mosque.

 I was all alone in the sea and the daily practice of  snorkel swimming  500 meters  back home at the "M.G.M.O" pool in Mumbai made snorkeling in the calm waters of the Indian Ocean in Omadhoo  a child's play as sea water buoyancy is more that fresh water.As a snorkeler one should also be a good swimmer unlike "Scuba Diving" where good swimming skills are not very essential. Although i had not slept for 24 hrs since my arrival in Omadhoo the snorkeling activity boosted my energy akin to a drug and it was Nirvana in this turquoise Indian Ocean waters of Omadhoo. After satisfying my viewing of the fish and corals decided to walk the short distance North to "Bikini Beach" .Came across the local Island village boat building and repair Industry reminding me of my own profession as a "Marine Engineer" on large and small ocean sailing ships.

Isolated Road:-  Island villagers  indoors by 1900 hrs.

A village boat  technician was busy rebuilding a second hand boat while a brand newly  constructed wooden boat was busy receiving its final finishing touches before being launched into the sea.

From the boat building locale made my way towards "Bikini Beach" which was a small strip of the beach coast that was enclosed on both ends with make shift plastic curtains for privacy of sun bathers.A few Caucasian swimmers were sunbathing with me being the lone lone Asian tourist on this secluded glistening white sand beach. Ventured into the sea and couldn't believe that lightning could strike twice as again i spotted the Stingray which sped away from the sea bed on seeing me approach it.

"Coconut Tree Ladder" to pluck Coconuts.

                   Lazed around in the sea exploring the sea bed and its aquatic sea-life."Bikini Beach" sea bed  was more even in depth in comparison to the  Omadhoo Dhoni reef locale and a excellent locale for snorkeling as it was much safer with no abrupt "Sink Holes". Felt i was in a aquarium swimming among fish as such was the abundance of fish life in the moderately deep waters.The entire small island of Omadhoo is totally green with trees  when seen from the distance while approaching the island by boat.  The human colonization and resulting tourism industry has resulted in  the clearing of  a portion the island forest to make way for human dwellings and thankfully this  village development has not destroyed the eco-nature of this island.Certain locales on the island have been preserved as "Green Locales" having its natural island forest vegetation along with mangrove trees .Coconut palm trees is the common staple natural growing commercial tree on the island.Some coconut trees had wooden planks fitted across the length of the tree akin to a ladder as a practical method for climbing up the tree to pluck coconuts.Have never seen such a "Coconut Tree Ladder" on the numerous  Indian coconut plantations in South India  and was something unique in design.Among natural fruit tree's its the "Water Apple Tree" popularly known as the "Jambu"(Indian/Malay Name) in Mumbai that is common on this small island with the tree's covered by a net to prevent bird's from eating the fruits.The fruit of the "Jamun" is known for its medicinal properties. Travel educates. After satisfying my snorkeling safari sightseeing in the sea  walked back towards "Nemo Inn" and on the way came across the beautifully constructed  Island Mosque.

"Nemo Inn" open air terrace Dining hall at night .

                                                                         After a fresh water hot bath in the classic resort explored the vicinity around "Nemo Inn"  and came across a few shops that were closed at 1900 hrs realizing that "Night Life" was non existent on this tiny island village.Came across the "S.S.I(Scuba Schools International)" diving institute situated in a small shop next to a local politician's office  which advertised its scuba diving services in Maldives  .In August 2014  had done my 3- day basic scuba diving course at "Dive Concepts" training institute  in Tulamban in Bali in Indonesia which was affiliated to "S.S.I" certification.The World of "Scuba Diving" and Snorkeling is a small place.After passing the "S.S.I" dive shop came across the only tiny grocery shop that happened to be open and hence entered the same  purchasing  chocolates for dinner as i was on a weight control diet.Returned back to the resort and had a excellent nights sleep in the cool 19*C air controlled A/c  accommodation.I normally avoid A/C accommodation but in Maldives its too hot and a A/C accommodation is definitely comfortable with the other alternative being either scuba diving or snorkeling.You are cool and comfortable either in the sea water or in artificial air controlled accommodation during the peak summer months .No wonder the Maldive Islands are a "HONEYMOONER'S" paradise.

Fit for "National Geographic Snorkel Model" ? Snorkeling  and my first "Underwater Selfie"  with a "Underwater Camera"  :- Rudolph.A.Furtado

Monday(11/3/2019) Omadhoo :- Woke up at 0300 hrs and as usual got busy on my computer with the Internet wi-fi being excellent .Later had some coffee which is free in the menu  and included in the resort guest bill.

Breakfast on  the terrace dining hall of "Nemo Inn".

                                                                                                                                            The dining hall of the resort is one storey below the terrace with "Nemo Inn" resembling a palatial bungalow.Just before breakfast had a brief conversation with Mr Allan, the Britisher who had come in the same speedboat along with his wife, child and another gentleman.He had done snorkeling and had seen a sting ray which could have been the same one i had seen twice in different locations.He was at present based in Berlin and as they say that  for travelers the World is a small place and we discussed England and Berlin. Breakfast was at 0730 hrs and a excellent mix of continental and Maldivian cuisine  with juice, bread/butter/jam, Roti's and fried eggs. After breakfast I was sad when resort owner  Mr Moosa.Fathuhi told me that there were no tourists willing to form a group for "Manta Ray" or "Whale Shark" sightings.He also inquired with the few other resorts and seems every tourist on Omadhoo island  was happy  just snorkeling or diving or simply sun bathing  on Bikini beach reading a book. .

My favourite "SNORKELING SITE " in the vicinity of " Omadhoo Dhoni harbour reef " near the "Boat Yard"  on the west coast of the   Island :- Absolute "LOW TIDE" in the morning with some of the Coral reef's visible.At "HIGH TIDE" exotic fish will be feeding on these exposed corals. Now at  "LOW TIDE" a Snorkeler has to venture into deeper waters beyond the Coral reefs.The Island jetty for the Dhoni boats can be seen in the distance which is a favourite spot with local islander's for rod fishing at "High Tide".Dhoni or Doni is a multi-purpose sail boat with a motor or Lateen sails (Triangular sails) used in the Maldives.It is handcrafted as seen in the Omadhoo boatyard and resembles a Dhow,the traditional Arab sailing vessel. This BOAT was my "SNORKELING MARKER" for not losing direction due to currents or tide.

When one door closes another door opens  and requested resort owner  Mr Moosa.Fathuhi  if i could rent a underwater camera since the plan of  "Manta Ray" or "Whale Shark" safari now seemed a distant dream.

Group of  DIVERS ready for diving  off "Boat Yard" site .

                                                                                                                                                         I had "Kissed" a Great White shark at Gansbai in South Africa during "Shark Cage Diving" and realized you can't always get what you want in life. Mr Moosa  immediately agreed to rent me a underwater camera and after charging the camera battery instructed me on method of usage .At a rental of 10 U.S $ i would be undertaking my first underwater photography and practicing  my favourite proverb of "Better late than too late" .Hence it was  on my 59 years birthday that i  learned  a new hobby !Learning until death keeps a human active mentally irrespective of physical ageing.

Eagerly made my way towards my favourite snorkeling locale opposite the village shipyard and immediately got down to business akin to a experienced scuba diver. Truth is stranger than fiction and on swimming into the deep my very first sighting and video film was a school of fish and a "SELFIE".After snorkeling for some time suddenly spotted the large "STINGRAY" emerge from the sea bed and swim away from me  making me feel I was seeing a underwater spirit. How could I see this same fish for the third time and that too on a second consecutive  day .

A walk to one end of Omadhoo island which is only 0.950(0.590 mi) in length and 0.300 Km(0.186 mi) in breadth with a 2018 population census of only 1089 people. The Island Mosque, A small Pre- School, a large  Secondary School,Island power supply generators building , a mini artificial   turf football ground  and the Local island council building besides a few tourist resorts are the buildings within this  tiny self contained inhabited island .

                    This sighting taught me  the fact that akin to land  mammals, fish are also territorial and I as a human with artificial underwater breathing apparatus  was trespassing into its territory.

On "BIKINI BEACH" with the "Underwater Camera".

                                                                            Once during my schooling day's in the 1970's I almost drowned in the Sitanadi  river at my parent's ancestral village in Mangalore and here at the young age of 59 years  was learning a new art of  "Solo Snorkeling" and "Underwater Photography". Destiny and fate are strange bedfellows. Returned back to the resort to check if my filming was proper and Mr Moosa exposed my photography on my computer which made me feel like a school student learning a new subject. Next decided to explore the small island of Omadhoo and first stepped inside  "Dhuvale café " situated close to the resort at the Southern tip of the island..Lunch was "Maldivian Snacks" as I wanted to taste  the local street food as i do in every new city either in my native India or in a foreign City..Whenever I tried to enter any of the few shops on this tiny island they were always closed and hence was yet to taste authentic Maldivian food.The snacks were nothing special or very different in comparison to some of the variety of Indian street food.Observed "Betel- Nuts" being kept for drying outside the houses of a local islander and "Betel-Nuts" consumption is a very popular in Omadhoo.

