Maldives
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Maldives |
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Last updated on: 10/01/2004 |
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| Dates of trips: from February 5, 2003 to February 13, 2003 and from December 29, 2003 to January 4, 2004 | |
| Island of stay: Embudu Village | Our opinion about Embudu |
| Travel agency: Nouvelles Frontières | |
| Maldives map |
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Other interesting websites about Maldives: |
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A few pictures of the island
On the first picture, you can see the five ways across the reef: two on each side of the island, and the last at its end. We took this picture by chance from the plane heading for the Maldives. It was only during the return trip that we realized that it was actually Embudu on the picture.
As you will see, Embudu is perfect for snorkelling, because you can easily swim to the reef. Once you have reached the outer side of the reef, the only thing you have to do is to swim along it and admire the underwater scenic route. You don't actually swim because most of the time you don't need to make any effort since you are just gently carried away by the current. One side of the island (the side that appears at the front of the first picture) is rather windy and the current is quite strong, but that's where you will find the greatest quantity of fish. It's also on this side that the water bungalows have been built, which unfortunately makes them very noisy! Some of our friends had to order earplugs from Male (the capital) in order to be able to sleep!
On the other side of the island, there's neither wind nor current, there is still lots of fish and turtles, and the sun is scorching hot! It is the perfect environment to start snorkelling on the first day.
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Snorkeling pictures
We took those pictures with two different cameras, in the lagoon, and also behind the reef, but all of them near the island! We used the Minolta Vectis Weathermatic camera, and the Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom digital camera associated with a waterproof box.
Parrot Fish
(Scaridae family)
 Perroquet à barre verte |
 Perroquet bicolore |
 Perroquet à barre verte |
Perroquet grand bleu (jeune) |
 Perroquet bossu de la Mer Rouge |
 Perroquet brun |
Perroquet prairie ou lie de vin |
 Perroquet prairie ou lie de vin |
 Perroquet grenat ou brûlé |
 Perroquet rouille |
 Perroquet grenat |
 Bébé perroquet |
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Oriental sweetlips
(Haemulidae family)
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Oriental sweetlips |
 Oriental sweetlips |
 young oriental sweetlips |
 Harlequin sweetlips |
 Harlequin sweetlips |
Groupers (Serranidae family) and wrasses (Labridae family)
 Yellow-edged lyretail |
 Humphead wrasse and Bluefin trevally |
 Humphead wrasse |
 Peacock hind |
 Peacock hind |
 Peacock hind |
 Peacock hind |
 Peacock hind |
 Peacock hind |
 Checkerboard wrasse |
 Checkerboard wrasse |
Angelfish
 Emperor angelfish |
 Emperor angelfish |
 Emperor angelfish |
 Royal angelfish and Moorish idol |
 Yellowface angelfish |
 Royal angelfish |
 Royal angelfish |
 Royal angelfish |
 Royal angelfish |
 Royal angelfish |
 Emperor angelfish |
Butterflyfish
(Chaetodontidae family)
 Diagonal butterflyfish |
 Scrawled butterflyfish |
 Longnose butterflyfish |
 Melon butterflyfish |
 Melon butterflyfish |
 Melon butterflyfish |
 Diagonal butterflyfish |
 Blackwedged butterflyfish |
 Redtail butterflyfish |
 Redtail butterflyfish |
 Redtail butterflyfish |
 Threadfin butterflyfish |
 Masked bannerfish |
 Yellowhead butterflyfish |
 Yellowhead butterflyfish |
 Blackwedged butterflyfish |
 Brown-and-white butterflyfish |
 Brown-and-white butterflyfish |
Surgeon fish
(Acanthuridae family)
 Powderblue surgeonfish |
 Powderblue surgeonfish |
 Powderblue surgeonfish |
 Lined surgeonfish |
 Lined surgeonfish |
 Lined surgeonfish |
 Lined surgeonfish |
 Lined surgeonfish |
 Lined surgeonfish |
 Sailfing tang |
Sailfing tang |
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 Epaulette surgeonfish |
Trigger fish (balistidae family)
Titan triggerfish are quite impressive due to their big white blood-shot eyes, and still more when you know that while they are mating, they can be aggressive and can attack divers that have been too curious, especially if they're swimming above the nest that they protect tooth and nail!
 Titan triggerfish (up to 75 cm) |
 Titan triggerfish |
 Titan triggerfish |
 Titan triggerfish |
 Titan triggerfish |
 Blackbar triggerfish (~30cm) |
 Blackbar triggerfish |
 Orange-lined triggerfish (~30cm) |
 Orange-lined triggerfish |
 Orange-lined triggerfish |
 Orange-lined triggerfish |
 Orange-lined triggerfish |
 Redtoothed triggerfish |
 Boomerang triggerfish |
 Boomerang triggerfish |
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 Picasso triggerfish |
 Baliste à nageoires noires |
Puffers (Tetradontidae family) / Porcupinefish (Diodontidae family)
 Black-blotched porcupinefish |
 Black-blotched porcupinefish |
 Black-blotched porcupinefish |
 Black-blotched porcupinefish |
 Black-blotched porcupinefish |
 Black-blotched porcupinefish |
 Blackspotted puffer |
Clownfish
 Maldive anemonefish |
 Maldive anemonefish |
 Maldive anemonefish |
 Maldive anemonefish |
 Maldive anemonefish |
 Maldive anemonefish |
 Maldive anemonefish |
 Yellowtail clownfish |
 Yellowtail clownfish |
 Yellowtail clownfish |
 Yellowtail clownfish |
Morrays
 Giant moray |
 Giant moray |
 Giant moray |
 Giant moray |
 Giant moray |
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Sharks
You can find sharks both in the lagoon (mainly baby ones) and behind the reef, and especially throughout the coral reef (even when the water is only one or two feet deep). But they are harmless, and most of the time, you can only see their backs while they are fleeing, because they are scared of divers. But the first time you see one, it's still very impressive!
 Silvertip shark |
 Blacktip reef shark |
 Blacktip reef shark |
 Blacktip reef shark |
 Blacktip reef shark |
Rays
One of the best shows on Embudu is the manta rays that swim near the island nearly every day (anyway, they were there during our two trips). You just need to use the diving centre boat or the catamaran of the island to sail to the place where they come in the late afternoon (about 200m off the island); then you can swim with them dancing around you in a magnificent ballet. The mantas can be up to 6m wide. Those gorgeous and very peaceful animals are very rare, and so Embudu is a privileged spot to meet them!
 Giant manta |
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 Spotted eagle ray |
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