By Nadja Brandt
My fingers rake the ocean floor as I struggle against the fierce Maldives currents. Suddenly, a gush of water blows me off the bottom, away from my fellow divers and into the vast blue of the Indian Ocean.
After my frenzied breathing slows, silence engulfs me. As I check my depth and air gauge, I spot a flotilla of six giant manta rays just below me, their wingspan in the 20-foot range. They're heading to where I just was, Dhonkalo Thila, a dive site better known as the Manta Ray Car Wash.
The Republic of Maldives, a string of islands about 410 miles southwest of Sri Lanka, played host to honeymooners Tom Cruise, an avid scuba diver, and Katie Holmes last November. It is one of the crown jewels of dive locations.
I'm aboard the 110-foot luxury motor yacht Ocean Dancer from Peter Hughes Diving for a 10-day trip. The friendly and helpful staff of about 12 includes two cooks, a bartender and housekeepers, and comprises locals, Sri Lankans, Filipinos and Nepalese. Between dives, we get massages from the boat's therapist or lounge on the front deck and enjoy the postcard view of palm-studded islets with ivory-white sand beaches. [Read More on Bloomberg]
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