On April 1, a German tourist was hit by a boat propeller while diving after a whale shark near Rangali Manta Point in the southern Ari Atoll of the Maldives. He died after being rescued. Authoritative media in the Maldives reported on the incident. At present, the local police have been fully involved in the investigation.
With the arrival of the peak tourist season in the Maldives in April, the accident sparked considerable discussion in the local diving community. On the 3rd, reporters from Upstream News (baoliaosy@163.com) interviewed senior diving practitioners based in the Maldives to learn about the incident and the risks hidden behind chasing whale sharks.
The incident occurred on the vessel. Photo provided by interviewee Nic
"This tragedy was completely avoidable. The industry generally believes that this is a typical 'man-made disaster'." Nic, a Chinese diving instructor with more than ten years of diving experience and four years of teaching in the Maldives, confirmed the incident. According to Nic, the tourists involved were wearing professional scuba diving equipment and were preparing to chase whale sharks. Different from ordinary snorkeling boats that make a one-day trip, the boat involved in the incident is larger and can be used as a liveaboard, that is, tourists' meals, accommodation and diving activities are all carried out on the boat.
Regarding the thrilling details of the incident, "Brother Lei", a Chinese resident in the Maldives, told reporters that on the day of the incident, the captain keenly discovered traces of a whale shark on the sea, and then all the scuba divers who were preparing to enter the water gathered at the stern of the ship to wait. "The tourist involved jumped into the sea from the stern of the boat without receiving clear instructions from the captain and diving instructor to 'go into the water.'" Lei Ge regretfully said that based on the situation at the scene, it was speculated that the tourist should have been excited to see the whale shark. But the tragic coincidence is that after the tourist entered the water, the captain began to reverse the boat in order to give everyone a better launching position. The propeller that was still running instantly caused a tragedy.
"Chasing whale sharks in the Maldives is highly contingency. The market price of a day-trip whale shark chasing ticket is about US$100 per person, which means that even if you buy a ticket and go out to sea, you may not be 100% guaranteed to see whale sharks. It depends largely on the experience of the captain and the luck of the day." Nic analyzed that for this reason, tourists often cannot restrain their excitement when the whale sharks they are looking for suddenly appear. Some tourists will be eager to jump into the water because of their rich diving experience and good water skills.
In response to the outside world's questions about "whether the stern launch is in compliance with the regulations," Nic gave a professional explanation. He emphasized that entering the water from the side or stern of the ship is a routine operation, but only if a set of safety procedures must be strictly followed. "The normal logic is: the entire ship must be completely stationary. Only after the captain confirms safety and issues permission, can the instructors and tourists enter the water one after another. The core problem of this accident is that the ship did not stop. Under the interference of the roar of the engine, the captain could not hear the movement behind at all in the cockpit, and the stern position was a blind spot for the driver's sight."
With the upcoming April and May holidays in China, Nic would like to remind Chinese tourists who intend to go to the Maldives to chase whale sharks to choose a regular diving shop within their own capabilities, strictly follow the captain's instructions, and take the safety instructions given by the instructor seriously. "Chasing whale sharks requires certain physical strength and swimming skills. In addition, the project itself is also risky. Accidents such as collisions with boats, head-butts, kicks, and scratches by flippers often occur. Therefore, not many Chinese tourists come to Madai to chase whale sharks. 20%-30% will choose to do this project." Nic said that tourists who cannot swim or are not good at water are advised not to try to chase whale sharks. They can choose ordinary snorkeling or watch dolphins by boat, and the safety factor will be much higher. "The sea is not a swimming pool, tourists must be in awe."
