In the mid centre of the Chagos-Laccadives Submarine Ridge, is the naturally built border that stood against the trade routes of the Indian ocean. In a time when colonialism was thick in tradition, and pirating was heavily practised across the waters, emerged a bead-like obstacle course to which now the world recognizes as the Maldives. Compromising of over 1,200 islands, Maldives designed in an impossible cluster to sail through during the time. Especially due to the unique arrangement of the Maldive reef that was told to be constantly changing its physique.

This resulted in a numerous amount of shipwrecks to take place during the earliest times. Due to the lack of resources, and inability to utilize the only available coconut palms, many shipwreck victims settled down in the Maldives. In time, these victims, pirates and the exiled had built the earliest forms of Maldivian civilization, the birth of Maldivian ancestry. Reef shifts are still a major problem in the Maldive Sea and have caused massive shipwrecks across the country. The surviving shipwrecks are off after the Iron Age, where ships were built in metal rather than wood. These wrecks are now preserved beautifully in the ocean, with embedded corals culturing over the remains of the leftover scraps under the sea.

One of the closest and easiest shipwrecks that can be found would be the Maldive Victory. An import-goods carrying cargo from Singapore that entered through the Gaadhoo Kolhu near Hulhule’ Island (Velaana International Aiport), crashed onto the reef due to a statistical error. Thus the ship sank and remains on the ocean bed ever since 1981.

“Highly 8” another popular shipwreck found in the Nothern Ari Atoll is located near Halaveli Resort. The cargo ship was sunk by the Halaveli Diving Center in 1991 and thus remains submerged in the water as a home for morays and sea turtles. The coral cultured vessel is situated between 21-28 meters below the water surface.

One of the most historic shipwrecks is found in Addu City, the southernmost atoll in the Maldives. Named the “British Loyalty” the cargo from Newcastle, UK was torpedoed by the Japanese during the Second World War. During the time, Gan International Airport was a British Royal Air Force Base and so influences of the war were very active in the Maldives, especially the South. The ship was lying close above the surface nearby Hithadhoo until it was sunk by the British during the trial rounds. Due to its age, the English marvel cultured a beautifully unique ecosystem of different types of marine life including corals. The coral culture was one of the few known survivors of the El Nino coral bleaching and is open for diving visitors today.

There is an uncountable number of shipwrecks all across the Maldive sea. While most of these shipwrecks have broken down due to corrosion and wood disintegration, there are still plenty of surviving wonders of the submerged history.