So I though I should explain a little bit
about the country were I am working...
For those of you who don’t know, the
Maldives lies in the Indian Ocean just South West of Sri Lanka and India. Spread over 90,000 square kilometers, and
stretching about 900km from North to South, the Maldives is actually a country
that is mostly made up of ocean, 99% ocean to be precise. So now you know why I
came here! A dream come true for a Marine Biologist. The remaining 1%
comprises 1192 coral islands which make up the 26 atolls of the Maldives.
So what is an atoll I
hear you all asking. The word atoll itself actually
originated from the Maldivian language known as Dhivehi. How atolls are formed
is very impressive and worth explaining so here goes, i will try and be brief! According to Charles Darwin, the Maldives is part of an
underwater mountain range that stretches 2000km. He hypothesized that shifting tectonic plates caused volcanic islands to erupt from the ocean floor. These resulting volcanoes became dormant
providing the perfect place for reef building corals to come and grow.
As the volcanoes began to submerge back into the ocean floor, the corals
continued to grow upwards towards the light. Eventually all you are left with
is an outer ring of coral reef enclosing a shallow lagoon. And that is what an
atoll is, fascinating stuff!!! I’m not quite finished though as there is a
slight ongoing debate about how the Maldivian atolls were formed. The other
theory is that layers of coral reef actually built up on top of the underwater mountains and gradually grew to the surface. As the sea level rose and fell due
to glacial melts the corals also grew up with the sea level rise and eroded
away when the sea level fell. The highest and hardest
corals on the outer edge remained forming rings while the weaker corals in the
centre broke down.
Within the atolls are strings of islands and sand banks which have been formed entirely from
broken corals which have been eroded over time. Each island has their own unique reef were you can find countless colourful fish and
vibrant corals. Every atoll also has
deep channels dividing the outer coral reef ring. These channels were created over
the years by tides and storms. Strong currents flow in and out of these
channels twice-daily bringing an influx of nutrients and oxygen rich waters which
keep the lagoon alive. Not to
mention all the marine animals; turtles and dolphins shelter in the lagoon
during the day while manta’s and sharks migrate in and out following the
currents and the flow of food. It’s an underwater haven, another world entirely!
So in a nutshell this entire country has been built up from coral reefs. It is the sixth largest reef system in the world containing 3% of the World’s total reefs!!! Ok enough with the scientific explanations. How can I best explain… the Maldives is simply tropical paradise, if you’re a diver then it’s a place not to be missed. Even if you don’t dive, it’s a place not to be missed! As well as the sheer beauty of the place, it’s a geographical marvel. Out of the 1192 islands only 200 are local islands and 130 are resort islands. That leaves about 850 uninhabited islands surrounded by 99% water!!! For me it’s like being on a permenent postcard…. That’s what I first thought when I stepped onto one of these small islands were the sand was so white and so fine. I was surrounded by clear turquoise waters and beautiful reefs, and all I could see for miles were other small islands dotted in the distance. It was breathtaking. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing or were I was. Unfortunately now after being here for nearly 3 years I am getting quite accustomed to these beautiful views, I almost take it for granted. I have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be here! However, beauty may come with a price.... The Maldives is actually the lowest country in the world. The islands lie on average only about 1.5m above sea level with the highest point being only 2.4m!! So the question everyone is asking is will the Maldives still be here in say the next 100 years or will the islands disappear beneath the waves? Will global warming and sea level rise take its toll?? Well that’s a whole other story which I will blog about some other time…….. For now enjoy some of my favourite photos which will hopefully convey the beauty of the Maldives as I see it :)
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