Maldives is an exciting destination for divers due to its crystal clear waters, vibrant reefs and a vast variety of marine life.
Each island has its own house reef, and if not (which is most unlikely), one will never run out of snorkeling and dive spots nearby.
Located in North Male’ Atoll, 25 minutes away from the Male’ City and Velana International Airport, Angsana Ihuru Resort is a picturesque island covered by more than five hundred palm trees, surrounded by a well preserved house reef and home to the infamous Rannamaari Wreck.
The History of the Rannamaari Wreck
In 1999, the management of Ihuru Tourist Resort decided to create a deliberate wreck diving and started to hunt for an appropriate vessel for salvage and it did not take long for them to find the “Rannamaari” Dredger.
The dredger was towed to Ihuru Island on the 25th of April 1999 and was docked at the designated location, ten meters off the house reef. The dredger was cleaned and prepared for its burial; the engine, batteries and all other toxic wastes were removed to ensure that the vessel is environment friendly.
The Rannamaari was scheduled to be sank on the 27th of April 1999 but on the evening of the 25th, it mysteriously sank by itself to its final resting place.
The Meaning of Rannamaari
The Rannamaari is a monster in Maldivian folklore. Legend has it that the monster comes out of the sea and takes away a virgin girl every full moon. As terrifying as it sounds but the island residents would have to leave a girl as an offer to the Rannamaari on a temple in the night of the full moon only to find her lifeless the next morning.
Assumptions were made that the dredger was named after Rannamaari as it was once a monstrous vessel used to take sand for reclamation projects in Male’ and Thilafushi Island back in the 1980s.
The Rannamaari is now a Living Legend
The Rannamaari sea monster that used to take lives in the Maldivian folklore is now a support to the lives of thousands of sea creatures.
It took a little more than a year for this wreck to turn into a reef and now, 20 years later a lot of residents have settled into this home of a wreck. Jack fish and school of fusilier will be found lingering outside the wreck while groupers and batfish will be seen around the hull. Room bay glassfish, big eye, squirrelfish and giant moray eels have found their own place at the engine room while scorpion fish, stingrays and nurse sharks will be lazing at the bottom of the wreck.
The Anniversary of the Rannamaari Wreck is Celebrated Every Year with a 24-hour Live Dive Event Called the “10 to 10”
Angsana Ihuru celebrates the anniversary of the Rannamaari Wreck each year in a different form. However, in 2013, the Marine Team initiated the 10 to 10, the first of its kind in the Maldives and from then on, it has been the resort’s tradition. The 10 to 10 is a 24-hour live streaming event, starting from 10 in the morning until 10 the next morning where viewers can watch underwater footages and all the other other activities which includes dives to the wreck from dawn till midnight, Marine Talk, coral planting and Rannamaari Legend Role Play.
This event aims to create awareness about climate change and the fragility of the Maldives’ environment in a fun and exciting way involving guests of the resort, divers from local dive centers and likeminded individuals and organizations.
Access to the Rannamaari Wreck
The Rannamaari Wreck is easily accessible all year round to all the guests of Angsana Ihuru as long as they are certified divers, while a permission needs to be obtained from the resort’s management before outside visitors can dive into the wreck.
PADI Guest Blogger Alissa introduces herself:
Alissa Marcelo is a PADI Free Diver who loves to hang around with the school of jack fish at the Rannamaari Wreck. She is the Assistant Sales Manager for Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru
