Octopus in the Maldives

Snorkeling in Ukulhas

After breakfast we move to our new hotel, the Ranthari. We have a lovely room overlooking palm trees and the ocean.

We head out to the beach where it appears that all the lounge beds are covered in towels to proclaim they are taken. That’s ok, John and I claim a beach side table and chairs.

I am not graceful (understatement) as I make my way down a dip in the beach and try to walk into the ocean on coral. In about two feet of water, a wave hits me and I fall, landing on my right hand.  Oh yeah, that’s going to hurt for awhile.

Determined, I head to a sandy entrance to the water and make it in successfully. It is shallow for quite awhile over the coral but the further I get from the beach, the more fish I see.

This is the best off beach snorkeling that I have experienced. (Fiji comes close). So many bright colourful fish. Such a variety.

I swim to the coral drop off. Completely fabulous. It’s like a magical world under the waves.

As I’m swimming, I hear prayer calls from the nearby mosque. I realize that it is starting to rain, so I make my way back to shore. I try to scrabble up the dip in front of our seating area but am having problems getting a hold with the thumb pad and finger so recently injured. A much older lady helps me up.

The rain comes down in torrents for about thirty minutes and then it is sunny again.

The Octopus

John goes snorkeling. He is out for quite a while. When he returns, he informs me that he was swimming with an octopus. How can this be? I’ve been trying to see another octopus while snorkeling since the one I visited daily on Phi Phi Island in Thailand. 

I immediately get on my snorkel gear and head out to the drop. I see puffer fish, needle fish, eels, and the largest, brightly coloured parrot fish that I have ever seen.  One of the the parrot fish is being groomed by numerous cleaner wrasses. She lazily rolls to each side in order to give the wrasses better access. Her facial expression (yes, I am certain I see a facial expression; lips slightly parted and a lazy look in her eyes), is that of pure ecstasy.

A reef shark leisurely swims a few feet below me. So many kinds of fish…But no octopus. My growling tummy says it’s time to come in. I have been out for well over an hour.

We have a wonderful supper (lots of freshly caught tuna on a nicoise salad).

John and I go back to the beach to watch the sunset but sadly clouds roll in just before the big event.

Around sunset, the large fruit bats come out to start their evening antics. A few fly past our balcony.

A Day in Ukulhas

We are up early at 6:30am and John runs out and snags us two waterfront lounge chairs; placing our hats and towels on them to stake our claim.

We have a really enjoyable buffet breakfast before walking a few steps to our beach loungers.

The day is mostly overcast with some sunny breaks. I check out the hermit crabs before going out snorkeling for over an hour. I see six cuttlefish swimming together, sea clams with bright purple lips, unicorn fish and more reef sharks. There are hundreds of other colourful characters. But no octopus.

John is also out on the water. It starts to pour as he comes in.

We are back out when the rain finishes. We both go snorkeling together. John heads back to shore before me and misses my big find; three anemones with clownfish swimming in their tenticles. But no octopus.

We head out for a Thai supper then watch a bat or two fly through the sky as we head back to the hotel.

Ferry Ride to Rasdhoo

Next morning after breakfast, our hotel transports us and our luggage to the ferry dock. We are taking the slow local ferry to Rasdhoo Island located 16 km from Ukulhas.  Its an hour long ferry ride and costs only $2.00 CAD per person. I couldn’t find my anti-nausea medication so the hotel gave John and I each a pill. The representative from the hotel stays with us until we are on the ferry, waiving goodbye as we leave the dock.

I fall asleep on the ride to Rasdhoo. I am very groggy when we land. A staff member from our small, family run hotel meets us at the dock in their cart and transports us to our accommodation at Beach Cottage. It is only 11:30am and our room isn’t  ready yet so we leave our luggage and head out to lunch.

Rasdhoo is even smaller and less touristed than Ukulhas. It is a sleepy place (or maybe I just see it that way because it’s hot and I am still totally buzzed out on gravol).

It is a real community with many locals living here, athletic fields, small shops and lots of little restaurants.

We have a really good lunch at the nearby Lemon Drop Restaurant. I doze off at the table. At 12:30pm  we are allowed into our room and we nap for most of the afternoon.

I wake at 3:30pm but am still very groggy. We check out the tourist beach (which is very pretty), and grab some loungers. People are snorkeling but I have dozed off yet again.

We have supper at the Drop Beach Club  restaurant (which I am also very impressed with). Being a Muslim country, there is no alcohol on the menu.

I am still groggy so I don’t expect to have any issues falling asleep again.