Rekreační potápění v Egyptě - Pavlína Katzová

Maledivy

It is time to visit Maldives again. This year I went together with another group of divers than last year. It is true, that last year we were there one month later but I think that to go there in the begining of the year is also good. Maldives are amazing so I went this year already second time there and it was again amazing!

We are leaving Prague 4th of January and going to Munich. We booked flight from Munich to Male via Dubai. The way from Prague was small adventure - in the middle of the winter there is snow and as usualy our team for road cleaning is still sleeping. But Pavel is very good driver, we picked up Helena and Pavla and going ahead to Beroun for Petr. Oups we missed exit to Beroun and we have highway competition where Petr will catch us. Super he caught us and when we are all together and finaly going to Munich. We arrived to the airport, taking our baggages and leaving our car in the parking. After check in to our flight we are walking in the hall and during the wating for boarding we began to speak to czech crew members, they work for Emirates.

After 10 hours via Dubai we finaly arrived to Male International Airport. We picked up our baggages and leaving the arrival hall, outside is waiting young man from our boat Nautilus One. Later on we find out that it is our divemaster Abu. He was under water realy perfect at the airport he was little bit lost. The weather is changed - Europe under snow cover, Maldives full of sun. We need to change our clothes and searching water. After while all of us leaving by dhoni Araakuri the airport island to our boat Nautilus One. And who was this year on board? Last year we were 9 czech divers and 2 from Switzerland, Austria and Holland. This year it was 5 Czech and 2 buddy teams - one from Australia and one from Austria. All together we were 9 divers and the Nautilus One crew.

We arrived in the early morning, we got our cabines and after midday we had very tasty lunch. I don´t know how it is possible but in the kitchen meter by two was a magician, all what he prepared was realy so so tasty. In the afternoon we made check dive on dive site Vassaru House Reef, we saw there eagle ray and feathertale stingray. All the other dives we made, we made together with sharks, turtles, murays and stingrays. Of course we saw other animals under water and we made many drift dives in strong maledivian currents. In strong current we had chance to meet on dive site Dhonkalo Manta Point manta rays. This dive was realy amaizing.

Accualy it should be first morning dive but Abu checked this dive site and decided to come back later because manta rays were not there in that time. We changed our plans and we came back later. It was realy good idea. Our dive there we enjoyed so much. We jump in the water, descend to 18m, we tried in strong current find good position on the reef and we used there reef hook to be ready for doing pictures and movies of manta rays which we realy made. Manta rays are animals which you can see many times and always will be amazing how they dance.

We also had a break on Guraidhoo Island to see how aborigines live and to do shopping there. There are living fishermen and their families. Inhabitants built nice mosque, kids garden and school for their children. For living there men are leaving early morning for fishing, women going to hotel resort and some of the people sell souvenirs for tourists from safari boats. To make good business there you must bargain for a price and it is not so easy. There are not many tourists and prices look to be high and sellers don´t like to bargain for a price. We succeed. Our group separeted from the beginning. I walked inside the island together with Pavel, he is very good in bargain a price. Before shopping on the main street we walked on nice sandy alleys and we found in one house children looking on a man works on his own dhoni from palm wood. It was realy nice work and all around we felt smell of palm wood. Son of the owner told us that one day he will work on the sea with their dhoni. After this nice experience we continue till the and from the beach to the main street full of souvenir shops. Perfect, I bought new sarongs with flower motives, for Roman shark jawbone and Pavel T-shirts. He managed also every where presents for us, both of us have from this visit shark tooth.

At this moment we passed many adventures but crew had for us next surprice. In the middle of our sailing we were in the area of South Ari they start to search for whale shark. Bingo, they found it! First jump into the water had luck only Pavel. Me and the rest of our group didn´t see him yet. We have another chance. Again captain Coco and his crew sail around Holiday Beyru and we have luck again. This time we used zodiac and move close to whale shark. Of course I didn´t forget my UW camera. It´s not a dive, we do snorkeling only. This meeting was short and fast but unforgettable.

Our PADI divemaster Abu take care about us well. He tried to manage nice dives, he was alone for the group of 9 divers and he done well all. He chose dive sites for all levels of divers, calm divesites without current and also with very strong current. The strongest one we caught on Guraidho corner, very nice dive together with sharks and in the end strong washing machine. Up and down, up and down. Current was so strong that we had to climb up on the surface on the coral reef. 5m to reach surface, what we have to do now? We just left the coral reef and current shoot us on the surface. We saw our dhoni little bit far from us but crew came for us. After this drift dive we relax and save the power for night dive.

I can´t forget also one very nice evening on unhabitant island where we decided to go already in the afternoon. We walked around, saw many small crabs and took nice pictures of sunrise. The crew in this time prepared for us barbeque. Instead of the table they made whale shark from the sand and a magician from the kitchen brought with our barman Rohib by zodiac diferent kind of meals and placed it on the sand buffet table. we tasted rice, pasta, fish, meat in hot sauce, potatoes, pineapple with chilli powder and tomatoes and papaya. We finished our barbecue night and after we moved back on Nautilus One. We didn´t enjoy only barbeque night but we joined also Maledivian evening on board. Of course it was not in the same day. For this evening our chief from the kitchen prepared maledivian speciaties like spice fish soup, tuna fish mixed with onion, coconut and chilli powder, chilli chicken or fish. All was very tasty.

And how to finish this nice trip full of diving, new experiences and memories? The best way is - just be happy and remember what passed and looking forward what new will come...