It was 6-months before I managed to get myself onto a commercial fishing boat. I had taken a regional flight from the capital Male’ to Addu Atoll, the southern most atoll in the country. I met Ahmed Zahid – a friend-of-a-friend – who knew some fishing captains. Not long after I found myself boarding a 30-metre super dhoni (traditional Maldivian vessel), along with 15 or so Maldivian commercial fishermen, all of them strangers.

For the next 24-hours I drank endless cups of Nescafe 3-in-1 (think the sweetest, strongest instant coffee you can find), I slept on damp decks with fish smelling nets as pillows and I dealt with constant nausea from the open ocean swells. In between, I shot 600 plus frames of the fishermen doing what they do.

That day I learnt that even some of the tallest stories can be true.

It was true that fishermen use a barbless hook and they literally hook and flick the tuna onto the back deck of the dhoni. It was also true that they can catch tons of tuna in just one day. This trip alone, the crew pulled aboard 7-tonnnes of Skipjack Tuna.

I successfully sold this story (photos and words) to Sri Lankan Airlines Magazine Serendib, which was subsequently published in the November/December 2006 issue.

In my next installment I’ll recount my second commercial fishing trip, which lasted 5-days. The first, second and fifth image are available for licensing via Aurora Photos. Just double click on the image to license.

Commercial fishermen searching for bait fish at night in a lagoon, Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Maldives, on the 6 June 2006. Commercial fishing in the Maldives is the second largest employer after the tourism industry. The main fishing industry is centered on pole and line fishing for Skip Jack Tuna and hand line fishing for Yellowfin Tuna. The Maldives is a major exporter of tuna to European and Asian markets.

Commercial fishermen sleeping on the back deck of a commercial fishing dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat), off the coast of Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Indian Ocean, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

Commercial fisherman sleeping on the back deck of a commercial fishing dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat), off the coast of Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Indian Ocean, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

Commercial fishermen pulling aboard a Skip Jack tuna on a commercial fishing dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat), off the coast of Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Indian Ocean, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

A commercial fisherman pulling aboard a Skip Jack tuna on a commercial fishing dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat), off the coast of Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Indian Ocean, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

Commercial fishermen getting ready to unload Skip Jack Tuna to a processing vessel, Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

Commercial fishermen getting ready to unload Skip Jack Tuna to a processing vessel, Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

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Fisherman Feydhoo Island, Maldives.

For me, studying photography changed the way I would go on and see the world forever.

Not a day goes by that I don’t notice something, that I know I wouldn’t have seen if I hadn’t become a photographer.

Location: Feydhoo Island, Maldives. Time: 2.02 am. Subject: Fisherman waiting dockside.

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Commercial fishermen about to dive for bait, Addu Atoll, Maldives.

Feydhoo Island reflection, Addu Atoll, Maldives.

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Photography on commercial fishing vessels is probably the hardest thing I have had to shoot. In no particular order, here is a list of challenges I have faced while onboard commercial fishing vessels in the Maldives:

Lack of Sleep

Commercial fishermen are masters at cat napping. Getting 90-minutes to two hours of sleep between fishing action is pretty common. You sleep on the deck where ever there is space.

Sea Sickness

Generally speaking, I travel well on open ocean vessels. However I do experience some nausea during the first day or two at sea.

A Dangerous Work Environment

Photography comes second to safety when I am on a commercial fishing vessel. Rule number one is to look after myself. Rule number two is don’t endanger the safety of any of the fishermen onboard.

The reality is, you are on a large, wide deck with no railings and there are open hatches – complete with 6-foot drops – all over the place. If that wasn’t enough, decks are often slippery and when the fishing starts the deck becomes the work area for up to 20-men, depending on how many crew are on board.

Getting Hit by a Flying Tuna

Sounds pretty funny, but the reality with pole and line fishing is that tuna once hooked, literally fly out of the water and onto the back deck.

The drop zone is clear of men when the fishing is going, but having said that I watched a 6-9 kilogram tuna fly over my head last week and land in the bait hatch. That was a distance of 18-metres (60-feet) from the back deck where the fisherman was. To get hit by a tuna that size is no laughing matter.

Technical Photography

Photographically it is tough because you are half asleep and having to deal with all sorts of shooting conditions. It can be pitch dark; it can be raining; the action can be happening incredibly fast; the light changes with the position of the vessel, so getting consistent manual exposures is difficult and of course, the vessel is continuously moving around, so composition is tough too.

Despite these challenges, I love it. I really do.

I love seeing the darkness of night slip away to reveal a new day. I love the early morning and the magical light you get for just a few minutes. I love the split second action and the sheer challenge of producing good visuals. Most of all, I love those moments when everything is quite on the vessel and you can just sit back and experience the many moods of the ocean.

While I’m still editing my work from my two days shooting last week, here are two that I like.

Peak fishing action, 17 nautical miles east of Addu Atoll, Maldives.

Down time - taking a quick cigarette break near Addu Atoll, Maldives.

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For now, two photos from the recently opened Shangri-La Resort, Maldives.

Shangri-La Presidential Suite, Maldives.

The old and the new. Resort staff motoring past a dhoni.

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Here is how I would rate Equator Village resort on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being lousy, 3 being average and 5 being great.

