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Every diver dreams about this moment: Whale Shark appearance during a dive!!! This happens one hour ago during a 10 nights liveaboard dive trip with Theia, one of the best liveaboard dive boats in Maldives. The boat is at present in Ari Atoll, coming from North Male via Rhasdhoo Atoll with a bunch of excellent dives on the way. See yourself:
Whale Shark appearance today outside Kudadhoo Island, South Ari Atoll, Maldives
Monday 6th Dec 2010:
2nd dive: Under extreme condition ( heavy rain and rough) maldives diving liveaboard Theia reports Whale Shark appearance outside Kudadhoo Island!!!! + Mobula + Manta Ray + Eagle Ray and Sting Ray during the dive, yeeepeeeee!
1st dive: Thinfushi Ethere Thila – is a stunning thila between 8 to 25 meters featuring caves with sea fans and soft corals. Fish life is abundant and coral growth is excellent. The thila has one of the most spectacular display of sea fans to be found anywhere in the atoll. Along the walls of and inside the caves are large, healt…hy sea fans – an indication of the strength of the current flowing in and out of this channel.
Seafan Thinfushi Ethere Thila, Ari Atoll, Maldives
Sunday Dec 5th 2010:
3th dive: Kuda Thila 2nd dive : Kudhi Maa Wreck 1st dive: Dhigaa Thila repeated
Saturday Dec 4th 2010:
3rd dive at Dhigaa Thila 2nd dive: Makaru Thila - Poor visibility but more than 15 Gray Reef Sharks and loads of White Tip Sharks.
Grey Reef Sharks at Makaru Thila. Ari Atoll, Maldives
1st dive: Miyaru Ga Thila - White tip Sharks, Octopus and Barracuda
Friday Dec 3th 2010: 100% dedicated to shark dive 4th dive at Maaya Thila (night) 3rd dive at Maaya Thila
2nd dive at Bathalaa Maaga Kan Thila: Poor visibility but lots of Gray Reef sharks
1st dive: Early morning Hammer Head dive at Rasdhoo Madivaru - no Hammerheads this morning…
Going diving in the Maldives is one of those experiences in life that stays with you long after you’ve left the country’s pristine islands, swaying palm trees and crystal-clear waters behind. One of the top destination of choice for divers from all over the world, this tiny Indian-Ocean Republic is made up of more than a thousand tropical islands crowning an intricate network of coral reefs, which spreads over some 900,000 square kilometers. Just beneath the water’s surface lie some of the planet’s best dive sites; home to an incredible variety of marine species. With stable politics, white sandy beaches, a balmy climate and friendly people the country’s overwater charms are also second to none.
In other words, choosing the Maldives as a diving destination is a no-brainer. But choosing between land-based or liveaboard diving can leave even the most seasoned scuba diver confused. Here is our guide to what makes liveaboard diving in the Maldives a firm favorite of the international dive community.
Mobility
First things first: because they are mobile, liveaboards offer a level of freedom and ease that is unmatched by other kinds of diving in the Maldives. Imagine arriving at Male International Airport and, instead of facing a long transfer to a far-flung island, being personally welcomed and swiftly taken to your boat, which is already anchoring nearby. Then, imagine spending your days being chauffeured between the best dive sites in the Maldives, enjoying top notch onboard service and cuisine, visiting local islands and watching the exotic scenery pass by as you relax on deck.
Variety
Because of their unique geography, the Maldives are blessed with innumerable world-class dive sites, many of which are yet to be discovered. In terms of offering easy access to as many of the best diving sites in the Maldives as possible, liveaboard cruises are simply unbeatable: no long transfers, no bumpy speed boat rides. Whichever direction your route takes, at the end of the trip your logbook is sure to feature plenty of stunning, and in some cases legendary, dive sites.
Big Fish
One of the main reasons the Maldives are so popular with divers is their abundance of large marine animals. After all, whale sharks, manta rays and various kinds of reef sharks are among the common fish of the Maldives. Encountering one of these giants of the ocean is a riveting experience, not unlike seeing an elephant or a lion in the wild, which is why liveaboard cruises also often referred to as “safaris”.
Adventure
Overall, boat holidays in the Maldives offer an irresistible sense of adventure. As the boat makes its way through the atolls, it often stops off at local fishing villages, anchors near uninhabited islands and crosses channels between atolls. Scuba diving cruises allow you to discover several atolls, meet locals and discover authentic Maldivian culture in a relaxed way. Not to forget that, on many liveaboards in the Maldives, you can spend your time between dives doing other exciting water sports such as water skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, fishing and canoeing.
