Situated in the Maldives, Bandos Island Resort has an excellent house reef and suitable for diving all year round. The water temperature is consistently around the 30ºC mark so only a 3mm wetsuit required. I've been to the Maldives quite a few times and this is probably the best house reef I've ever encountered.
The Dive Centre staff are a friendly, helpful bunch and very keen on underwater video and photography so if you ever need any tips or tricks they're more than able to help. Unlike some Maldivian islands, diving here is slightly more laid back with no pre-booking necessary. If you're qualified and pass the necessary check dive, you can enter the water unguided when it suits and there will always be a cylinder waiting. Obviously, it's necessary to sign in and out of the water for safety and billing purposes! The island also has a hyperbaric chamber onsite so should an emergency arise, (and this can't happen because we're careful right?) you're in he best place. Boat trips are also readily available, usually two in a morning or full day trips. These are pre-booked and may be cancelled at short notice if not enough people show interest.
Water entry is just a short walk from the Dive Centre, an easy 20 yard swim to the marker buoy and then straight down. Maximum depth allowed by Maldivian Law is 30m. Currents were very mild with only one exception on full moon when it was impossible to keep still and I watched my buddy's bubbles go horizontal :-D Of course, this makes things more interesting because now the sharks come in to feed!
The reef has just about everything to offer, white and black tipped reef sharks in abundance, turtles, stonefish. eagle wrays and the usual huge shoal of blue striped snappers you would expect to see in the Maldives. Other sea life includes moray eels of varying sizes, batfish, blue jacks and a very shy octopus. The batfish appear very protective. On each dive, one seems to break off from it's family to follow your every move, where you go, it will go and it won't let it's friends come near. Try and make eye contact with it and it looks away fast! Very cool, bless!
Let me not forget the mighty lobster. From the entry point, descend to around the 10m mark and turn left. About twenty kicks of the fin in, you'll meet the mighty lobster and what a beautiful sight he is! He is impossible to miss, has no shyness at all and will pose with relish for the camera. At approximately 40cm long with antennae reaching a total of 1 metre across he is a beauty!
The corals on this reef are coming along nicely and in fact there's little evidence of bleaching on this particular reef. It consists mainly of hard corals but there are a few soft as well. We didn't get chance to do a night dive this time which is when you're most likely to see the softies.
Lastly, there's also a small wreck available for viewing. It's too small to be penetrated but nonetheless offers a further attraction to diving here. This is again, to the left of the entry point and starts off at around 15m and goes down to 27m (ish). There are huge grouper fish living in there as well as a cute but rather large brown moray.
This island is highly recommended, if you get the chance, go!!
Facts about Bandos Island Resort House Reef
It is in Maldives- Bandos Island Resort House Reef is in the Indian Ocean.
- The typical depth is 0-20 Metres 0-60 Feet.
- The typical visibility is 10-30 Metres 30-100 Feet.