The Maldives are among the most sought-after places in the world for their beauty in and out of the water, being able to visit them is a dream come true for many tourists! But be careful… Even if unknowingly, even the tourist can damage this earthly paradise.
Let's see some precautions to experience the Maldives on tiptoe, leaving everything as beautiful as we found it!
The charm of shells and corals
Very often, instinctively (or not), we feel like taking a “souvenir” of this wonderful world with us: sand, shells, corals, are among the most coveted “prey”. It is extremely important, however, to put a stop to this desire, simply admiring these beauties. Why?
Every “thing” we find in Nature, apparently abandoned, has a reason to exist and is always useful to someone!
Let’s see…
The classic shell that we find while walking on the shore; molluscs are the animals that can produce the shell and increase it as their body grows, after their death, the shell can be used by other animals like the hermit crab here in the photo that has chosen it as a home!
They are also transported to the beach by waves and currents, their continuous "rolling" crumbles them and puts the calcium carbonate back into circulation that can be used by other molluscs or polyps to build new "houses".
The piece of coral: first of all the coral that we see underwater is very different from the one we find on the shore simply because most corals, once dead, lose their bright colors.
So what we find on the shore is nothing more than a piece of lifeless calcium carbonate? Apparently yes! In truth, however, it is of fundamental importance in the production of sand and other coral. By depriving the environment of these important "bricks" we do not allow the recirculation of these elements and therefore the maintenance of this important ecosystem.
A “little bit” of sand, sometimes you think that in a place where sand is everywhere, it won’t be a tragedy if a little bit is collected! The problem is that we are not the only and exclusive tourists of the Maldives! Every year these islands host millions of tourists, if every tourist collected a “little bit” of sand, what would remain of these paradises in a few years?
The beach gradually degrading until it disappears. In the end, what do we need sand for if not to put it as an ornament in the house until we forget about it?
Better to leave it where it can certainly be more useful!
What's in the sea must stay in the sea
Let's avoid taking anything away from the sea, in addition to the reasons already mentioned, imagine if every tourist took away a shell that they like, such as the prized cowries...
Cowries are among the most sought-after shells in the world, their fishing has been so massive that many have ended up on the brink of extinction.
Why are they so valuable?
Cowries have a shiny and very clean surface; in fact, the mollusc inside them spends its time polishing its "little house"! By collecting these shells, not only do we deprive the ecosystem of important building blocks but, by taking it out of the water, we will also kill the animal that lives inside it. After its death, these shells lose their beauty, being attacked by algae and fungi precisely because there is no one left to take care of them. Therefore, they are always fished with the animal alive inside...
What is there to know about “souvenirs”?
In souvenir shops, one often finds objects deriving from the sea: baskets of shells, corals, engraved shells (coypres in fact), a bottle of sand, dried animals of questionable taste such as starfish and shark teeth.
“Why can’t we collect them on the beach and buy them instead?”
This is one of the most frequent questions we get asked, these types of souvenirs will always be found on the stalls as long as there is someone who will buy them and consequently there will always be someone who will fish them out to sell them. This chain can only be broken by not buying them anymore.
We should also avoid buying jewelry that is not made of silver, very often they are made with the mother-of-pearl layer of shells or with turtle shells.
These are all ways of exploiting the marine environment that we can easily do without!
Speaking of jewelry, we cannot fail to mention shark teeth, among the most famous necklaces sold in souvenir shops around the world. Often, to obtain only shark teeth, sharks of different species are fished and killed, thus feeding an already overexploited fishery without the need for further help. Shark fishing is done mostly for their fins but also liver and cartilage; in our own small way, we can avoid buying shark derivatives such as teeth (in this case) and therefore not feed this absurd and dangerous practice for the health of the entire marine ecosystem.
Finally, the Maldives have little local handicraft production; in fact, most souvenirs are imported from China and India. Let's make our choices well, if we really want a souvenir of the Maldives, let's go for something truly local, that can give us authentic emotions when we look at it again!
Let's also remember that it is strictly forbidden by law to bring home corals and shells and at the airport you could be issued very expensive fines and a temporary ban on future stay, if these objects were to be found.
As good lovers of photos as we are, we think that there is no better memory and souvenir than a beautiful photo taken on the beach in front of the Maldivian sunset.
Friendly Behaviors… Some Advice…
In 2021 there are still people who throw away paper, cigarette butts, bottles, any kind of waste. Absurd, right? By now even the walls know the serious problem of pollution and yet there is nothing to be done, this trend of throwing things on the ground does not want to disappear.
At first glance, all this might have nothing to do with a pristine island in the Maldives, it would be too good to be true! Unfortunately, the plague of plastic pollution is spreading everywhere and even in these islands, too much waste carried by the waves and currents ends up on seemingly pristine desert islands.
The sea would be very grateful if we committed to not throwing anything on the ground wherever we are in the world!
Waste in the Maldives
The Maldives have a huge problem: waste disposal, very often there is no organization and separate collection. There are still open-air incinerators on the islands, ruining the environment, producing greenhouse gases and more.
It is true that tourists certainly cannot build a waste storage center, but we are convinced that everyone can do their part! An example for everyone is to not and I repeat not to leave anything on the islands but to bring everything back home: a classic is to leave bathroom products that are no longer "needed" in the rooms, it is true that someone will need them but we are always there, if everyone left them entire islands would be filled with products that go far beyond the real usefulness they could have!
Another example is flat batteries, packaging and anything we want to throw away to "lighten the suitcase". By bringing these things back we will help the Maldives not to further overload the waste already produced.
Friendly Fins in Maldives can still do billions of things!
Today we talked about some Friendly tips but stay with us to get to the heart of this extraordinary place, click here to learn more!