Diving Wonders Down Under

The most memorable part of my visit to Paradise Island was the diving. The first day we dove on a reef that was busy with fish and eels. We even saw a sleeping nurse shark under a ledge. Then came the best day of diving I have ever had: we cruised back to Male to dive on the Maldives Victory, a cargo ship that is submerged in about 95 feet of water.

The recent storms had moved the dive buoy and the the crew had a little trouble finding the gigantic wreck. There's plenty to see, including the cement bags and personal photo albums that were left in the hold. I swam inside the wheelhouse and found the toilet, intact.

The afternoon dive was one of the great underwater experiences: a cleaning station for manta rays. We floated above the reef in about 45 feet of water, while these giant creatures approached. We saw half a dozen of them, each about as big as a queensized bed. They performed a graceful underwater ballet as smaller fish "cleaned" them.

The divemasters from Delphis Diving made the whole experience even more enjoyable. Andrew and I struggled with the European diving gear, so different from what we have back in the US. But we had no worries with these professionals looking out for us. Diving here can be a bit tricky because of the strong currents. The steel tanks made it unnecessary to wear a weight belt, but had a tendency to flip me over on my back, so I used a lot of air trying to stay upright against the current. After the dive, it's all very organized with a freshwater tank for rinsing. Then your gear is stowed in a bag and ready for you the next day!