One of my first "UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHS" of the sea bed topography in the vicinity of Omadhoo Dhoni reef on the West coast of the  Island. Notice the dead corals and the clean white sand of the sea bed.This was in shallow waters with extremely bright  visibility due to penetration of the hot Sun's ray's into the water.:- Photo Rudolph.A.Furtado

                                                                                                                    Walked towards the South  Boat jetty pier and saw a Caucasian man getting into a diving suit and hence picked up a conversation with Russian Mr Ilia of St Petersburg.

Classic "Nemo Inn" my residence on Omadhoo Island.

                                                                                                 He was a "Dive Instructor" who learnt the art of diving in his 50's as a hobby  and now  conducted dive tours from the island as a profession and spoke fluent English having worked overseas from his homeland Russia.He told me that this was not the season for Manta Rays or Whale sharks as their feeding grounds was far from Omadhoo island and hence no tourists were in awe of visiting the probable locales of these rare fish species as spotting them would be akin to searching for a needle in a haystack involving a huge monetary investment.The Wealthy tourists haven't got to that position by being stupid and they always spend their dollars or rupees to get the utmost returns in sightseeing or adventure sports.

SNORKEL SELFIE  AFTER A SOLO SNORKELING SAFARI :-  My first and Favourite "SNORKELING LOCALE"  on the West coast of  tiny  Omadhoo island next to the "Boat Yard Jetty". The small island paddle  boat anchored in the distance was  my "SNORKELING  MARKER" in locating my direction while snorkeling solo in this Ocean of varying depths.Here i have just surfaced from snorkeling after spotting the giant "STINGRAY". It is absolute "High Tide" and the villager in the distance was busy collecting something from the sea bed in the shallower portion of the sea.The iconic  long  "WOODEN DHONI BOAT JETTY" can be seen in the distance A few islanders can also be observed fishing at the end of the "Dhoni Jetty" , a common pass-time for the islander's including women. Photo :- Rudolph.A.Furtado

              Akin to luck and seasons  playing a crucial role in wildlife spotting in the wildlife  National parks on land  similarly the Ocean and the seas have seasonal current and thermal changes that makes the marine life living in the seas to migrate to new locations.

My First underwater photography while snorkeling..The Coral Reef. :- Photo Rudolph.A.Furtado

                                                     Thanked him for the advice and after a complete circumnavigation along " Outer Beach Road" which is the outermost circumference road  of tiny Omadhoo island decided to snorkel at my favourite locale, the "Boat yard beach " on the west coast of the Island.

Rocky beach at Low Tide  near "Boatyard" on West Coast.

    The tide was gradually rising and again came across the "Sting Ray", the largest fish in the coral locale and tried to video tape its flight from me  although the visibility was dim due to the depth .First made a video followed by photo's of various fish species swimming and feeding around my vicinity for continuing my  membership to "BRAGGERS RIGHTS CLUB INC" . The Sting Ray's  presence kept me on high alert. Wouldn't like to step over it as  its tail barb  inflicted sting could be fatal as had happened to late Australian Zookeeper/Conservationist and television personality Mr Steve.Irwin(Crocodile Hunter) .Steve .Irwin  succumbed to a heart attack at the young age of 44 years after a Sting Ray barb pierced his heart while filming the underwater documentary "Ocean's Deadliest".

"BOAT YARD " :- My first & Favourite Snorkel locale.

                                        Yes, this "STINGRAY" was to be treated with respect and caution as one of the Ocean's deadliest for it seemed to be infatuated with me having seen it on every snorkeling expedition.Akin to a wild tiger in the Indian Jungles it was avoiding me and fleeing on seeing my approach but if accidentally cornered in the sea bed sand then its tail barb would be its defense Truth can be stranger than fiction.From the "Boat repair/building yard " locale walked the short distance to "Bikini Beach" and snorkeled  in the vicinity .A few Caucasian tourists were relaxing under  the umbrella and canopy shades erected  on this tiny strip of glistening white sand beach either reading a book or just sleeping.

View of extreme North of island  from "Bikini Beach.

                                                                                The Sun was blazing hot and deep  water visibility excellent.Returned back to the resort passing alongside Omadhoo power plant which was noisy reminding me of the ship's generators in the ship's  Engine room.Got my underwater camera battery recharged at  the resort and in the afternoon  after a short rest headed back to the beach.Spotted a group of  local women in Burqa's fishing at the end of  the long wooden jetty of  Omadhoo Dhoni reef  situated on the west coast which was the wharf for "Dhoni Boats".Walked along the wooden jetty towards them  amazed at seeing beautiful species of fish in the crystal clear sea water swimming below the elevated wooden   jetty. The Burqa clad women were just inserting a rod with some bait and immediately hooking a colourful fish, the same species that looked beautiful alive and swimming in the ocean.After my first "Snorkeling Safari" in Omadhoo where i literally swam among the various species of fish with the fish themselves imagining me to be another different fish species felt extremely guilty on being a prolific consumer of various fish species.

Omadhoo Island Boatyard building and Repair Yard on the West coast beach of the Island.

.This hobby rod fishing can be done only at "High Tide" as the water recedes during the "Low Tide" exposing parts of the sea bed on which this long "Dhoni Jetty" has been constructed.

Bikini Beach with its Sun shades

                     From the "Dhoni Jetty" made my way to the "Boat Yard Jetty" situated a short distance away realizing that i was now heavily  addicted to snorkeling .As soon as i entered the water my first sighting was of the "STING RAY" which lifted itself from the sea bed and swam slowly away from me with myself in hot pursuit to film it.It was definitely the largest stingray i had seen in my lifetime although the only Sting Ray's that i had  seen were either  the captive Sting Ray's  in aquariums or the dead Sting Ray's in the fish markets of Mumbai.Here i was face to face in hot pursuit of one of the Ocean's most dangerous inhabitants although very harmless if not provoked.

The Art of relaxing and swimming on Bikini Beach.

                                                                            It disappeared from sight and i just lazed in the deep coral waters admiring the variety of colourful fish feeding on the dead and live  coral organisms.Next went to "Bikini Beach" and on snorkeling like a professional felt i was on a Alfred.Hitchcock or Stephen.King adapted film set with the "STING RAY" again fleeing on my approach and not the other way round.Remember the movie "JAWS" ? This Sting Ray was the "Great White" of its species in this locale . It  was a giant fish of the Sting Ray species as due to the shallower water depth and bright sunlight penetration onto the sea bed  got a excellent view of this amazing underwater giant.Manta Rays which are much larger in size are docile and harmless with no "Poison Barb" on their tails but the smaller Sting Ray can be  fatal if accidentally stepped upon while diving or snorkeling.

Omadhoo Island extreme North coast near Bikini beach  has a preserved forest .Tourism has not destroyed the complete vegetation fabric of this beautiful tiny island.Flying foxes and Koels are the common bird species found on the Island.

                                            Floated lazily snorkeling in the sea while  mastering my mouth breathing technique through the snorkel tube akin to a Yoga Guru and was  elated for the same.Better late than too late.Snorkeling seems harmless in comparison to diving but can be dangerous if the "BREATHING TECHNIQUE" is improper in deeper waters or the snorkeler a weak swimmer against strong currents.

Omadhoo School:- Largest playground on Island.

                                                                                                                           Remember that the sea is unforgiving and  not a  swimming pool where rescue in case of a snorkel mask failure is immediately at hand in the form of  swimming pool life guards or shallow depth of the swimming pool..There was also a very strong current and on many occasions had to swim against the current.Thought i had seen the last of  my stalker "STING RAY" when to my utter disbelief saw it again rise from the sea bed on my approach. I was literally living a true life fish v/s human conflict in the sea with this Sting Ray not at all amused of my presence in its underworld domain.Observed the day's sunset from  the extreme Northern end of Omadhoo island on a sand bar beach just about 200 meters from Bikini beach.

SUNSET on Omadhoo Island.

                Walked back to the resort and during my two day's on the island  noticed that the island had numerous Koel birds which cooed throughout the day while   flying foxes  came out of their hideouts at dusk.Dinner was on the terrace dining hall and was excellently cooked Maldivian "Tuna Fish curry /Rice" .On arrival of Mr Moosa at the resort checked the underwater filming which was pathetic with no sign of the eager awaited "Sting Ray Video".Except for  a few snap-shots which included my fluke "Model Underwater Selfie" and a video the rest was blurred. Underwater photography requires proper training for handling of equipment as also expensive camera's akin to wildlife photography on land.

