Anchorages like this one often hide interesting surprises - visually, of course, because a wreck inevitably involved a navigational error, and sometimes even a tragedy. But the sight of this hull still resisting, and even floating a little, is almost disconcerting. A bit of local geography first: a wide channel opens up in front of the coral and a second one opens up on one side, creating a kind of lagoon. At first sight, this site could be a rather nice anchorage, but the current is much too strong for the ground tackle to hold. The old trawler probably paid the price while trying to escape this veritable boat trap.
The reef had already taken over the carcass a long time ago. Clumps of multicolored corals serve as a refuge for small invertebrates. The wreck itself is home to huge groupers that watch us from the dark bilges.
I have rarely seen such clear water as that around this fishing vessel. The current sweeps through the area and prevents micro-organisms from stagnating. This is certainly a place to see, in one of the Maldives’ countless atolls...
