Yellowback anthias — Colour suspended in the reef’s light

BIODIVERSITY

The Maldives Below the Surface: Discover Sharks and the Meanings of Their Local Names

FISHING

Nano – Maldivian Fishermen’s Legendary Fishing Line

LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE BIODIVERSITY

Fuvahmulah’s Green Heart

Exploring the wetlands, fruit-bearing trees and childhood memories

Kawakawa — Latti, the Tuna of the Atolls

The sea around the Maldives is home to

A side-by-side collage featuring a dew-covered green pond apple hanging from a tree branch on the left, and a vibrant red and green pineapple growing amidst lush foliage on the right.

Exploring the wetlands, fruit-bearing trees and childhood memories that connect people to the land. The Maldives is made up of countless islands, each surrounded by the vast Indian Ocean. The waters around them are rich in marine life, with remarkable

BIODIVERSITY

Fish Roe: A Traditional Maldivian Favourite

BIODIVERSITY

Fuvahmulah’s Green Heart

Yasir Salih

Exploring the wetlands, fruit-bearing trees and childhood memories that connect people to

Ahmed Inah launches the inaugural edition of Maldives My Islands magazine at Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah

Maldives My Islands magazine launched in Fuvahmulah

Yasir Salih

The inaugural edition of Maldives My Islands magazine was launched today at

Large shark sculpture outside Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah in the Maldives

Meet Rose, Fuvahmulah’s Largest Resident Tiger Shark

Yasir Salih

The creatures that God has created amuse us in all aspects of

Side-by-side aerial view showing Fuvahmulah Thoondu Beach with its palm trees and white sand on the left, and Dhigura Island's long sandbar stretching through turquoise waters on the right.

Thoondu and Dhigurah: Two of the Maldives’ Most Remarkable Beaches

Yasir Salih

The Maldives is famous for small islands ringed by white sand and

Aerial view of the coral reefs, reef flats and turquoise lagoon of Laamu Atoll, Maldives, revealing the intricate marine ecosystem that forms and protects the islands.

Where Land Ends and the Ocean Begins

Yasir Salih

The Maldives is often described through its beaches, lagoons and overwater villas.

Illustration of a Fuvahmulah fisherman using a bent bamboo pole to battle a powerful giant trevally in rough surf. Below water, the large silver fish resists aggressively, showing its uniquely long, curved pectoral fin.

Hudhuhelakanfai: Fuvahmulah’s Most Formidable Giant Trevally

Yasir Salih

The Fish Fishermen Fear Most Along the storm-beaten reef edges of Fuvahmulah,

Colorful tropical reef fish swimming above coral and sea anemones in clear blue waters.

Fish That Make Maldives Snorkeling Unforgettable

Yasir Salih

The Maldives does not require deep diving certification to reveal its beauty.

A scuba diver explores a large underwater cave illuminated by blue ocean light filtering through the entrance.

Into the world of underwater caves

Yasir Salih

As islanders surrounded by the Indian Ocean, we grow up closely connected

Collage showing the five Italian divers who died during a cave diving incident in Vaavu Atoll, Maldives.

Bodies of 4 Missing Divers Found in Maldives

Yasir Salih

The bodies of the remaining four Italian divers missing after last week’s

FISHING

Kawakawa — Latti, the Tuna of the Atolls

Yasir Salih

The sea around the Maldives is home to many kinds of tuna.

Handmade wooden flying fish lure with treble hooks, made in Fuvahmulah for reef and pelagic fishing.

From Flying Fish to Wooden Lures: A Fuvahmulah Fishing Tradition

Yasir Salih

My island, Fuvahmulah, is well known for its flying fish, especially during

Collage showing a giant trevally, yellowfin tuna, and red snapper caught by Maldivian fishermen.

Five Legendary Game Fish of the Maldives

Yasir Salih

Across the Indian Ocean, few destinations command the respect of sport anglers

Collage of a fisherman landing a giant trevally on the rocky shoreline of Fuvahmulah, Maldives, with rough surf and dramatic storm clouds in the background

Young Anglers vs. Fuvahmulah’s Giant Trevally

Yasir Salih

Giant trevally — or maamudu, as we call it in our dialect

Aerial view of a traditional Maldivian dhoni boat floating on the turquoise coral reef edge where the shallow water meets the deep blue ocean.

