The Maldives government has strict regulations regarding tourism. By law, only uninhabited islands can be developed, and each island designated as a resort island can have no more than one resort and whatever amenities and conveniences that resort provides.

All other islands were for locals only until the government started allowing Maldivian citizens to open homestays, dive shops and other businesses focused on tourism over the past decade.

A hermit crab makes his way along Angaga beach.

The Angaga Island Resort & Spa include a restaurant, a bar, a gift shop and a dive shop. Excursions like fishing and whale watching are available, and snorkel gear and kayaks are available for rent. We stayed right on the beach where the ocean is just a few steps away from our bungalow. Snorkeling and shore diving in the house reef are popular on Angaga. Dive guides are available for a small additional fee but are not mandatory for advanced divers.

An anemone crab found during a night dive at the house reef.

The reef is much different at night than it is during the day and in my opinion night diving here is a bit more interesting. Most night divers will encounter anemone crabs, eels swimming freely and Joe the Snapper. An ornery old snapper who likes to swoosh in and chomp down on fish when unexpecting divers shine their torches on them. Overall, the house reef still has quite a bit of life despite being nearly wiped out by rising temperatures.

Hawksbill Sea Turtle.

Climate change has become a real concern in the Maldives due to its destructive effect on reefs and the rising water levels it has caused. In 2016, El Nino accelerated the problem, and more than 60% of Maldivian reefs suffered significant bleaching. The current government’s main effort at geoengineering involves reclaiming land from the sea to construct new islands in shallower areas that are intended to be used to relocate Islanders living on lower-lying isles.

May we never stop finding Nemo.

Others are trying to bring bleached coral back to life by seeding it with healthy polyps, and local efforts have been organized to clean up plastic and trash from beaches. However, I did not see any attempt by the Angaga resort or the dive shop to provide potable water to guests or to recycle. Many travelers are now happy to pay for a glass of water or to use refillable containers, so hopefully these practices will improve on Angaga too.

Matt photographing a Giant Reef Manta at Manta Garden.

Diving here really was spectacular, so I imagine the waters here must have been a true diver's fantasy not so long ago, and I hope protecting them continues to take priority. The array of coral and fish was astounding even at deeper depths. Moray eels, jackfish, endangered humphead wrasse, sweetlips, spotted manta rays, hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles, and blacktip, white tip and grey reef sharks are just some of what made up the aquatic scenery during our dives.