Snorkeling with Nurse Sharks in Maldives
The waters of Maldives have always caught the eye of everyone that’s looking for a decent vacation destination. Divers, snorkelers, even people who don’t really fancy taking a dip in these sapphire blue waters haven’t the heart to deny its beauty, which isn’t only skin deep. Dive in and open your eyes to be bombarded with an array of colours near the reef, with the multiple shapes and sizes of coral and fish mesmerising the sea lover within seconds.
One of the types of fish people come to see in Maldives are sharks. Specifically, nurse sharks. They can be found in multiple areas and are a sight to behold in their natural habitat. Let’s dive right in (pun intended) and see what nurse sharks are like, where and when they can be found and what other people’s experiences were!
Overview of Nurse Sharks in Maldives
Nurse sharks are known to roam close to the seabed, feeding on squid, fish and shrimp, while occasionally eating coral and shellfish. Their strong jaws allow them to crush these armoured creatures with thousands of serrated teeth.
They can grow to great lengths, well up to 14 feet with their tail fins taking up a fourth of their bodies, sporting a grey-brown complexion. Weighing in at 200 to 330 pounds, nurse sharks may look foreboding but they are in fact quite shy and wary of human beings, only showing defensive aggression if they are tampered with. If treated with respect and having a decent amount of distance when swimming, nurse sharks can be pretty calm and will just swim along with you by their side.
These creatures call warm and shallow waters their home, making Maldives a prime location for them.
Snorkeling with Nurse Sharks in the Maldives
When snorkeling in Maldives (or anywhere for that matter if you’re on holiday) it’s essential for you to take on the services of a dive / snorkeling instructor to ensure safety within the waters, even if you’re experienced. After a detailed briefing, you’ll set out to the water and begin your journey.
It’s important to note that nurse sharks tend to leave their homes to hunt at night time so most likely, you’ll be heading on the trip while the sun is up, ensuring visibility in the ocean.
Nurse sharks can both be seen with others of their kind, dozens in fact (sometimes up to 40 at a time!) or all alone. In both these situations it’s important that you exercise caution and observe from a few feet away rather than getting up close and personal.
You’ll be taken to nearby reefs via boat and once you’re there, the adventure begins. A kaleidoscope of colours sits before you as the reef shows you its colourful beauty and fauna diversity. Their denizens (multiple fish species call corals their home) go about their day as you observe. As mentioned earlier, nurse sharks reside on and close to the sea bed so you’ll likely be taken to shallow waters along the reef.
You are allowed to take pictures with cameras provided by the dive centre and it is important to note that you shouldn’t use a flash when taking pictures, as this would scare any fish and cause them to panic. With that in mind, take in this underwater world with all the beauty it has to offer and create everlasting memories you get to take home with you.
The Where, the When
Nurse sharks can be spotted year round in Maldives and across various locations but to ensure you get the best experience, it’s best you book your holiday for the dry season in Maldives, which runs from January to March. Mid-May to November is the rainy season and while it’s known that it doesn’t really rain that often even during the rainy season, some people might prefer to go during the dry season for visibility under the ocean and safety as if it does rain (and sometimes when it gets really windy) the sea can get quite rough, even underwater close to the island.
Here are some of the fine places you can go snorkeling with nurse sharks.
- Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort
- Naladhu Private Island Maldives
- Reethi Beach Resort Maldives
- Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa (with Extreme Maldives)
- Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa
- Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives
Reviews from Previous Nurse Shark Snorkeling Experiences
If you feel like you need something a little extra to start booking your nurse shark holiday, here are some of the reviews of people who’ve been snorkeling in search of nurse sharks in Maldives.
‘Amazing experience to swim with sharks, sting rays and many other traps of fish! Matt and the crew are great and make the trip even more fun. The swim is very easy and they provide all the gear you need. Nothing to worry about and insanely warm water! 10/10 would recommend! Thank you guys!’
– via Tripadvisor from a Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives guest.
‘It was without a doubt the best value for money of my entire trip to Maldives. Attentive and dedicated staff doing a careful job of photographing each client separately with the impressive nurse sharks. The tour would be worth it just for the encounter with the sharks, but you still get a visit to the beautiful island of Fulidhoo, possible snorkeling with manta rays and dolphins, and lunch on a paradisiacal sand bank as extras.’
– via Viator from a Shadowpalm Tours guest.
For some people, swimming with sharks sounds like something out of a horror movie but for others, it is the experience of a lifetime. We hope this article has given the shark lover enough insights to book their dream holiday and we hope the more sceptical of you thinks about taking a dip with these gentle creatures (speaking strictly about nurse sharks of course). To ensure a fast, easy and fruitful booking process, head on over to MadlyMaldives for the best vacation deals!