A Solo "Birthday Dinner" at "Nemo Inn".

                                                                                     Mr Moosa told me that tomorrow  he had arranged for a snorkeling  expedition  near a Coral reef off  Hangnaameedho island that was a haunt of turtles. At night the weather is pleasant and warm in Omadhoo in comparison to the blazing Sun's heat throughout daylight hours as Maldives is close to the Equator. Wi-Fi network of "Wataniya" service  provider was excellent at "Nemo Inn".  Maldives is a Islamic Country having  Sharia law justice system  and prayers said 5 times a day and hence also a reason for most of the shops being closed at regular intervals during prayer time akin to Saudi Arabia.The Muezzin's prayer recital over the loudspeaker  from the mosque  can be heard all over this tiny island.Akin to Saudi Arabia no other religion is allowed to be practiced in Maldives except Islam. Had my normal 4 hours sleep in the excellent 19*C Bosch A/C controlled resort room.A Honeymooner's Paradise to couples  but to me a solo tourist its a  "Snorkeler/Diver's Paradise".

Snorkeling in the deep blue sea in search of Turtles and sharks of the Coral reef shelf of Hangnaameedho Island. :- Photograph by Snorkel Guide Mr Ibrahim. Azeem of "Nemo Inn" .Viewers can get a idea of the depth of the Ocean of the face of this  coral Reef shelf.I am snorkeling  in between the  boundary  line of the "CORAL REEF SHELF" and the steep drop into a endless depth of the Indian Ocean .Spotted two  turtle's  and a shark  in the depth below this Coral reef mountain.Notice the deep blue colour  and purity as well as depth of the Indian Ocean at this locale.

Tuesday(12-3-2019 )Omadhoo :- As usual was awake at 0300 hrs and busy updating my blog and other sites. Breakfast was at 0745 hrs and consisted of toast/butter/jam with eggs and chicken sausages.

Preparing the Speedboat for "Turtle Snorkel safari"

                                                                                                                                            After breakfast was introduced to Moosa's brother Mr Ibrahim.Azeem  who was to be my snorkeling guide in the deep sea off the Coral shelf .Was surprised to know that entire "Nemo Inn" was owned and managed by the same family of brothers with Mr Moosa .Fathui being the face of the resort business.The other brothers were Mr Ibrahim.Azeem , the snorkeling guide, Mr Ali.Nafui the speedboat handler,Mr Hassan.Muneez the resort chef and finally Mr Abdulla.Humaid who collected me at the airport.Was confused as all the brothers had different Surnames and Mr Moosa.Fathui explained me briefly the traditional naming within a family .Strangely , except for Mr Moosa,Fathui the rest of the brothers were weak in the English language and hence i couldn't converse with them.

On the way to "Turtle Snorkel point" in Mid Ocean.

                                                                      I was the only tourist for the "Turtle Snorkel Expedition"  and hence had to charter  the entire speedboat at a cost of $ 30 U.S.Readers of my travelogues should realize by now that i spend like a billionaire on travel discoveries across the Globe including my native India.At 0845 hrs snorkel guide Mr Ibrahim .Azeem , boat driver Mr Ali.Nafiu  and myself set sail  in a speedboat having a outboard "Yanmaar Engine". The speed of the boat and its bumps on the water surface made me feel i was riding a rodeo bull or on a motorcycle on land riding over a series of speed breakers.. Elderly tourists or tourists unaccustomed to sea travel should avoid these type of boats for according to me it comes in the category of "Extreme boat rides".

Snorkel guide Ibrahim.Azeez& Self  in deep Indian Ocean.

                                                                  Finally reached our destination off the coral reef shelf of Hangnaameedho island  in the middle of the Ocean . Hangnaameedho  island is almost similar in size to Omadhoo island being just 1 Km in length and 225 meters wide as also clearly visible  from Omadhoo West coast . We donned our Snorkel gear and gradually slid  ourselves in the Ocean from the side of  the small speedboat, very careful not to capsize it.

On entering the water i literally got. a shock on the thrill of seeing a deep coral shelf akin  to a mountainside teeming with Marine aquatic corals, vegetation and fish  life .Followed my guide Ibrahim in the Ocean and felt like a professional snorkeler amazed at the beauty underneath the Indian Ocean .

A view of a part of the rich and indescribable beautiful corals and fish species while snorkeling in the deep blue sea in search of Turtles and sharks of the Coral reef shelf of Hangnaameedho Island. :- Photograph by Snorkel Guide Mr Ibrahim. Azeem who amazed me with his "Free Diving" skill in this part of the endless depth of the Indian Ocean.To photograph this particular mountain side of the Coral reef he had to dive deep down from the surface  .Crystal clear visibility in the pure unpolluted ocean.

                                                                                                     As we swam away from the Coral mountain came across the deep endless depth of the Ocean, akin to gazing  into the sky and seeing nothing but a endless deep  blue colour of eternity.

 Corals and fish species while snorkeling in the deep blue Indian Ocean  in search of Turtles and sharks of the Coral reef shelf of Hangnaameedho Island. :- Photograph by Snorkel Guide Mr Ibrahim. Azeem

Boundary  line of the "CORAL REEF Mountain SHELF" and the steep drop into a endless depth of the Indian Ocean .Spotted two  turtle's  and a shark  in the depth below this Coral reef mountain.Notice the deep blue colour  and purity as well as depth of the Indian Ocean at this locale :- Photograph by Snorkel Guide Mr Ibrahim. Azeem

                                                                          The bottom was not visible and Ibrahim was busy filming a video and  also demonstrating his skill in "FREE DIVING" while diving deep onto the side of the Coral mountain with his ordinary snorkel gear  filming exotic fish and reef vegetation.

Snorkeling Guide Ibrahim(Snorkel ) & Self on speedboat.

           My  advice is that tourists suffering from "Vertigo" on land should please not venture into "DEEP SEA SNORKELING" off Mountain coral shelf's as the endless depth viewed from the Ocean surface is akin to standing at the edge of a cliff about to Bungy jump.If you have "BUNGY JUMPED" on land then you are psychologically fit to snorkel in the deep oceans.Astronauts undergo a basic training of "Scuba diving" for acclimatization to space travel as its the closest simulation a human can get of being alone in space . I had done deep sea diving in Tulamban in Bali and hence accustomed to seeing a endless blue deep hole in the Ocean but the scary part was that in "Deep Sea Diving" you have a oxygen cylinder harnessed to your back while in snorkeling it's just surface breathing through a mouthpiece.

End of "TURTLE SNORKEL SAFARI" & now fishing

                                                                                Beside's in the open sea there is a continuous swell unlike the protected sheltered coast of Omadhoo Island which has calmer  water akin to a lake.We didn't sight any turtles at this particular location  and after some time boarded back onto our tiny speed boat by means of the small portable ladder fitted onto the boat's side by boat driver Mr Ali .Nafui. Next   headed to another locale in the ocean in close vicinity to our previous location in  search of the elusive turtles .It was akin to a jeep safari in a National park in search of the "Big 5" land mammals.Here on entering the water we immediately spotted a turtle swimming deep below us in the endless depth .Next , after much searching from  the surface spotted a lone shark and later on another turtle.Enough for the day and my gambling premonition told me it was time to get back to terra firma from this fathomless depths of the Indian Ocean .

A slight error or miscalculation in "Snorkel breathing" could result in a drowning accident and i didn't want to risk unnecessary snorkeling in waters which could make a ocean ship invisible if sunk.We finally boarded our speed boat by the  portable boat ladder and headed back to Omadhoo. On entering the Island jetty did a film photo-shoot with a fishing rod akin to a actor although i still have to hook a fish  in real life as fishing was never my hobby although a connoisseur of cooked fish.

"WOOD GATE" restaurant on Omadhoo island.The largest and only popular local restaurant on tiny Omadhoo island. Notice the cycle and motorcycle parked outside the restaurant.These two vehicles are the popular mode of transport on this tiny island .

Relaxed in my cool room and later at approximately 1200 hrs had lunch at "Wood Gate" restaurant, the only plush restaurant on the island frequented by local islander's .Lunch was beef/rice  with a dessert of excellent caramel custard .Returned back to the resort and in the afternoon at approximately 1400 hrs walked the length of the island to "Bikini Beach".
 

Scuba School International(SSI) office on Omadhoo .