Resort Setting

Is anything but normal. It sits tucked away on Gan Island and it is surrounded by the old buildings of the old air force base. Personally, I don’t mind it at all. In fact, I like it a lot, because it is so different to other resorts in the Maldives. My personal rating is 4, though I suspect many people would rate it 3.

Equator Village Resort Maldives

Resort Environment

Retro all the way. And retro without even trying to be. Thing basic, but comfortable. Like visiting your grandma’s house. The creature comforts are there, but they are a bit worn and frayed around the edges. Again, I love it, so 4 from me, though I suspect many people would rate it a 3.

Resort Staff

Friendly, laid back and local. Nice. Expect to be able to talk with your waiter because they are genuinely interested in you. Good service. Rating: 4.

Friendly local, with catch of the day! Gan Island, Maldives.

Resort Beach

The resort has a beach, but it has been sandwiched between retaining walls. If you are coming the Maldives to sit on an idyllic tropical beach that looks natural and untouched, DO NOT come and stay at Equator Village Resort. For all the things I love about the place, let me tell you, it had one of the saddest beaches I’ve seen in the Maldives. Rating: 2

Diving

Diving in Addu Atoll in-season, is great. Highly recommend it. Rating: 4.

Access to Local Island and Cruising Potential

The best. Hire a push bike and go for a 13-km ride. Meet friendly locals and get a feel for island life. Rating: 5

Gan Island causeway, Maldives.

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While I learnt many things in the Maldives, one of the unexpected things I learnt was how valuable local knowledge is. I realised this the day I received an email request from another photographer - Richard Baker – asking for advice on how to get onto a commercial fishing dhoni. By the time I finished typing up my email, it dawned on me that I knew quite a bit more about the Maldives than I gave myself credit for.

A couple of months back, I received an email asking me for some information about the Maldives in relation to the resort scene and how one can go about getting onto a local island. This isn’t the first, nor I expect, the last time I will receive such an email. And because of that, I have decided to create this post, with some information specific to the Maldives that I hope people find useful.

The Big Picture

Made up of 1,120 islands, the Maldives is served by two main hubs – Dubai Airport and Singapore Airport. To get from either one to Male’ International Airport, is about a 4-hour flight. Upon arrival you can pick up a 30-day tourist visa, free of charge as you go through immigration.

Resorts in the Maldives are big business and they are the main drawcard to the country and the main income earner. The previous Government created a one-resort, one-island policy, which effectively keeps visiting tourists separate from local islanders. If that wasn’t enough, you actually need permission to go to a local island and this can only be granted by the Island Chief. Needless to say, getting onto a local island is not an easy proposition if you have never been to the country before and don’t have any contacts in country.

Resorts, Resorts, Resorts

There are pretty much three types of resorts in the Maldives – 3-star, 4-star and the 5-star.

The main difference between them is the design and layout of the resorts; the level of service and all the little things that you never really notice, until you actually go to a bona-fide 5-star resort.

I am often asked which resorts are the one’s worth visiting. My response is, ‘what is it you want to do?’

If you are a diver, then your decision should be based on the type of diving you want to do and the type of animals you want to see. Pick the atoll you want to visit based on this, then check out the resorts that are on that atoll. If you have the bucks, then go the 5-star option.

If you are a surfer, the choice is much easier. Either stay at a resort in North Male’ Atoll, where the majority of the surf breaks are, or stay on a live aboard vessel, which will travel to the breaks. Live aboard vessels are used for surfing in the southern atolls.

If you are a sun lover and are looking for the most idyllic tropical beach you can find, then you know what you are looking for. Make sure you check out the resorts’ photos on their web site before you book. Like most things in life, idyllic beaches are not all created the same, even in the Maldives.

Generally speaking, once you are on your resort, the only way to get off is to go and do some water based activity, take an organised trip into Male’ for the day, or visit a local island as arranged by the resort staff.

Getting Onto A Local Island

A number of resorts offer pre-arranged trips to local islands. While this is the easiest way to visit a local island, it can also be a bit disappointing, depending on what you are expecting.

A number of these islands have cottoned on to the commerce of having tourists visit their islands and as a result, have set up souvenir shops. The vast majority of these shops sell products that are imported from abroad and passed off as ‘Maldivian’ and to be honest, a lot of it is just cheap junk.

An alternative to the resort arranged local island visit, is to stay at Addu Atoll at Equator Village Resort.

Addu Atoll is the most southerly atoll in the country. During World War II, the British relocated locals off Gan Island, made an air strip, built a base and just so happened to connect four local islands together with causeways. Those causeways still exist today. This is the only series of islands that I know of in the Maldives where you can stay at a resort and either walk or ride a bike to a neighbouring island, without anyone’s permission.

The only problem is this: Equator Village is an old resort and it shows.

Personally, I love the place. It is retro, without even trying to be. It is also a favourite with divers, thanks to the incredible diving that surrounds Addu Atoll. The good news is that more resorts are being built on Addu Atoll and because it is so small, it shouldn’t be difficult to arrange a boat from your resort to Gan Island. From there you have four local islands to explore.

To get to Addu Atoll, you either take an internal regional flight with Island Aviation from Male’ or you fly direct to Addu Atoll. The airport was upgraded in 2008 to international status, and is now taking larger aircrafts from abroad.

I will talk more about Equator Village resort in my next post.

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