The Maldives is an excellent place for families. With its sparkling blue sea and resort islands, there are plenty of fun activities to enjoy. These are the best marine adventures in the Maldives.
Glass Bottoms Tours
If you have young children who are not old enough to enjoy activities like snorkelling and diving, glass-bottom tours are the best alternative. It’s an excellent way to see colourful marine life without getting wet.
These are boats with glass bottoms through which you can see fish and corals below. It’s a safe way for kids to appreciate and learn about marine life, and you can be right there with them.
Glass bottom tours come with guides who will not hesitate to share interesting facts about the marine species you encounter. These tours are ideal if you want a laid-back, interactive adventure.
Dolphin Tours
The ocean surrounding the Maldives is home to a rich variety of marine creatures, including dolphins. You can see them on a guided dolphin tour. You’ll most likely head out in the evening, as that’s when dolphins are most active.
Don’t expect them to just be there waiting for you. It’s the other way around; you’ll have to wait for them to appear. Dolphins move in pods, so you don’t just come across one but a group of dolphins. They don’t fear people; in fact, they quite like humans, which manifests in displays of twists and turns.
There’s no telling when or where they’ll appear, but experienced guides usually know the best sites to see dolphins. Keep in mind that dolphins, while friendly, are also sensitive creatures. So, don’t shout at them or take pictures with the flash on.
You can arrange a tour through private tour operators or resorts – resorts are a better option. If you stay at a Maldives family resort, the likes of Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, for example, the resort will do all the work, and all you have to do is get ready for the best adventure of your life!
Underwater Restaurants
There’s never a dull moment in the Maldives, thanks to diversions like underwater restaurants. These restaurants have glass walls and are located underwater. Access is provided via elevators or staircases.
Why should you dine at underwater restaurants with your family? Well, because it’s more than just a dining experience. You can choose a delicious dish from the extensive menu and then enjoy it while being surrounded by marine life. You can see colourful fish gliding by while eating. It’s one of the most surreal experiences you’ll have in the Maldives.
Snorkelling
One of the most popular activities in the Maldives is snorkelling, and no wonder. After all, about 99% of the Maldives is water, so there’s plenty to explore. Snorkelling is ideal for those who want to explore shallow waters.
Resorts offer family snorkelling tours, so you can enjoy exploring corals and marine species together with your kids. Some snorkelling tours are designed for encountering certain types of marine species. For instance, there are swim-with-manta-ray snorkelling tours.
You have a range of options, so choose one that suits your family best. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to have a marvellous time!
Diving
Some might say that there’s no other place quite like the Maldives for snorkelling, and they’re not wrong. The Maldives offers numerous dive opportunities across its many islands. Worried about not having experience? Resorts offer courses for those who want to learn the ropes. You can also get PADI certification if you like.
Diving allows you to explore deeper waters where you can see a variety of marine species, like whale sharks. These sharks are quite large. Their size might scare you at first but know that they’re harmless. You’ll also come across manta rays hanging around near corals, where smaller fish species clean them.
Diving is the best way to interact with marine life. That said, you should not touch any marine species or corals. The marine ecosystem is extremely fragile, so do not do anything that might cause harm.
Best Time to Visit the Maldives for a Family Adventure
You often hear that the Maldives is a year-round destination, and it is, but you need to pick the right time for water sports. The dry season, from November to April, is the best for marine adventures.
The calm seas and zero rain make it easy to explore the underwater world. Plus, the visibility is great during the dry months.