                            Snorkeled  in the shallow waters which had abundant shoals of different fish species feeding on the corals  at "High Tide".Was hoping to see my stalker " STINGRAY" and realized i was becoming a untrained self studied Ichthyologist after just three day's of observing the behaviour of various fish species through snorkeling in Omadhoo .People are still puzzled when i tell them i am a successful  businessman earning a living through the Stock market although i can't read a company balance sheet nor a graduate in commerce.A hobby is today my bread and butter after premature retirement from my qualified profession as a "Marine Engineer". Yes, life at times is stranger than fiction akin to this massive "STINGRAY" stalking me in Omadhoo. Found no trace of the sting ray although the shallow coral bed was teeming with various different school of fish. Made my way back to the resort and had a brief  physical rest by exercising my mind  on the laptop.

Soil erosion on East coast of Omadhoo Island.

In the evening at approximately 1600 hrs made my way towards the beach for the last snorkeling expedition on Omadhoo Island . First walked towards the long wooden  Dhoni jetty where a Islander was fishing akin to the women yesterday and took a photo for memoirs.I was the only non - local  Asian tourist  beside's a Oriental tourist  while the rest were all Caucasians with "Bikini Beach" being the main swimming and snorkeling site.On arriving at the "Boatyard " beach noticed a few local women swimming in Burqa's  using floats for buoyancy assistance and asked a local if i could venture into the sea to which he replied in the affirmative. Had my last snorkeling  at the  "Boat Yard" locale seeing the same variety of fish but no sign of "STINGRAY".Now i the human was stalking "STINGRAY" !

Snorkeled at Bikini for approx 45 Mins without surfacing 

                                                        From "Boat Yard" beach locale walked further to Bikini Beach and must have created a snorkeling record by not surfacing from the water for at least 45 minutes.Any observer from land would have panicked at my absence presuming i had drifted off the Omadhoo coast into the deep blue Indian Ocean.I was just about to call it a end to snorkeling in Omadhoo as it was about 1800 hrs and water visibility low due to lack of sunlight penetration when suddenly i observed a sharp spear shaped pointed object whizzing past me in the distance.I first mistook it to be a type of barracuda when to my astonishment  saw the large "STINGRAY"  gradually stop in its track and hover above the shallow sea bed akin to a flying saucer about to land.

Islander's fishing at "Dhoni Reef Jetty" at "High Tide".

                                                                         The pointed object i had seen was its beautiful long tail that resembled a long "fly-whisk tail" in the water. It gradually moved further and buried itself invisible in sand on the sea bed. Did it come to this spot to  bid me goodbye ? I was beginning to get superstitious . It was at a distance of approximately only 25 meters away from me . Fate and destiny are strange and i quickly made my exit out of the sea onto Bikini beach.Warned a group of Romanian tourists entering the water about the presence of the Stingray as it was in absolutely shallow water.Walked my way back towards "Nemo Inn"  with the flying foxes gradually appearing in the sky and  wondering the horror story Stephen King could  create if he had undergone the same bizarre encounters with this giant "Stingray".

Dhoni Reef Jetty :- Unforgettable 3 days on Omadhoo .

On arrival at "Nemo Inn" settled my resort bill with Mr Moosa.Fathui who also gave me the video recordings of the morning snorkel safari at Turtle point.Bizarrely , except for the unique still photographs in the deep ocean my underwater recordings were much better than those taken by professional Snorkel guide Mr Ibrahim.Azeez .We Professional speculators  call it "Beginner's Luck" and my "Beginner's Luck" in underwater snorkel photography was on par with a regular local professional snorkeler / scuba diver.
Dinner was "Tuna/Noodles" at "Wood Gate restaurant which at 2045 hrs  was full with a young crowd  making me realize that tiny Omadhoo Island did have its own teetotal  nightlife.This restaurant is daily  open till 2300 hrs which is surprising as alcoholic drinks is banned as also any other intoxication.The few shops on the tiny island were also open at 2100 hrs while the  local electioneering candidate's office situated next to the "S.S.I" shop was blaring music on a loudspeaker with his supporters seated outside the electioneering office.

View from the Speedboat approaching "Jetty-2" with its triangular arch design that is a landmark of Male' City while approaching the Maldives Capital by boat.The Maldivian Flag can be seen over "Jambhoree Maidhan".

Wednesday(13-3-2019) Departure Omadhoo and arrival in Male' City :- Was awake at 0300 hrs as usual and busy on my laptop.At 0615 hrs had a breakfast of toast/butter/fried egg and watermelon slices along with coffee.Mr Ali.Nafui assisted me with the baggage to the ferry pier which was a short walking distance from "Nemo Inn".The Speedboat arrival was punctual arriving with a boat load of tourists .

Map of Maldives City showing the various Jetty's .Maximum Tourist landmark's are in the vicinity of the "Presidential Jetty- 1". "Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital" is to the South West of the Island My hotel "Off Day Inn Hotel" was on the east side of the island  opposite to "Artificial Beach".Entire "Male' City can be toured within a day if on a "Junket Tour" or in a hurry to visit one of the numerous luxury " Scuba Dive/Snorkel" island's. 

   Finally bid goodbye to exotic 3 day's stay on the tiny village island of Omadhoo with lifelong memories of snorkeling and bizarre encounters with the one and only "STING RAY".At 0700 hrs the speedboat departed at a speed of 31knots and made a short stop at the tiny twin island of Hangnaameedho  where we had snorkeled along  the coral shelf of its deep waters.

 "Shaheedh Hussain Adam"  the Police headquarter building  with the Maldivian flag installed on a tall flag post in front of this imposing building at Jumbhooree Maidhan. All the prominent landmark buildings and tourist attractions of Male' City are within walking distance from Jambhoore Maidhan

                                                     After picking up a few  passengers the speedboat headed at full throttle to Male' City and at 0830 hrs docked at Male' city speedboat Ferry terminal- 2 that had a large sighted decorative arch.

         

"Off Day Inn Hotel" my residence in Male' City.

                             On walking out of the Ferry pier the tourist arrives at "Jumhooree Maidhan" and sees the imposing building of  the Maldive Police headquarters  named "Shaheedh Hussain Adam" building  with the Maldivian flag installed on a tall flag post in front of this imposing building. Walking a little further past the police headquarters building  came across the palatial  Islamic centre that features a gold domed mosque .Finding the location of "Off Day Inn Hotel" was the next hurdle as the address mentioned was a bit vague and hence a few locals  were unaware of its location .Thanks to "Google Smartphone" and the helpfulness of  a few locals guiding  me in the right direction with  finally a local Mr Shamshad  offering me a lift on his motorcycle that i reached my destination.

 

Narrow roads of Male' City.Traffic Congestion normal.

            Its  bizarre to get lost in such a small city having a Metropolitan area of just 9.27 Sq Km but dotted with buildings and having one of the World's densest population.A landmark large football stadium was on the road opposite "Off Day Inn Hotel" and on entering the hotel  was refreshed by the excellent  hotel reception lobby A/C in comparison to the  hot blazing  heat of Male' city. I am normally allergic to cold A/c temperatures but strangely in the Maldives was perfectly fine alternating between  the cool A/C resort living and blazing hot ambient temperatures.  The young lady receptionist informed  me that "Check-In " time was 1200 hrs and hence at 0915 hrs was very early at the hotel.Inquired about the local city tourist sites and realizing that they were within my normal 2 Kms swimming distance decided to sight-see the city tomorrow with today being a rest day from " Snorkeling Safari "  after 3 days of non-stop long stretches of extreme deep and shallow  sea snorkeling in Omadhoo.

 

Male' Fish Market :- Tuna Fishing Industry of Maldives.

Booked a tour from the hotel through the receptionist  for the " Whale Submarine Dive" for another addition to "Braggers Rights club  Inc". Male' is the only city in the World offering common  public  tourists the experience of travelling in a submarine although at a phenomenal cost..

Strolled on the main street facing the seafront and came across the "Ferry Terminal" which had regular ferry services to Hulhule Island and the Airport. Hulhule island ferry services were upto midnight while airport ferry services was 24 hrs which was a relief to me as on Friday i had a early morning departure flight to Mumbai. Walked back towards the hotel and on the way walked into a local restaurant named "Irudhashu Hotaa", definitely a local Maldivian name with traditional Maldivian interior decor .The display of food in glass shelf's brought back memories of Sri Lankan restaurants in Sri Lanka .Partial influence of Indian and Sri Lankan culture into Maldivian society is very obvious,especially in culinary recipe's.Lunch at 1130 hrs was excellent Tuna curry/rice costing 45 Rupiah .The food was spicy and something different in taste in comparison to normal spicy Indian curry, definitely authentic local Maldive cuisine .

