silly? im scared! re: maldives

Hi Tongi

Lucky girl! we were there in Jan for our honeymoon. Round our island we did see reef sharks, they were about 3-4 ft long and if anything they were totally cute and not scary at all. they don't attack humans. In fact, when we went on a snorkelling excursion organised by our island, they said that there had not been any shark attacks in the maldives in the last 50 years or something (possibly ever!), even though there are MANY people diving and snorkelling every day there, so I gusrantee you have nothing to worry about. When I went snorkelling, one of the guides was with me (holding my hand and pulling me along), and this was really nice and reassuring as he would know which fished to stay away from. Not that there were any as the underwater scene was a bit like Finding Nemo!!

Have a great time, and take an underwater camera!

Tongi,

I've not been to the Maldives but I do a lot of diving and know a bit about sharks.

Tiger sharks are predators and tend to stick to deep waters. Around the reefs and islands the water is relatively shallow. I'm guessing you're going to be snorkelling around the house reef rather than diving?

You really do have nothing to worry about - sharks are more scared of us than we are of them and will avoid you.

Shark attacks happen, in the vast majority of cases, when humans are behaving like food i.e. the case of the woman who decided to swim out to see the seals in Hawaii a few years ago and got bitten on the bum - she was swimming with their prey.

Just enjoy - the sharks really are not interested in humans.

WSS.

I have been diving frequently with sharks and they are not interested in humans - we even chased some hammerheads in the Red Sea as they were swimming away from us. Attacks are rare - I heard of a guy in the Red Sea who was attacked by a Tiger shark because he jumped in to swim with a pod of dolphins in open water again acting as food.

Enjoy it - I am dead jelous!!

WTS, I have regularly dived with sharks I even did a special course - Shark awareness at the Blue Planet aquarium near Chester... If you can afford it Id definitely reccommend a swim with sharks in an aquarium..

I have been snorkelling in the maldives, and I was swimming towards shoals of fish and they actively get out of your way because you look like a big predator!

The entire week (I was hardly out of the sea) I only saw one shark who was a black tipped reef shark, and was less than the length of my arm (from shoulder to wrist), and wasn't so much as touched by the other fish. They really do stay out of your way.

Alleroo is very knowledgeable about sharks. Maybe ask her.

You will have the best time ever. Seriously.

[not jealous at all, honest]

Hi everyone, so sorry for late replying back to you all, computer problems!

I do feel a bit better about what you have explained today. I read on a tripadvisor site that a couple went on an excursion snorkling and the guide said that the area was known to have tiger sharks, and if they saw any they were to play dead (just as you would with a bear), not bloodly likely in my case... id be running on the top of the water!

Seriously, i do feel a bit better after what you have said, thanks again. This is gonna be one big challenge for me to get over in the maldives!

Hi Tongi,

I just wanted to add to the reassurance given by others that you should not have a problem with sharks in the Maldives. We were there on honeymoon a couple of years ago and had the best time ever, the islands are beautiful and the sea is like being in a tropical fish tank!

This is a photo my husband took of one of the baby reef sharks;

http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/photo?album_id=56108075&photo_id=1473990738

(I hope that works, I don't often post pictures on here! If not, it's here: https://www.photobox.co.uk/album/56108075)

Hopefully you'll be able to see from that that they're not all that much bigger than the fish really, only 1-2 foot long. I tried to get close when snorkelling to get underwater pictures, but they weren't having any of it and would swim away far too quickly!

Enjoy your trip, I'm very jealous and would love to go back again one day.

I went to the Maldives a couple of years ago and didn't see a single shark. I was quite worried about seeing one, but needn't have worried. We stuck with the house reef and didn't go on any of the snorkelling excursions so maybe thats why we didnt see any. Most of the fish really aren't interested in you and just swim around you doing their own thing.

Enjoy yourself, i wish i was going back!

Tongi, I echo what every one else has already said, you will have a fantastic time and the sharks that swim along the shore line will be more scared of you than you of them, trust me! Like FigJam, we desperately tried to get close enough to them to take a pic with the underwater camera, but they were too shy!

We went last September for our honeymoon and had the most amazing time ever, it is beautiful and I really hope you do manage to overcome your fear of the sea life as being under the water in the Maldives is as beautiful (if not more so) as being on the island!

Here is my H swimming with one of our favourite sea creatures, a turtle:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1016841&l=30f56&id=710061352

Feel free to flick through the rest of the pics in the album if you fancy a Maldives fix, there are loads of them ?