Scales of the shallows

Yasir Salih

Beyond the deep-sea tuna chase, the Maldives’ true culinary treasures hide within

A close-up shot of several fresh Maldivian goatfish on white sand, showing their distinctive yellow stripes and barbels.

Goatfish of the Maldives and the Legend of the Whispered Sands

Yasir Salih

In the vast, turquoise expanse of the Maldivian atolls, a unique group

A two-pane collage featuring young fishermen in Fuvahmulah with their Yellowfin Tuna catch. The left image shows a fisherman on a blue boat at sea, holding a massive tuna upright. The right image shows a fisherman standing on a stone pier at the harbor, holding another large tuna.

From the Author’s Lens: A Morning with the Giants of Fuvahmulah

Yasir Salih

The Unique Frontier of Fuvahmulah Fuvahmulah is an anomaly in the Maldivian

A Kawakawa fish with its silver-patterned skin expertly removed to reveal the deep red muscle beneath, and the gut cavity cleaned with surgical precision. The fish is prepared according to the Maldivian 'Art of the Cut,' emphasizing clean lines and minimal waste.

From the Author’s Lens: The Art of the Maldivian Cut

Yasir Salih

In the Maldives, fishing is only the first half of the art;

Deep Sea Giants: Tracking the Black Marlin at the Edge of Maldivian Atolls

Yasir Salih

WHERE THE CRYSTALLINE turquoise of the Maldivian lagoons meets the abrupt, bottomless

HISTORY AND CULTURE

Pen and ink watercolor illustration of islanders on a beach watching a glowing phantom ship at twilight.

Ghost Ships: Mysterious Vessels of the Maldivian Sea

Yasir Salih

For centuries, Maldivian trading vessels crossed the Indian Ocean, carrying dried tuna,

Fresh trevally roe from a trevally caught in the Maldives.

Fish Roe: A Traditional Maldivian Favourite

Yasir Salih

The Maldives is surrounded by a vast ocean rich in fish. For

Midjourney illustrations depicting the Beyri, a mysterious sea being from Maldivian folklore, emerging from the ocean and confronting an islander.

Beyri: The Shape-Shifting Being from the Maldivian Sea

Yasir Salih

Among the many supernatural beings found in Maldivian folklore, few are as

Call of Aaley

Yasir Salih

For centuries, the return of a veḍi from Ceylon or the coast

“Collage-style editorial image showing Maldivian island cultural celebrations, featuring traditional dancing, a ceremonial floral procession, and children playing on a tropical beach.”

Beyond the Beaches: Eid Al-Adha in the Maldives

Yasir Salih

For a few days each year, the Maldives shifts from resort paradise

Aerial view of the rugged reef front in Fuvahmulah, where powerful ocean waves crash over sharp coral rock formations and turquoise water surges through narrow reef channels near hidden cave-like openings.

Inside the Reef Cave That Nearly Took My Life

Yasir Salih

Saving the Shark Pups During the 27th day of Ramadan in the

Illustration of a traditional Maldivian vedi sailing through a violent storm beneath towering waves and lightning-filled skies.

Against the Wind: A Vedi Voyage Remembered

Yasir Salih

For centuries, the Indian Ocean shaped life in the Maldives. It provided

Midjourney illustration of Maldivian fishermen in a dhoni battling a large tiger shark in a stormy sea.

Guardians of the Deep and the Shark Myths of the Maldives

Yasir Salih

In the crystalline turquoise of the Maldivian lagoons, the world feels bounded

A close-up shot of a Pandanus tree (screw pine) featuring several segments of fruit. One prominent fruit is a vibrant, ripe orange, while others remain green and unripe. Long, slender green leaves surround the fruit, creating a dense, tropical texture.

The Whispering Keyvai and the Spirit Landscapes of the Maldives

Yasir Salih

Along the salt-sprayed fringes of the Maldivian atolls, where the white sand