Male'Fruit market.Imported from India & Sri Lanka

                                                                             .This restaurant had the decor that defined Maldivian culture of a  conservative Islamic society with a wall cloth portrait of the religious site of Mecca  pilgrimage\ and the models of  traditional Dhoni sail boats along with  Maldivian beach artifacts. After lunch entered "Off Day Inn Hotel" which was a short walking  distance from my latest culinary discovery "Irudhashu Hotaa".Was allotted "Room No 423" on the second floor with the hotel not having a lift and the facilities pathetic for the rental charged.WiFi network was non functional in my room and the T.V had just 5 channels of which 2  were Indian channels but with disturbances and inaudible sound.Seems this hotel catered mostly for transit tourists and hence high room rates with no basic facilities like Internet or proper T.V channels.

One of the numerous mosques in Male' 

                                                                                                         The room was spacious and had a large copy portrait of a Pablo.Picasso woman painting although definitely not a nude as are most of Picasso's paintings.The painting was soothing bringing back memories of Madrid and Pablo.Picasso's unforgettable  "Guernica". If there is one painting i will never forget till death then it is "GUERNICA".At 1245 hrs travel agent  Mr Mohammed along with another person  arrived at the hotel to collect me for the "Whale Submarine" dive tour.He introduced me to his assistant who hired a taxi to take us to "Jetty N0 2" for boarding the boat to the "Whale Submarine" site. The taxi was a excellent new car and also my first travel in a motorized 4 wheeler in Maldives.The taxi's of Male' city were in sparkling brand new condition and as for me would rather walk or motorcycle in Male' city than own a car.I thought driving on Mumbai's roads was one of the toughest in the World until this personal experience of road traffic on the narrow congested roads of Male' .Didn't observe cycles on the narrow roads as cycling in this congested traffic would come under the category of "Extreme adventure cycling" sports , real dangerous.  As we drove towards "Jetty-2"  through the extremely narrow congested roads zig-zagging at turns  the driver  explained me various buildings and the method of "Jetty" numbering."Jetty No 1 " situated next to "Jetty No 2" where i disembarked from the speedboat is the main Presidential Jetty.From "Jetty No 1" there are 9 more jetties at various locales eastward of the city .

"WHALE SUBMARINE" Anchorage off Male' Coast.

                                                          We finally reached  "Jetty No 2" and after alighting from the taxi my guide showed me the various markets  which were  all in close proximity to each other in the vicinity of landmark  Jetty N0  2 synonymous with its arch style entrance pillars which was the heart of tiny Male' city.Sadly my guide's understanding and speaking of the English language was worse than me making a attempt to learn Dhivehi language as a crash course ! The Fish market was filled with Tuna fish, one of the biggest exports of Maldives and seeing the heaps of dead Tuna made me realize how beautiful and graceful these same fish were in their natural environment  in the deep blue sea.I am a total carnivore and realized i couldn't ever change to a diet of Vegetarianism although  3 day's of non-stop  snorkeling and the  "STINGRAY" stalking episodes  totally made me fall in love with the "Fish Species" and their sense of territory rights.

"WHALE SUBMARINE" 

                                                                                         One thing is for certain that in my life i will never again eat "Sting Ray" fish akin to not eating sharks.I don't want to indulge in cannibalism ! Passed alongside the "Maldives Supreme Court" and a few other modern  mosques as also the  historic  "Old Friday Mosque".All the landmark tourist and  Government buildings  are all situated in the same vicinity of "Jumhooree Maidhan" near Jetty No 2. Came back to "Jetty No 2" where a queue of tourists were awaiting to board the launch to the "Whale Submarine" parked a short distance away from the coast in mid-sea.The young stylish  lady in charge of guiding the tourists spoke fluent English as she was educated in Malaysia and briefly explained me the important buildings and monuments in the vicinity.Strangely , although akin to India which got Independence from British Colonization but continued with the British legacy of the "English Language"  the average common Maldivians are almost  illiterate in speaking  the English language.

Internal view of the "WHALE SUBMARINE".Notice the two rows of window seats for each seated tourist.The Maldives is known for its white beaches,and its fish that swim happily in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The ‘Whale Submarine’ of  "Tourist Submarines Maldives Pvt Ltd" owned by former Home Minister and businessman Umar Naseer takes non-divers down 132 feet(40 Meters) under water to  view  the ‘Tear Drop’ Mountain  Reef and various fish species.50 passengers can be accommodated in the seating order as shown in the photo.

                                                                           Then i realized that the same factor  also applies in India where a small percentage of the total  Indian population in comparison to the entire country is fluent in English although it is the link language of the Country. Maldives is a tiny Country in comparison to India .

All Tourists on Board.Submarine  to start Descent.

                                                                                                                            The young lady also told me that the younger generation of Maldivians were educated in English language beside's the national language Dhivehi and hence fluent in English.At 1345 hrs we tourists boarded the launch and it was a slow boat ride across the harbour towards the "Whale Submarine" mooring site.A large container ship "Nordmed" was the only vessel discharging container cargo alongside the wharf while a flotilla of various types of Cargo ships was parked in anchorage.Remember that without sea transport or sea trade a Country like Maldives would be non-functional. On arrival at the "Whale Submarine" station we queued to purchase tickets with each ticket costing U.S $ 90 .There were a few Indian tourists among the crowd of locals  and for me it was curiosity and "Braggers Rights Club" membership that made me undertake this submarine voyage.

Fish species spotted through observation windows.

                                                                                                 This beautifully white coloured  "Whale Submarine" owned by "Tourist Submarines Maldives Pvt Ltd" would be a first submarine voyage during  my lifetime of travel in various modes of transport across the Globe.I had been inside the 1933 World War -11 German built war  submarine"Vesikko"  in Helsinkiwhich was a museum exhibit preserved on dry land and the only submarine of its type existing in the World. Here today i would actually be travelling under the Indian Ocean in South East Asia's only "Passenger Submarine" as also having the distinction of being the largest commercial passenger submarine in operation.At 1430 hrs we boarded the White coloured submarine and were  allotted our respective seats on opposite  sides  of the total  length of the vessel.

After the end of the "DIVE TOUR" of 40 meters(132 Ft) depth into the Indian Ocean for observing fish and marine life from inside the "WHALE SUBMARINE"  a photo-shoot with Submarine Pilot Amira .

First time in my life that i had travelled in a submarine and more surprising was a lady pilot at the helm of the submarine while her co-pilot was a man.Have come across lady air pilots but never a submarine lady pilot as commercial submarines are a rarity in the World.The "Whale Submarine" owned  by  "Tourist Submarines Maldives Pvt Ltd" is the only passenger submarine in South East Asia and the largest commercial submarine in the World  and hence being its pilot meant something out of the extraordinary in human achievements irrespective of sex or nationality . 

                                                                                                                 As the fish are fed from the submarine to attract them towards our viewing observation glasses that were similar to ship's portholes  we could already get a view of some fish in the vicinity .

Tallest building in Maldives :-Dharumavantha  hospital

                                                 .Akin to a airlines plane before departure we were explained basic submarine  safety operations in case of a emergency and finally our descent began into the deep Indian Ocean.The most common fish species attracted towards us  as we gradually made our descent towards the sea bed  were the Surgeon fish species . Two staff members moved along the corridor explaining us tourists the various fish species visible to us as akin to "Bird-Watching" on land. I was ignorant of the names of some of the exotic fish species .We would descend to a maximum depth of 40 meters to the bottom of the locale in this part of the Indian Ocean.Our line of seats was facing the Coral reef shelf of the Ocean akin to the deep sea snorkeling i had done yesterday off the coast of Omadhoo island.As the fish were fed they converged in shoals towards the submarine with the Surgeon Fish being in maximum numbers.

 Spotted the beautiful Unicorn fish and the  Clown fish which were rare as also the "Box Fish"  and a giant "Red Snapper" that reminded me of my encounters with "Stingray". in Omadhoo waters.The Coral reef shelf was ordinary  in comparison to the beautiful reef shelf i had snorkeled  in Omadhoo waters or seen in Tulamban in Indonesia  during scuba diving at the Liberty ship wreck site.

Lifeline of Maldives :-Cargo ships in anchorage of Male '

   This submarine dive is basically for "Non-Divers" and "Non-Snorkelers" as also for membership to "Braggers Rights Club" of having travelled in a submarine although only for 45 minutes. No wonder "Deep Sea Diving" is big business in Omadhoo and the entire  Maldives . Once we touched the  bottom of 40 meters(132 Ft ) depth with a mountain of the Tear  Coral reef looming in front of us we gradually began the ascent and changed seats with the opposite seated passenger.My seat now faced the deep open water  and not the Tear Coral Mountain reef.In this way tourists on the submarine tour could get a entire view of a normal  coral sea  shelf as well as a deep blue sea.To me except for  the once in a lifetime rarest of rare submarine ride the viewing of the fish didn't impress  as i had seen much better views during  solo snorkeling on Omadhoo island as well as the "Turtle Safari" off Hangnaameedho Island  in the deep blue Indian Ocean.

