17th March 2023

Maldives is a tiny country, smallest by land area in Asia, marine paradise with a precarious future.

20 atolls; 1192 Islands, 187 inhabited with just over half a million people. One of the world’s most geographically dispersed nations. Its survival threatened. Predicted that most of Maldives will be under water and uninhabitable within three decades unless some success on stemming climate change and other human interventions. 80% of land is just one metre above sea level!

The government of Maldives previously held a meeting under the ocean, all Ministers wearing diving equipment, to bring world attention to the problem of global warming!

Fun equator crossing party on pool deck of ship – a number of them as we criss-cross the equator on this cruise.

Anchoring at Addu Atoll just south of the equator on a Friday, we tendered ashore and alighted our snorkelling boat. Very warm water, 28 to 30 degrees centigrade. The coral not (yet!) bleached and fish, including majestic turtle, beautiful! But overcast weather dulled the effect. Friends who went scuba diving spoke of how abundant and spectacular the sea life is.

Maldives is a Sunni Muslim country. No other religion permitted, and only Muslim people allowed citizenship. Weekend is Friday and Saturday. We walked around the tiny town after our snorkelling experience, but prayer time and no shops or restaurants open until 2pm, so we missed tasting the local food and experiencing the reputedly warm hospitality of the Maldives people. Interacting with some folk – they spoke about their lives, not concerned about Maldives future!

Multiple reflections: More time needed in each place. Still, nothing surpasses the physical experience! Global warming is real. Simplicity of small-town life. Boiling the frog slowly dulls its senses to impending catastrophe…. as we headed for the next tropical “paradise” on our cruise.

Men (all men) walking after Prayers in the quiet streets of an Addu village