Maldivian diver Shafraz Naeem has made a world record by travelling to three atolls underwater.
“Across Maldives 2026”, hosted by Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC), is an historic event held to establish an underwater world record by local diver, Shafraz Naeem. Starting on January 23rd, this marks the first endeavour to establish such a record into the “Visit Maldives Book of Records” in 2026.
Speaking at the closing ceremony for the event, Visit Maldives Managing Director, Ibrahim Shiuree stated that this activity was planned about one and half years ago, and was only possible because of the dedication shown by Shafraz.
Shafraz has attained two records as part of this endeavour. The first record is for diving with a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) and travelling for over 90 hours in one attempt, with the second being for travelling a total of over 450km using DPV in one month. Shafraz said that this was a dream of his for over 20 years, and he sincerely thanked everyone who assisted him in making this possible.
At the ceremony, Shafraz was awarded a plaque to commemorate his achievements. This was handed over by the Minister of Tourism and Environment (MoTE), Thoriq Ibrahim, and Visit Maldives Managing Director, Ibrahim Shiuree.
This event marks a national campaign to establish the Maldives as a leading destination in ocean conservation globally. The key aim of this activity is to endorse Maldives as an “Oceanic Country”, and to promote the destination for adventurous, skilled tourists on a global scale. This journey displays the underwater beauty of the nation, showcasing marine life and Maldivian traditions related to the ocean.
This journey was allocated to particular islands, with hotels, guesthouses and island councils providing assistance. The entire voyage was documented, including underwater videography, island visits, interviews as well as information pertaining to environmental protection.