Male' Harbour :- .Containership Nordmed in harbour.

                                                                                                Being on a passenger  submarine was similar to being on a large ship in calm sailing waters with very less rolling and no pitching.We finally surfaced and was surprised to know our submarine pilot was a lady who obliged tourists by posing for photographs with them.I also took a photograph with Amira as its not everyday in life that one  meets someone employed in the rarest of rare professions.Unlike airplanes "Commercial Submarines" are a rarity in the World and more so a woman pilot of a commercial submarine. Later when  i posted photo's of my submarine tour on the Internet social website of "WhatsApp"  was surprised to receive a reply  from Mariner Mr Rajan.Vardhan , my once  co-Marine Engineering apprentice  batch-mate in Mazagon Docks  and  later  Co-  5th Engineer officer  on the cargo  ship " M.V Lok Vinay " of the now defunct "Mogul Line Ltd"  in  the 1980's .The World moves on and today in 2019 Mr Rajan.Vardhan is the "South Asia Region"  manager  in "Bureau Veritas", the Worldwide Marine certification agency.

Supreme Court of Maldives.

                                                            Mr Rajan.Vardhan messaged me that as "Bureau Veritas Surveyor"  he was once assigned the duty of certifying this "Whale Submarine" for sea worthiness and Insurance class certification.Here i was on "Cloud 9" having just traveled in a passenger submarine while one of my co- batchmate's and  later ship sailing  co-officer  was actually responsible for certifying the sea worthiness of this very  submarine ! So i was not the first among my "Marine Engineer" batch-mates to brag about travelling on a submarine and proud to say that within our group of "Marine Engineer" batch-mates we all must have circumnavigated  the entire Globe numerous times during employment on ships or while employed in various land based shipping organizations.Boarded the launch and made the short slow launch ride to "Jetty No 2" where Tour agent Mohammed collected me on his motorcycle and drove me the short distance to my hotel via a maze of narrow roads.

"Irudhashu Hotaa" my lunch & Dinner Adda in Male'

         If you could drive in Male' city then you are fit to drive in any corner of the Globe. Male' roads are narrow and chaotic with a unique traffic system of road directions being interchanged as per traffic congestion on a particular route.Hence you could drive in the morning through a particular road and return back home through a different road route .Bizarre but true.Motorcycle density akin to population density in Male' City  might be one of the highest in the World.In fact walking along the coast road  from "Jetty No -2" to "Off Day Inn,Hotel" would be convenient and could also be faster than travelling by a 4-wheeler car caught in a bizarre traffic jam. Wi-Fi connectivity in this hotel was terrible with  Wi-Fi inaccessible at  peak hours in my hotel room although the rentals charged were astronomic.It's at such instances i realize the true luxury value of my residence back home in Mumbai.

View from "Artificial Beach" :- Plane Landing at Hulhule'

                        At the hotel came across a fellow Indian businessman from Kerala and Mr Ayub and myself  became acquaintances and discussed various travel locales in Male' city. In the evening explored the vicinity of the hotel which was situated in close proximity to "Artificial Beach" created by enclosing a piece of the sand coast with breakwater  tetrapods to prevent large sea waves  and which was popular among the locals for swimming. Resembled a overcrowded sea swimming pool.Got a good view of the newly built "Sinamale' bridge( China-Maldives friendship bridge)"  linking the airport Island of Hulhule' with Male' city as also planes landing at the airport.Male' is definitely a crowded and congested city although very clean and tidy.Came across a Political rally which was connected to the local city elections.

Male', a city of narrow roads and mostly motorcycles. 

                                                                                                                              Had a early dinner of "Octopus/Chappatis" akin to a local at my now familiar adda "Irudhashu Hotaa" where i had lunch in the afternoon.This restaurant seemed popular with the youth of Male' and also got to observe the youth fashion which was akin to being at a "Rock or Rap Concert".This restaurant  did serve value for money snacks and food.The "Octopus curry/Chappatis" was delicious and cheap in comparison to having the same food in a fancy Mumbai sea food restaurant.The expensive banana dessert after lunch  for which i paid 10 Rupiah for a single banana  was compensated by the delicious moderately priced sea food in Male' city.Returned back to the hotel and relaxed in my room where the A/C was in good working condition unlike the hotel internet.

View of Male' "Fishing Wharf" situated next to "Male' Fish Market" and the Port Harbour with container ship "Nordmed" distinctly visible in the distance. 


Thursday(14/3/2019) Male' City :-  Woke up at 0300 hrs and on switching onn the laptop was surprised to find the WiFi Internet in perfect working condition.Updated my travelogue and later at daybreak ventured out of the hotel onto the main sea-facing road  towards Artificial beach. Local children and women were swimming in the sea pool while Sunrise was a beautiful sight from the beach front.

SUNRISE over Male' City as observed from "ARTIFICIAL BEACH"  situated on the east coast of the Island. Locals bathing and swimming in this shallow piece of protected sea beach akin to a fresh water swimming pool. The newly commissioned "SINAMALE'( China- Maldives Friendship)Bridge" is in the distance .

                                                                                                                                       After observing Sunrise walked along the waterfront road and spotted my first and only cyclist on a professional racer bike in complete cycling head riding past me on the empty early morning road.Had i seen one of Maldives top cyclists in practice

A sight I last remember seeing on the streets of Istanbul in Turkey.Stray cat's being fed "Cat Food" by N.G.O social worker Mrs Sri , a expatriate teacher from Sri Lanka.I was surprized on seeing these many cat's converge at one locale for their early morning breakfast. Even in Istanbul ,a city famous for the care and pampering of stray cat's I didn't see such a large congregation of cat's at one particular spot in the city.Mrs Sri feeds stray cat's across 4 different localities in Male' City with this locale being one of the daily  feeding points .Spotted a few of the "Long Hair Persian" mix-breed cat's but synonymous by its absence was the black cat "Mr Crooked Tail".

                                                                                                 Further walking down the road past a few early morning joggers suddenly spotted a group of cats eating cat pellet food from newspaper's laid down on a foot path. A Expatriate Sri Lankan Teacher Mrs Sri who belonged to a local N.G.O was feeding these stray  cat's and she told me that she fed other cat's at other locations in the city. There were numerous stray cat's gathered around her eating their breakfast which brought back memories of Istanbul where stray cat's are pampered by the locals. She told me that there was a shortage of Veterinarian doctor's in the city which could be good business.

"Vegetable & Fruit " Cargo discharged  to market.

                                     After making a short video on these pampered stray cat's made my way towards downtown Male' city .While walking suddenly heard a familiar motorcycle thumping roar and to my surprise spotted a "Royal Enfield 350 Classic " roaring past me , the first such bike i spotted among the numerous motorcycles in Male'.Honda and Yamaha were the most popular brands of motorcycles  in Male' City.Headed towards the wholesale vegetable market where fresh fruit and vegetable products were being loaded from boats onto the wharf.Next visited the wholesale "Dry Fish Market" where Tuna fish  was the main product on sale.One of the retailer's was from Tamil Nadu while another was a local who had spent a few years employed in Mumbai.

A  early morning view of the "VEGETABLE/ FRUIT  MARKET BOAT WHARF" situated on the South East of Male' City . In other normal land locked city's it would be motorized trucks or vehicles discharging their cargo into the markets while all over the Maldive islands including Male' City it is motorized boats or sail Dhoni's.The wholesale vegetable and fruits market is just next to the cargo boat berthed alongside the wharf discharging cargo. The plush city  buildings are just across the boat jetty. One of the most densely populated city's in the World.

As usual conversed with them and later walked across to the "Fish Jetty" where the fishing trawlers were parked in a cramped condition , boat to boat and it amazed me as to how they maneuvered themselves to and from from the small enclosed  Fishing harbour into the sea. Entered a fishing boat and observed the discharge of "Tuna Fish" cargo onto the wharf and directly into the wholesale fish market.

"TUNA DRY FISH" wholesale market.

      Entered the Wholesale fish market and what impressed me most was the cleanliness of this market .

At one corner freshly purchased "Tuna Fish" was being dissected for the customers  while the almost entire market had Tuna fish in various sizes on display for customers. Inquired the price of Tuna for the day which was 25 Rupiah/Kg while a large Tuna sold for 700 Rupiah. Besides dealing in Investments my next alternative for a profession could be a wholesale fish trader as somehow fishing and the fish markets across the Globe fascinated me .From the fish market walked back to the hotel and at 0745 hrs had the free  breakfast at "Cafe Bubble Tea " the restaurant next to "Off Day Inn Hotel " and a subsidiary of this hotel .After breakfast got dressed and along with my snorkeling equipment walked the short distance to the main ferry terminal.

