Explore healthy corals at Helengeli in the Maldives

Escape to luxury on Helengeli Island in the Maldives, surrounded by healthy corals, sea turtles, and reef sharks.

Love the sea? Want to live that Robinson Crusoe life, stuck on an island: except you prefer to be surrounded by luxury? Try Helengeli, an island in the Maldives known for its healthy corals, giant sea turtles and reef sharks. All of which make this a scenic destination for diving and snorkelling.

There is only one way to reach this island from Malé International Airport: a speed boat ride that takes close to an hour. Helengeli island is in the middle of one of the main entrances to the North Malé atoll and straddles a channel. This unique location results in a rich flow of marine life on both sides of the island.

Once on the island, I check into Oblu Nature Helengeli by Sentido in Maldives. It is a Green Globe Certified property (Green Globe is the premier global certification for sustainable travel and tourism). A kilometre walk from the dock takes me to my water villa, which is spacious with a private pool, and a step down ladder that leads to a lagoon.

It is evening by the time I reach, so I decide to wait until the next morning to explore the lagoon. Instead, I walk on the beach spotting hermit crabs, popping out from one shell and getting into the other to find a comfortable home. As the sky gets darker, swift foot rock crabs begin to crawl to the shore. Fortunately, they mind their own business.  

A swimmer’s paradise

When I finally dive into the the lagoon the next morning I realise the currents are not strong, and the water is shallow making it safe and easy to walk and explore. If you love marine life you have to be patient, so I float calmly in the shallow waters to watch fish swim by.  About 10 minutes into the water and I see a shoal of banner fish swim up close. Then come a couple of Nemos (clown fish) and a stunning lagoon triggerfish.

Helengeli is also known for its healthy corals that you can explore underwater. When snorkelling, we see black tip reef sharks up close, however they simply change direction and swim away. An expert diver swims with me, navigating the way forward.