Looking for the sharks of the Maldives
Written by: Shark Savers
July 1, 2008
“Look over there, just to the right of that little island, between the two white foaming reef crests. That is Hanifaru, where more than 15 whale sharks and uncounted Mantas were feeding last year.”
I looked out into the sun to identify the place Karen pointed out to me. We were in the middle of the Indian Ocean in the Republic of the Maldives, on a rustic boat called a Dhoni. The sea was quite rough, but nothing that a Dhoni couldn’t handle. They are the main form of transportation in the this small country comprised of 1190 tiny corral islands clustered in atolls and peppered over the equator just south east of Sri Lanka.
I was in the Maldives this past May on a working vacation to check out the health of the local shark population. Over ten years ago, I came often to the Maldives and found it was practically impossible to go in the water without seeing many white tips or the more graceful and dominant grey reef sharks. Now, ten years later, I came with my Shark Savers’ hat on to see what has changed and also to talk to people about the sharks’ situation wherever possible.
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