Adorned with a few banyan trees and coconut palms, a patch of sand barely 500 metres in length and 150 metres in width, 1.5 metres above sea level, on the rim of an atoll, plonked in the vast Indian ocean a few hundred miles from the Sri Lankan coast, it’s hard to imagine that you could find any kind of wildlife seemingly interested or bothered enough to find their way to something that remote or obscure. But, as the tourists have managed to find their way to Kuredu Island Resort, so too has a motley crew of other wildlife.

First up, is the enigmatic white-tailed tropic bird. I say enigmatic, because they first catch your eye with their graceful flight, their long white tails glinting in the sun. I photographed them in earnest for a good while, attempting to catch one or two as they ditched their high flying flock to come down to beach level. On a walk of the island (which wasn’t a long jaunt by any means) I noticed one fly into some trees. I was able to walk right up to one, crouched at the bottom of a banyan tree. I was surprised it didn’t move, until at the last moment it decided that I, on my haunches with Canon 5D II poised, was too much of a threat. It literally fell over itself in what was laughable for a walk before taking to the air. This bird is clearly not designed for living on land. Below are a few shots I took of this quirky bird.

White-tailed Tropic Bird, Kuredu, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives

White-tailed Tropic Bird Formation, Kuredu, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives

Blue Horizons, White-tailed Tropic Bird, Maldives

Of course the white-tailed tropic bird was not the only wildlife we found on Kuredu. We also came across a hamster during the evening. Looked more like a rat, but the folks in the resort dive centre maintained it was a resident hamster, and it had penchant for snorkelling fins. Those hamsters sure do get about. The most unexpected creature we did see though was a black and white rabbit munching on some grass near the resort’s golf course. The rabbit is the world’s true survivor, they are simply everywhere. But back to the more authentic fauna. The local lizards were fascinating to watch, especially the Calotes lizard which could be found basking in the branches of trees. Really liked the shots I was about to capture below.

 Calotes Lizard, Kuredu, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives

Calotes Lizard, Kuredu, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives

And to a shot of yet another island bird. This time a crane. This shot really struck me. I saw this bird sitting seemingly on the fronds of a coconut palm as dusk approached. It was almost like he was keeping lookout, an avian sentinel of sorts. The 5D Mark II came into it’s own here. The shot was taken at ISO 3200, with very little grain.

Crane and Frond, Kuredu, Maldives 

I close then with one more photograph. This of a breaching dolphin. We came across a pod while enjoying a sunset cruise near the island. One can never tire of watching dolphins. This was one of many I took, and it does take a deal of patience timing the shot just as this incredible mammal appears above the water line.

Breaching Dolphin, Kuredu, Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives

You can find more Maldives wildlife photos at http://stephenjkennedy.com