Maldives Part 2

The things to see diving at Maldives, besides the usual rich marine life, are the manta rays and whale shark. We are really lucky to see both of them. I was the only one who didn't bring any underwater camera. The photos here are taken by the other divers on the boat. Here they are:

Manta Ray. They are not shy at all. They are swimming around as if cat-walking on the runway waiting for their photos to be taken.

The picture below shows a number of remora with the manta. Are they picking parasites off the manta, giving it a grooming session?



Whale shark





Mobular Ray. They look like manta, except much smaller, usually swim in schools. And their front 'two thingy' are pointed rather than bent like the manta.




School of Mobular Ray




Marble ray. 4 of them, 2 partially hidden in the sand.



A fat marble ray?


White tip shark




A fat shark. Actually, this is slight different from the black tip. It is the grey reef shark. Slightly bigger and fatter. Not as big as the great white or pointer which are not found here at Maldives.

Maldives - Part 1

Coming back from a diving trip in Maldives is like waking up from a dream.

This is my first Liveaboard (LOB) dive trip. It has been a wonderfully fantastic experience! 1 week of LOB at MV (Motor Vessel) Eagle Ray.

MV Eagle Ray

A summary of my dives at Maldives. The dive sites and the route taken in our 1 week LOB dive tour. The other whiteboards are for pre-dive briefing. Our Dive Masters are a bunch of really friend and humorous people.



Inside MV Eagle Ray


Island visit after diving





A rainbow. Nice.

Sunset


A wonderful surprise dinner on an uninhabited island. Candle light buffet dinner. Feel the sand on my feet. And a rare sight for the urban singaporean: looking the stars at the sky - my friends told me a cluster of them is Orion. The crew in MV Eagle ray has been superb.

Sun, Sea, Sand.




Calm, cool waters. In the middle of the Ari Atoll


Fish Market at Male, the capital of Maldives

Zoukout 2010

Zoukout 2010

The crowd and the fireworks


One of the most superb music!



I only manage to catch a bit of it. Need to leave early, flying the next day.

Wine Wise

I'm colleague recommended this wonderful place for wine appreciation. It is located at the heartland just opposite Tiong Bahru market. They don't sell food ( you can always buy from Tiong Bahru market and take it inside, or you can order pizza to be delivered there), just decent wine.

What is good: You can sample a variety of wine before buying a glass or bottle. There are a number to choose: Different types of red, white wine; sweet wine for desserts such as port and moscato...

It is a wonderful place for chit chat and get-to-gather. A very decent place, unlike clubs and pubs with smokes and such. It only opens from 11 am - 2 pm and 4 pm to 10 pm. For extended hours, do call the place up to arrange for extension of opening hours.

Directions to Wine Wise:

http://www.streetdirectory.com/restaurants/singapore/reviews/location-Wine_Wise-1000010261.php