Just follow the reef

Sharks, manta rays, warm water and finding Nemos in the Maldives – Simon Griffiths joins SwimQuest for an unforgettable swimming holiday

My response to my first shark sighting surprised me. It was lunchtime. We’d had a lovely swim along a reef earlier that morning. My friend Liz was relaxing at the back of our boat, floating in a rubber ring. I was on deck, leaning over the railings, trying to catch a breeze, when I saw an unmistakable shadow swim out from under the boat.

Rather than yelling at Liz to get out of the water, I grabbed my goggles and jumped in.

I wasn’t being completely reckless. Our boat master confirmed it was a reef shark and not considered dangerous. Still, it was probably five or six feet long: big and sharky enough to look menacing. Having never encountered sharks before, I expected to be scared. But the emotions that first struck me were curiosity and excitement. Fear, strangely, never occurred to me.

It turns out there wasn’t just one shark – more like eight or nine. Most of them stayed deep, almost out of sight, but definitely there if you looked closely. Occasionally one would separate from the group and swim closer to the surface.

Presumably they knew we were in the water, but they didn’t pay us any attention. Their movements were relaxed, slow and gentle. It was soothing rather than alarming to watch their effortless, graceful swimming. Being so close was a definite highlight of the trip – but not the only one.

Ocean safari

My previous swimming holidays have centred around the swimming. I monitored pace and distance and was often keen to swim further. Yes, there have always been interesting things to see while there. I’ve spotted the occasional fish or seal. But often my most frequent wildlife encounters were with jellyfish, which I prefer to avoid. Luckily, I only saw one of those all trip.

What stood out instead was the abundance and the beauty of the fish – and the massive distraction they cause to your swimming. I simply had to stop and admire them.

At first, they were unnameable. But before every swim, our boat master showed us pictures of what we might see. Rather than overwhelm us with every possible sighting, he picked a handful to look out for each day. It was learning tropical fish identification by stealth – and it made a surprising difference. Spotting a fish I could name was more exciting and satisfying than I thought it would be.

But it was the larger ocean dwellers that really capture your imagination: spotting sting rays hidden on the seabed, watching the graceful flight of eagle rays, seeing sharks emerging from the deep-water gloom. Unfortunately, we didn’t spot a whale shark this time, which maybe a reason to return. We didn’t find Nemo either, the clownfish from the Pixar film. That species isn’t native to the Maldives. We did, however, see plenty of Maldive anemonefish, a close cousin and just as charming.

Never cold

I don’t know exactly what the water temperature was. I guess it ranged from around 28 to 32 degrees. I was never cold. Mostly, it was perfect. I could swim slowly or stop for as long as I liked to look at fish, and I never had to worry about the temperature. On one occasion, it was even too warm for comfort and we abandoned the swim – something I never thought I’d say about the sea.

Sadly, rising sea temperatures and levels pose a real threat to the Maldives. On more than one occasion we came across areas of lifeless bleached coral. It was like coming from a vibrant jungle to a desert, but in the water. It was a stark reminder of how fragile this environment is.

Still, for now, there are plenty of places where the coral is buzzing with life, and it was a privilege to see it, and to linger comfortably in the water.

About the actual swimming

Our days fell into an easy rhythm of eating, briefing, swimming, eating, resting and more swimming and eating.

Our SwimQuest guides did a great job of adjusting the length of swims to match our wishes. Despite the amazing marine life, we sometimes also wanted to stretch out and swim. The guides took those of us who wanted longer swims further along the reef and allowed us to swim at our own pace.

Interestingly, sighting above the water was barely necessary, apart from the occasional check-in with the guides in the support boat. Often, the only land was a small island on the horizon, usually to one side of the other, leaving us the impression we were swimming in an endless expanse of ocean. Even the islands looked detached from the planet as the colour of the sea matched the sky.

Instead, all the action took place beneath the surface. Most of our swims followed the edge of the reef, where it drops off steeply into the gloomy depths. All we had to do was swim along it, like following the black line in the pool, but more beautiful. Most of the marine life was in the coral, but every now and then we’d catch a glimpse of a turtle, eagle ray, or reef shark coming in from the deep. For those, we stopped.

If this trip had been somewhere else, I may have been disappointed about the relatively short distances we covered. As it was, there was so much to see and enjoy in the water, it gave me a new perspective on swimming and added to my reasons for swimming. I didn’t measure the holiday in miles swum but in marine life encounters and unforgettable experiences.

Find out more about SwimQuest’s swimming holidays in the Maldives.

SCUBA Diving

For most of the year, our boat hosts divers. We were offered a diving experience. I had never dived before and was both curious and nervous. I had major reservations about being 10m under the water. But it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.

It turned out to be another of the highlights of the trip. I enjoyed it so much that I did it a second time.

Diving is very different to swimming, but being a swimmer helped. It’s important to relax while diving, so being at ease in the water was an advantage. Swimmers also know how to move through three dimensions, and how to control their breathing. But just like you’re told not to look down when you’re on a tall building, I decided that looking up wasn’t a good idea. Although I felt perfectly safe, seeing how much water was above me gave me a twinge of anxiety.

When we approached fish as swimmers on the surface, they scattered. As a diver, the fish seem to ignore you. I had several passing inches in front of my face. We saw more eagle rays, turtles and an octopus, but best of all were the nurse sharks. They appeared out of the gloom, swam right past us, then circled to the seabed and curled up together as if going to sleep.

Practicalities

Getting to the Maldives was straightforward, if a little long. There were lots of options both direct and connecting through Europe or the Middle East. Once there, SwimQuest meets you at the airport and takes you directly to the liveaboard boat (The Empress Voyager), your home for the week.

Once on board, all meals are included. The only extras are bar drinks, WiFi, and the diving experience if you choose to do it. There’s plenty of space to relax and read, or stretch out or do some yoga.