Is coral a plant or an animal

Coral is a fascinating organism that has puzzled divers and snorkelers alike regarding its classification. Is coral a plant or an animal? You can easily mistake a coral for a plant as its appearance is plant-like and it can grow on the ocean floor. However, coral is, in fact, an animal that belongs to the phylum…

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Night diving vs Night snorkelling

Let us compare night diving vs night snorkelling. Diving and snorkelling are different ways to explore the underwater world. Snorkelling allows anyone who can swim and is comfortable in the water to see what it has to offer from the surface. You have a wide range of field and get to observe from above. Diving…

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Long skinny fish

There are many species of “long skinny fish”. These are some of the descriptive words that our guests will use, to ask us what type of fish they saw while out diving or snorkelling. We then have to ask them questions so that we can narrow it down. It is usually one of the following…

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Rare Ocean Finds

The Ocean is full of incredible marine life. Each way you turn your head while in the ocean in the Maldives you see something different. But there are a few creatures that are quite rare to spot. Here are a few that we consider to be rare ocean finds. Ornate Eagle Ray We also call…

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Popular snorkel trips

You do not have to be a diver to explore the beauty of the Indian ocean. There is plenty to see just by snorkelling! At Kihaa we have many different types of excursions, there is something for everyone. Here are our most popular snorkel trips   Turtle reef snorkel This excursion is great for beginners…

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Triggerfish

The Maldives is home to a variety of fish species, including several different types of triggerfish. Triggerfish are known for their diamond-shaped bodies and their trigger fin located on the top side of the fish. They also have strong jaws, which they use to crush hard-shelled prey like crustaceans and molluscs. Here are some of…

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Peculiar, odd and funny fish names

Some fish have the strangest names. It is always fun to come into the dive center after you’ve been in the water and go through the fish books to look up what you saw! Here are some of the names of the marine life you can see in the Maldives, and what we think they…

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Shoal or School

Do you know the difference between a shoal or school of fish? While in the water we see plenty of fish that group together. There are certain behaviours and characteristics to look out for to determine if the group is a shoal or school. Shoaling All social groupings of fish are considered a shoal, but…

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Squid or Cuttlefish

Squid or Cuttlefish …wait calamar? What is a sepia then? … This is something our dive crew was thinking about recently, after watching a pair of squid from our jetty. Squid can also be known as calamar in some countries (think calamari). Cuttlefish are sometimes referred to as sepia. Sepia is the name of the…

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2022 Manta Season

2022 Manta Season – we had brilliant seven months! We are now saying goodbye to the last mantas of this year. Everyone knows you can never predict wildlife, but we found this season to be particularly unique. What we thought we knew We know our manta season runs from May to November, during the southwest…

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