Maldives House Reef Snorkelling

Every Maldivian island sits on a coral reef, and the best resorts have a house reef within easy swimming distance of the beach. Snorkelling there means clouds of colourful fish, giant clams, rays and often turtles and baby blacktip reef sharks, which are shy and harmless.

Resort dive centres lend masks and fins, run beginner sessions in the shallow lagoon and lead guided snorkels to the reef edge, where the coral drops away into deep blue water. Life jackets make it possible for non-swimmers to join in.

Snorkel around high tide, when the water over the reef is deeper, never stand on the coral, and use reef-safe sunscreen. When we choose your resort, we look closely at the quality of its house reef and how easy it is to reach.