Naked recently went tripping around the world and on its travels found itself on the beautiful islands of the Maldives with one of our Naked Team! Rachel Parsonage and her husband Dave visited for their honeymoon this year after getting married in Christmas 2010! Rachel loved using her Naked body wash after a long day on the beach or moisturising with 24 Hr Naked Coco De Mer Body Butter after a hard day in the sun!

Now here's a geography lesson for you... The Maldives are located in the Indian Ocean (I know we would all love to be there now... wake up... stop dreaming!) It consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometers (wowsers,) making this one of the most disparate countries in the world. Composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, the atolls are situated atop a submarine ridge 960 kilometers long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs from north to south (we will test you at the end!)

Rachel is a bit of an adrenaline junkie and you will most likely find her taking part in a beach or water activity than quietly sunbathing and watching the tranquil Maldivian way of life pass her by! Rachel and her new husband spent their days exploring the wonderful turquoise waters of their island by diving from morning till night! They had an amazing time diving and although the Maldives are known the world over for the stunning beaches and azure waters that typify the tropical idyll, its life beneath the water's surface is becoming ever more respected by divers. The Maldive Islands have some amazing coral reefs, but it's the abundance of fish life that sets it apart from many other dive destinations.

If you ever get a chance to dive in the Maldives look out for Napoleon wrasse, parrotfish, snappers, barracudas, jacks and sweetlips! In the channels, you can explore the caves, caverns and overhangs where soft corals proliferate, and there are colourful sponges, invertebrates and gorgonian fans… sounds amazing! There are also plenty of cleaning stations where cleaning wrasses and shrimps service the larger marine species.

Slightly removed from the reefs, you are likely to spot the pelagics that frequent the Maldives, including manta rays and eagle rays and a variety of sharks including the mighty whale shark, (which Rachel got very close to…only 15metres... she’s a brave lady our Rachel!)

Wherever you look there is likely to be something of interest going on and for many it is in the shallows where the best of the action takes place! Here the clear water, brightly illuminated by the sun's rays and playing host to great numbers of fish, provides an ideal environment both for photographers and divers alike!

During the El Niño of 1998 some shallower areas of the coral reefs have been adversely affected by bleaching - where the colour reduces and looks as if the coral is dead.  It’s not dead but can take up to 10 years to become vibrant again! Now there’s a fact for you!

However the accepted view is that while the reefs are returning to their former colourful glory, the marine life has never dwindled and indeed many believe it has increased in numbers over the past few decades. In a step towards becoming environment-friendly, the Maldivian government unveiled plans in 2010 to designate three whale shark habitats in the Maldives as protected areas. The allocated protected areas include Baa atoll Hanifaru, Baa atoll An’gafaru and Alif Dhaal atoll Maamigili as protected areas to commemorate World Environment Day and World Ocean Day.

The main objective of the project was to protect the areas mega fauna, namely whale sharks and manta rays. Naked prides ourselves on supporting these protected areas. Tourism is helping the Maldives, particularly where hotels and wildlife charities are involved with conservation. Many islands and reefs are protected from fishing and boats mooring to stabilise the coral and wildlife. Just goes to show when you visit these islands as tourists there’s a lot going on above and below the shore than meets the eye!