UNINHABITED ISLANDS

Locals visit the uninhabited islands for picnics. Some uninhabited islands are used for farming. Usually, a few farm workers are left on the island to take care of the farm. The farm workers are generally from Bangladesh and they have a tough life. They have to cook their own food. They are provided with rice. They catch fish from the sea, so that they can have fish curry with the rice.

Uninhabited islands are also available on rent for tourists. They usually stay for a few days. Essential items like food and water are brought along. They have to sleep in a tent. While I was at Baa Eydhafushi, I visited three uninhabited islands. I went to Miriyandhoo thrice for picnics. On one side of Miriyandhoo there is a white sandy beach and clear waters. It is suitable for swimming. On the other side, there were rocks near the shore and you have to cross the rocks to enter the water. It is dangerous to walk on the rocks. They are slippery. If you fall on the rocks you can get injured. It is much safer to walk on the sand. I went snorkeling in this area. You can see colorful fishes among the rocks. Later, I saw some small sting rays going as a group and also an eel. I decided to get out of the water. I did not want to take a risk. We then tried fishing here. We used a fishing twine wound on a plastic bottle. A bait was attached to one end of the twine. The bait was a small colorful plastic fish with a hook. It was thrown into the sea and pulled in. The fish thinks the moving hook is a small fish. It tries to eat it and gets caught.

We went to the other side with clear waters for swimming and also played water polo there. After sometime we played football and volleyball on the shore. Breakfast and lunch were prepared on the island. We had noodles and fruit juice for breakfast. For lunch, it was rice, fish curry and chicken curry. Some of the locals grilled the fishes that were caught. We had them also with lunch. Before returning in the evening, we had tea and biscuits.

The second uninhabited island I visited was Hibalhidhoo. The water is deeper near this island. We went on a large boat which stopped at a distance from the island. We then got onto a small boat which took us to the island. We spent most of the time there swimming and snorkeling. There was a small dinghy. Each time some of us got on it, the others would overturn it for fun. Hibalhidhoo is a larger island and it is also used for farming. You can see well organized farms on the island. They cultivate different types of vegetables. In some areas there are a large number of coconut trees growing close together. In such places the leaves of the coconut trees almost completely block the sunlight.

The third uninhabited island I went to was Kanifushi. It was my first overnight trip to an uninhabited island and my last picnic in the Maldives. It was a really special trip.  It was November 2009; the end of the Academic year and our work for the year was almost over. It was time to enjoy. We got on the boat at about 4pm carrying with us food, water, a tent and generator

We reached Kanifushi in the evening and it was getting dark. There was a shed where we stored all the materials we brought. The Maldivians started putting up the tent; they knew how to do it better than us. There was something wrong with the generator and we could not use it to light the lamps we brought. It did not matter, since it was a full moon night.

We started walking around the island in groups, exploring the place. Some were in their underwear, enjoying the freedom of being in an uninhabited island in the night. Kanifushi is one long island. In some places it is just a narrow strip of land with the sea on both sides. When the water level rises, it becomes three small islands, but we can still move from one island to the other walking through knee deep waters. We picked up a few coral pieces, they looked beautiful. Some of us went fishing. Maldivians love to fish and never have a meal without fish. Near the shore, we saw something amazing. Hundreds of tiny specks of light were being washed ashore. It was some organism that produces light, like the firefly. They remained bright only for a few seconds.

We started walking back to the tent, where a few were preparing dinner. It was roshi, baked beans and coffee. After dinner, we started a fire and used it to grill the fish that was caught. Fishing requires patience and some were still at it. Some of the caught fish were covered with aluminium foil and thrown into the fire. It was removed a few minutes later and found to be cooked. The water level started rising at night and the tent had to be removed and pitched further away from the shore. Most of us did not sleep that night, though some did lie down in the tent. There was singing and dancing around the fireplace. 

Early next morning, we started going around the island again and now we could see Kanifushi in daylight. It was really beautiful. No wonder Tourists pay large sums to rent the island. Some of us went swimming, others played football. We had roshi, canned tuna and coffee for breakfast. We had to pack up and leave after breakfast. Before leaving any uninhabited island, we make sure that we pick up all the litter. We collect the waste and take it back with us to dispose of later in our island. After working for eight years in the Maldives, I had resigned in November 2009 and this was my perfect farewell to the Maldives.