If visiting the Maldives and Male' City then  your tour is incomplete without a visit to the Wholesale fish market. Notice the cleanliness of this common fish market where "TUNA FISH" is the prime commodity on sale. A section of the fish market is designated for the "Tuna Fish Surgeons" whose job is to dissect the tuna fish and cut it into edible pieces for the customers.I was amazed at the skill in which these fish butchers skin and dissect a Tuna akin to a skilled surgeon .Only men are employed in the entire fishing business in the Maldives unlike my native India where it is normally women fisher folk who sell and dissect fish in the markets.

                                                                             Purchased a 10 Rupiah ferry ticket to Hulhumale' Island and it was a comfortable 20 minutes journey in air-conditioned comfort on the public launch.

Offloading "TUNA" from the fishing  trawlers cargo hold

On arriving at Hulhumale' island disembarked from the launch and was immediately surprised by the spaciousness and broad roads of this island city. Hulhumale' artificial Island was reclaimed for usage in housing, Industrial and commercial development of Male' City and now linked to Male' by the Sinamale' bridge. This official settlement on this artificial Island city was  inaugurated by Prime Minister Maumoon.Abdul.Gayoom  on 12 May 2004.  A local gave me directions to the beach front which was a straight walk from the boat pier through broad streets , plush buildings and a large garden.Felt i was walking down the roads and palatial gardens of a different country as such was the stark difference between crowded, congested Male' City and the artificial island of  Hulhumale'.

Excellent A/C Ferry to Hulhumale'

                                                                             On arriving at the beach saw a few locals bathing in the sea while the sheltered beach area was almost deserted. Donned my Snorkeling gear and waded into the shallow water immediately realizing that i wouldn't be able to walk into deeper waters  as the beach had sharp coral fragments and rocks but  not sand as on normal beaches. Swam or crawled from the shallows further into the sea realizing that this beach had no depth but numerous coral's on its floor bed which attracted small fish species. I was the only snorkeler  and akin to the "Whale Submarine " just lay submerged above the shallow sea bed with my  face down in the water watching the life below the sea. It was amazing watching the small fish dart into coral spaces on the beach sea bed  on seeing my approach while a few just  ignored my presence and swam within hand touching distance from me.

Snorkel safari in the shallow coral waters of  Hulhumale' beach resort  .The beach has glistening white sand but once you enter the waters it is sharp rock and coral stones. This is a sheltered protected beach and the circular breakwaters can be seen in the distance. Got to view small and medium size fish species in the shallow waters akin to being in a small aquarium with a hilarious unforgettable encounter with a tiny beautiful "Clown Fish" .This "Clown Fish"  thought it was a "Great White" and tried to devour me by nipping on my arm and frequently attacking me as I swam among the fish. This was the only fish that was aggressive towards me during all my "SNORKEL SAFARI" swims beginning in Omadhoo and  the depths of the Indian Ocean in search of turtles and sharks. The larger fish species were never ever aggressive towards me including the giant sting ray in Omadhoo which in fact panicked and fled on my approach. This tiny "CLOWN FISH " proved the fact that size is just a mental block and nothing to be afraid about. NOTE :- Hulhumale' beach is excellent for children and adult non-swimmers as it is shallow with a variety of fish species visible swimming among the corals in the shallow water. Various water sports are also organized by the various beach side cafe's. If on a low frugal travel  budget then Hulhumale' could serve the purpose of a "Snorkel Safari". 

A small "Clown Fish" was attracted towards me and kept darting at me while i moved in the water.Thank's to the "Whale Submarine" dive yesterday that i could now identify a few fish species and one of them was this beautiful technicolor small "Clown Fish".

View of residential buildings on Hulhumale island.

                                              Unlike  the giant Stingray which fled on seeing me  at Omadhoo this tiny "Clown Fish" just darted at me and once even nipped me on my hand and thankfully the bite was akin to a pin prick .Hulhumale' beach is excellent for beginners in the art of  snorkeling as it has no depth and is a protected beach with breakwater boulders partially  erected around the circumference of the  beach thus reducing the force of the sea waves akin to artificial beach in Male' city..In some locales the water was just knee deep where i had to crawl and  at its maximum the depth was only waist deep. Had to use utmost skill in maneuvering myself  through the corals without my long fins touching the bottom.

 

Youth City Hulhumale'.A planned  island city..

As a Scuba diver or Snorkeler the basic and most important rule is never ever to damage the fragile Corals with your fins or hands.Although shallow this small protected coral beach had excellent fish shoals and it was akin to viewing a aquarium although i was the largest fish in this sea aquarium. From Hulhumale' beach walked back towards  the boat jetty entering a plush mall and the local vegetable market to get a pulse of the local standard of living.In comparison to India the food products in the Maldives is definitely expensive and was impressed at the cleanliness of the public vegetable market.Finally reached the Ferry terminus and was lucky to board a ferry immediately  and within 20 minutes of a comfortable air-conditioned boat ride  be  back at Male' City Terminal.

The Green window building on the left of this photo is Medhuziyaaraiy , the tomb of Al -Hafiz Abdul Yoosuf Al-Barbari of Morocco who converted Maldives into Islam in 1153 A.D. Just next to the Medhuziyaaraiy is the Muliaage  with a grand gate and tiled roof  which is the official residence of the President of Male' .Both these historic buildings are opposite the historic "Friday Mosque".

                                       Walked to my hotel and after a hot water  bathe got dressed into formal clothing and headed back to downtown Male'.Visited the "Friday Mosque" and although the small city of Male' has many mosques it is the "Friday Mosque" built in 1658 from wet coral boulders as are a few other mosques in Maldives that is the most revered as also the oldest mosque in Maldives.

FRIDAY MOSQUE(1658) :- Made from Coral Stone into which intricate designs and the Quranic script have been chiselled. Tourists are allowed to visit the interior of the mosque outside of normal prayer times. 

 

Friday Mosque Minaret

This Mosque was added in the UNESCO  World Heritage Culture list in 2008 as a unique example of sea culture architecture.Removed my shoes and entered the Mosque as visitor tourists are allowed entry into the mosque. Visited the graveyard inside the Mosque Complex which had carved coral tombstones that distinguished males, females , Sultan's and their families.Women's tombstones had rounded tops and  men's had pointed tops while inscriptions for royalty was in gilt.Adjoining the Mosque complex within the graveyard is the large blue and white minaret built in 1675  from coral stones and braced with metal strips that resembles a wedding cake while its base resembles a ship's funnel. Just across the road opposite the "Friday Mosque" is the Medhuziyaaraiy which is the tomb of Al -Hafiz Abdul Yoosuf Al-Barbari of Morocco who converted Maldives into Islam in 1153 A.D.Just next to the Medhuziyaaraiy is the Muliaage  which is the official residence of the President of Male' .Famous guests who have stayed at the Muliaage include Queen Elizabeth-11 and Prime Minister Rajiv.Gandhi of India.Entry into the Medhuziyaaraiy as well as the Muliaage was closed to the public .

National Museum of Maldives :- A 20 th  century rifle belonging to "GM Abdul Hamid Didi", the Maldives ambassador to Sri Lanka.In the background .As a "Marine Engineer" I was amazed to note that this tiny generator in the background of the photo was the first "ELECTRIC GENERATOR" to supply electricity to Male' City on 24 December 1949.This Generator was used to provide electricity to  the Nadheethamaddhun building in Male'.

                                                                                                                                               From the Mosque visited the "National Library" which is a Government funded organization with  entry being  free. This library had a excellent collection of books in the  English language as well as Dhivehi which is the national language of the Maldives.

AHOY ! Mango season in the Maldives ? I first mistook these mangoes to be the famous "Alphonso Mangoes(Happus)" of India . A Footpath "Mango Bazaar" near Male' North harbour.The Equator crosses Maldives between the atolls of Ghaafu Dhaalu and Gnaviyani which are collectively called Huvadhoo. April and October is Mango season in the Maldives and these mangoes come mostly from the Huvadhoo region as also from the Fuvahmulllah region which lies on the other side of the Equator.Normally mangoes are imported from India and Sri Lanka. Most Maldive islands are too small or too overcrowded as is Male' city and hence impractical for commercial farming and horticulture.Beside's on many islands the salt mist in the atmosphere  is not conducive for horticulture.These mangoes are grown in the private gardens  on these islands as are a few other fruits like bananas and guava's. India and Sri Lanka are the prime food suppliers to the Maldives.Notice the traffic on the narrow main road opposite this footpath market.These mangoes were selling at a rate of Rupiah 100 / Vata(Approx dozen).

                                                                                There were a few desktop's with Internet connection for the library readers. Reminded me of the Asiatic, American and British library of Mumbai.A section of this library was donated by the Chinese Government.From the library my next visit was to the "National Museum of Maldives " which had a entrance fee of 100 Rupiah for foreigners and only 20 Rupiah for local Maldivians.

Road traffic in prime Downtown Male' City.

A excellent museum that housed a collection of Maldivian history dating from Pre-Islamic era to the present day..In the Natural history section saw the  skeleton head of a Sperm  whale and a complete well preserved skeleton of a rare whale species. A section of the museum was dedicated to the Maldivian Police force.From the museum just strolled around aimlessly window shopping and was surprised at the cost of  scuba diving and snorkeling  equipment which was very expensive. Suddenly the clouds got dark and it started drizzling and in the month of  March experienced mild rainfall in Male' city. Walked further down the end of the Male' North harbour reaching the West coast of the tiny island .Walking along the West Coast  in the mild drizzle  discovered a plush open sea artificial  beach named "Rasfannu" akin to "Artificial Beach" on the east side of the coast near my hotel.

RASFANNU ARTIFICIAL BEACH" :- The plushest beach resort in Male' city with the large "Pavilion" building housing International Franchisee Shops and eateries akin to a large mall. The tallest building in Maldives , the Dharumavantha hospital towers in the background. The beach area is enclosed by small tetrapods that act as breakwaters against large waves with a small gap to allow ingress of natural seawater  and hence is akin to a swimming pool.

National Library of Maldives.

"Rasfannu artificial beach" was definitely much better and larger than the original and  also having a large pavilion building that housed International Franchisee brands including plush fast food restaurants  akin to a fancy mall.A few locals were swimming in the shallow water of this plush artificial resort .Lack of space has been the reason for the creation of free "Artificial beaches" in Male' city instead of public closed swimming pools.My plan was to walk towards the tallest building in the Maldive's and Male' city which was the  newly built 25 storey's  Dharumavantha  hospital and the same proved to be a tireless walk.This building is a prominent landmark while approaching Male' city by sea although the complete island city space is filled with buildings, with the Maldives being the 11th most  densely populated country in the World.

Dharumavantha hospital .Tallest building.

                                                                    First came across "Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital" situated adjacent   to  Dharumavantha hospital which was still in the final phase of completion and expected to open to  the public in April 2019. . Entered the State owned "Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital" which is a multi-specialty hospital and was a gift from the Government of India dedicated to Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Akin to all hospitals this hospital was  crowded with local Maldivians and was  a clean, large and plush hospital akin to some of the large prominent  private funded  hospitals in Mumbai. The name "Indira Gandhi Memorial  Hospital" was just mentioned in initials "I.G.M.H" outside the main hospital entrance and among Indian politicians besides Mahatma.Gandhi ,the "Nehru-Gandhi " name is prominent in a few Asian Country's in the form of roads or as in this case a hospital being named after them. Most Maldivians visit India for "Medical Treatment " and the addition of  the Dharumavantha  hospital hopes to reduce the outflow of Maldivian patients to Foreign Country's for medical treatment.From Indira Gandhi hospital it was a very long walk back to my hotel.Dinner was excellent "Chicken Curry/Chappati's" at my usual haunt and later just relaxed in "Room N0 423" getting ready for the journey back home to Mumbai. Tourists visiting Male' City for a day's stop-over to the other Maldivian  island's or for boarding the flight back to their Country should note that all Museums are closed on Friday's besides other local public holiday's. Important landmarks and museums in Male' city can be seen within a day.

A

Luxurious flight back home to Mumbai on "Indigo Flight 6E 1784" as the plane was not full to capacity as can be seen in this photo.

Friday(15/3/2019) Departure Male' and arrival in Mumbai :- 

Goodbye Maldives, "Off Day Inn Hotel" and the Picasso.

                                                  Didn't sleep the entire morning and finally at 0330 hrs made my way towards the "Ferry Boat Terminal" which was a short walking distance from the hotel."Off Day Inn Hotel" was situated in a excellent location in Male' city in close proximity to main downtown Male' as well as  the Ferry boat terminal and hence in great demand with tourists wanting a short stay in the city before flying out of the Country.Most tourists to Maldives are the  "Ultra wealthy ", "Honeymoon Couples"  or "Junket tour party's" who directly fly or travel by speedboat  to the various  distant Maldivian  ultra-luxury resorts scattered in the Indian Ocean on arrival at Velana International airport .A bizarre fact is that the internal island flight tickets  from Velana Airport to some of the distant ultra luxury private resort islands could be as costly as your main air ticket ! Hence do your island and hotel stay research of the Maldives properly before thinking of "Honeymooning" or just Island hopping on a "Scuba dive /Snorkel "Safari.

"Mr Crooked Tail" :- The freak among numerous stray's.

 I was one of the few rare "Solo Backpacker" tourists traveling on my own . In the 1980's Maldives was one of the 20 poorest country's in the World while in 2019 it's a "Middle Income Country"  with its currency the Maldivian Rupiah having  5 times the value of the Indian rupee.Almost all the consumer items of the Maldives are imported from India or Sri Lanka and hence cost of living in Mumbai is cheaper than the Maldives except housing.Tourism Industry has transformed the Maldives by leaps and bounds.On the way to the terminal came across the same handsomely ugly Black tom cat with the crooked tail that i had seen yesterday  prowling along the desolate footpath akin to a panther.With great difficulty took two photographs of the cat and proceeded towards the Ferry terminal.Black cat  Ahoy!

Seafarer's are a superstitious lot as even in 21st century shipping the weather still play's a major role in the efficient voyage of any ship . As a former "Shippie(Sailor)" was never ever interested in the  superstitious beliefs  in the "GOOD" and "BAD" luck associated with "Black Cat's" during the day's of Pirates when shipping was totally dependent on weather and sea current factors.

Adieu to the beautiful narrow cobbled roads of Male'

                              If a "Black Cat" walked into a ship and then later out of the ship then this ship was doomed to sink in its next voyage. This "Mr Ugly /Handsome Crooked Tail Black Cat" was walking away from me  which according to "Pirate Folk  Lore" meant "Good Luck".One thing  certain about this particular ugly or handsome "Black Cat"depending on the eye of the beholder  was the fact that akin to the Frank.Sinatra song "My Way" it was living  it's own way around Male' City, the Alpha male among the stray cat's of the vicinity. "Mr Crooked Tail" is a  cat i will never forget in my lifetime .Purchased a 20 Rupiah ticket and at 0400 hrs  boarded the ferry to Velana International Airport situated on Hulhule' Island.

A course on "Fishing Industry" in Male  ?

                        I was very early and spent the time seated  in  the open air  waiting lounge and later at approximately 0645 hrs entered the airport premises. Velana airport was small and well maintained on par with the best airports around the globe. Got my boarding pass and entered the International departure lounge with its normal duty free goods on sale.At 0735 hrs  boarded flight "6 E 1784" from "Gate No 3" and onto Seat N0 13F. The plane was partly full and the 3 seats next to me were vacant as also on the opposite aisle with a passenger seated at the extreme end .

Goodbye Male' City and the Maldives. A unforgettable " SNORKEL SAFARI" that almost gave me a degree on the "FISHING INDUSTRY"  and made me a  ICHTHYOLOGIST.

                                                        A comfortable voyage to Mumbai and at 1145 hrs while touching down at Mumbai noticed the "Slum dog millionaire" scenery of a hill-side of shanty slums which is confusing to first time travelers landing in the 12th wealthiest  city in the World.

Landing at Mumbai,city of extreme standards of living .

                      Bombay now Mumbai city never fails to amaze and welcome travelers into the city due to its extreme wealth disparity and confluence of a cosmopolitan culture of the sub-continent of India.On alighting from the plane it was a quick checkout through immigration and past the duty-free lounge purchasing a single  Rs 800 worth Cadbury chocolate, the biggest chocolate eaten in recent years. It was a curiosity and  formality purchase  since everything "FOREIGN" is available in Mumbai city as India has changed beyond belief since the 1990's  in terms of designer and luxury shopping akin to Maldive's transformation from one of the World's poorest Country's to a per-capita income that is higher than India.Besides i have now converted myself to a near teetotaller  akin to my Rock & Roll hero Keith.Richards of the "Rolling Stones" and hence no additions to my booze stock. "Have seen that, done that and drunk that and now still learning that ! Ahoy" ?  First boarded a bus heading in the wrong direction to my residence and next a auto-rickshaw and last of all a taxi to reach my residence at Old Prabhadevi road.

Note :- If visiting India then visit the Lakshadweep Archipalego  that is similar to Maldives for water sports activities and beaches .Read my travelogue on a visit to Minicoy,Agatti and Kalpeni Islands of the Lakshadweep Archipelago by the Cruise/Passenger ship " M.V.Kavaratti " :- https://cruiselakshadweep.blogspot.com/