My journey in the world most evanescent places continues in the middle of the Indian ocean, in one of the most famous islands in the world: Maldives.
This country, entirely made of islands and atolls, is a famous destination for luxury vacations on paradisal resorts.
However is also one of the most endangered environments on the planet.
This place is seriously threatened by the increasing sea level rise and could be completely submerged in the following 30 years.
I landed in Male, the capital, that is the most urbanised island of the country but also the most densely populated capital in the world. Wondering on its street you can clearly see how.
Than I took a local flight to Hanimaadho in the North of the country, to explore an area where tourism and the progress from the capital still hasn’t spread much. There is only an airport and a seaside restort here, the rest are small houses where local people live.
If sea level rise is a long term treat, today living being on the islands are already struggling to adapt to climate change.
Coral reefs are suffering because of the changes in water temperature and salinity that push them to expel the symbiotic algae that give them colours and nutrition. So at first they bleach and if they can’t recover they die.
Also coconut trees are suffering the changes in water salinity and cost erosion.
Together with the idyllic landscape also local culture could disappear.
Sailing even Norther from Hanimaadho you find the c-shaped island of Baarah, one of the few bigger islands where you can still find the local way of life intact, without any sign of tourist structures activities.
People here just live a slow, pleasant life, where days are marked by praying, eating and working.
I found an interesting shipyard where the structure is temporarily built around on the shape of the boat.
When not praying or working locals are just chilling near the beach, leaning back and relaxing with their friends.
However what really disappointed me was to discover a sort of b side of the island where all the trash and plastic is collected or collects from the ocean. Most of it is just burned on the spot. That’s definitely not good.
Before I leave I wanted to experience the life of local fishermen, so I asked around and found a group that will let me go with them. I woke up at 1:00 in the morning to go out in the Indian Ocean in a traditional wood boat.
It was an incredible experience to spend a whole day with these people and observing them fishing with old school techniques. At first we used a big light to attract small fishes to be used as bait later in the morning. Than after the sun was up the real fishing started.
I found this technique to be not only fun and spectacular but also lighter when compared to net casting.
On the way back we prepared some of the freshly cought fish right away and a had breakfast with it. then we stopped on another island, Nolivaranfaru, to sell the fish to locals and finally went home after 12hours.
After that I had some well deserved rest and the following day I went back to Male to leave for my follwing destination.
I hope I can come back here one day and find this place recovering. I would just take my time and, well, relax.