Maldives breaks world record with 314 simultaneous snorkelers
Island nation surpasses its own previous Guinness record as hundreds enter Indian Ocean together in event aimed at drawing attention to protection of coral reefs
MALÉ, Maldives (MNTV) — The Maldives has broken the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people snorkeling simultaneously at a single location, with 314 people entering the Indian Ocean together in an unusual mass event aimed at drawing attention to the fragile coral reefs surrounding the island nation.
The record was set at Niva Kurumba Maldives, where local participants, resort staff and international tourists staying at the property took to the water together as part of an ocean conservation initiative organized by Bank of Maldives.
The achievement surpassed a record that had itself been set in the Maldives less than a year ago. Guinness World Records says 305 people snorkeled simultaneously at Siyam World island on Dec. 5, 2025, establishing the previous single-venue record. That event was also organized to raise awareness about protecting the country’s coral reefs.
The latest attempt increased that record by nine people and was officially verified by Guinness World Records, according to the Bank of Maldives.
Beyond the spectacle of hundreds of snorkelers entering the water at once, organizers sought to use the event to highlight the unusually close relationship between the Maldives and its marine environment.
The South Asian archipelago consists of low-lying coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, making healthy reefs important not only to marine biodiversity but also to the country’s tourism-dependent economy and the physical protection of its islands.
Organizers said bringing hundreds of people underwater together was intended to allow participants to experience the reefs firsthand while encouraging greater individual and community involvement in their protection.
The record also continues a recent Maldivian trend of using mass snorkeling events to promote ocean conservation.
In October 2025, 623 people from 13 islands and 15 resorts simultaneously snorkeled around an uninhabited island in Baa Atoll. Guinness classified that separately as the world record for simultaneous snorkeling across multiple venues because participants were divided between two distant sandbanks.
That means the Maldives now holds both Guinness categories — the largest simultaneous snorkeling event at a single venue, with 314 participants, and the multiple-venue record, with 623.
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