Regardless of your experience and certification level, if you’ve been introduced to the world of SCUBA diving and been hooked by it, you would have a dive trip to the Maldives atolls listed very high on your bucket list. It’s simply one of those things in life you have to do. The island nation built up of over a thousand atolls in “Listerine” blue waters with just as many coral reefs is a SCUBA divers paradise. The reefs that were an unfortunate victim of the El Nino a few years ago and went through some large scale bleaching still don’t disappoint even the most seasoned divers with the plethora of underwater life they are home to. Unfortunately, for those who haven’t been able to make the trip to the Maldives, the bad news is the clock may be ticking on this dream destination and ticking faster than most believe.

The Republic of Maldives is one of the worst affected by the recent global climate changes and the rising sea levels. In fact the very existence of the nation is at threat and according to the most recent predictions, the islands will be submerged completely as early as 2030 and 2050 at the latest. A recent press release states:

No part of the Maldives’ 1,200 tropical coral islets rises more than six feet (1.8 meters) above sea level, leaving the 400,000 inhabitants at great risk of rising sea levels and storm surges.

If you imagine 2030 is not too far into the future, the impact of the surging seas is already beginning to have an impact on the islands. What will this spell for the dive community for whom the importance of this region is immense with pristine reefs like these rapidly disappearing? Maldives is home to hundreds of dive shops and dive centers catering to the scores of tourists and pro divers that frequent the secluded resorts. It is in some ways one of those destinations where non-divers get introduced to the wonders of the underwater world and are sensitized to marine life and reef systems. At the current rate of changes in the water levels, the thought of all this gone in the near future is devastating but very real.

Unless by some miracle or unforeseen changes in the course of climate change, the diving community will have lost one of the worlds most amazing diving destinations. Less than a generation down the line the Maldives will probably be talked about like Atlantis and that is a disturbing thought. Yet for those of us who are lucky enough to experience what it has to offer, it’s one more reason to join the effort to curb climate change and its effects sooner rather than later. For those who have Maldives on their list of dive destinations, you may not want to delay it too long, pack your SCUBA gear and head for the Maldives.  The clock is ticking.