Friendly Atmosphere
Whether you are a single traveler, on your honeymoon or coming with a bunch of friends, liveaboard cruises offer a wonderfully relaxed, flexible and social way to enjoy the best diving in the Maldives. Comfortable communal spaces offer plenty of opportunities to make friends and swap diving experiences over dinner, while the spacious layout of our ships allows you to find your favorite spot to read a book or watch the sunset.
Affordability
With the wide spread of luxury hotels and high-end services, the cost of scuba diving in the Maldives can be prohibitive. Though luxury liveaboards offer a superb level of services and facilities, prices are well below those of an island holiday. Also, package prices for cheap diving holidays in the Maldives tend to include numerous extras such as airport transfers, dive transfers, meals plus snacks and select beverages, island visits, sports activities and so on.
Conquering an Uninhabited Island
Most safari boat excursions in the Maldives include free visits to uninhabited islands and, if the weather allows it, dinner is served on the beach. Having an island (almost) all to yourself is an unforgettable experience: once you land on the island and venture away from the shore, you might well come across a variety of exotic birds, flowers and butterflies. On a few islands, you can even find remains of old settlements and temples.
No Heavy Lifting, No Mosquitoes
As mentioned at the beginning, diving from a liveaboard in the Maldives is easy. During the trip, there is no need to carry back and forth diving equipment, because all diving equipment is stowed directly on the “Dive Dhoni”, a refitted traditional Maldivian fishing boat, which acts as a floating dive base and accompanies the mother ship. Another great aspect of liveaboard diving in the Maldives is that, because there is usually a refreshing breeze and the ships anchor at a certain distance from the nearest island, you don’t need to worry about mosquito bites.
Sleeping Under the Stars
For many, no diving safari in the Maldives is complete without spending at least one night on deck. The stars over this part of the world are simply breathtaking and it is not unusual to see several shooting stars before being gently rocked to sleep by the waves.
No Shoes, No News
This famous holiday mantra is often heard on dive safari boats in the Maldives. If you want to completely switch off and get away from it all, there is no better place for it than a Maldivian liveaboard.
Theia – one of the most comfortable scuba diving liveaboard maldives
Maldives Dive Travel reports about this cruise day by day. Until now we have report from 3 diving days while the ship is set to sail direction Rasdhoo Atoll – maybe Hammerhead Sharks are waiting in Madivaaru….
Theia started for a 10 night scuba diving safari this Monday afternoon with ten international scuba divers on board, mainly from UK and Danmark, spending their maldives diving holidays on board Theia.
The orientation dive was done at Back Faru, a long outer reef – it`s a nice drift dive with a gentle current.
The 2nd dive was Nassimo Thila, The water in the ocean is warm – 29° Celsius ( about 84° F) – and fish life is just amazing.
3th dive was Lankan Manta Point with only two Manta Rays this time.
This scuba dive cruise report, made on board MV Orion between the 15th and 26th November 2010 may give you a taste about famous dive sites Maldives and diving from a liveaboard in Maldives.
Diving starts in the early morning and makes your breakfast on board after the dive extremly tasty. After having a rest on board, the second dive starts before lunch - maybe whale shark watching in ari atoll? Dive number three is usually offered in the afternoon, in between the dives you have plenty of time to enjoy the comfort on maldives diving liveaboard MV Orion, one of the best Maldives dive safari boat. This is the latest scuba dive cruise report:
16/11 – Kurumba HR (N.MALE) – White tips, eagle ray`s
- Lankan Manta Point (N.MALE) – 3 manta ray`s on cleaning station. 2 hawkbills
23/11 - Lankan Manta Point (N.MALE) – 6 manta ray`s on cleaning station, plus another 7 around station.
– Feydhoo Finolhu (N.MALE) – nice wall dive, drift dive. green sea turtle – Maaya Thila (N.ARI) - lots of white tip shark`s hunting on top reef, along with 2 giant morays
fighting each other. Black spotted sting ray on top reef. 2 Hawksbill turtle`s and a cuttlefish
This could be your scuba diving holidays in maldives. See more details about the comfortable maldives diving liveaboard MV Orion here … We are happy to be at your service in case you have more questions or if you want to place your booking for your scuba dive cruise in Maldives.
Just US$588 for 1 male guest on a 7 night diving safari on the comfortable and stylish Black Pearl in the Maldives.
NO on board charges appears.
Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to book!
Comfortable & Stylish Black Pearl Liveaboard
Check-in & Check–out:
Please check in for cruise no later than 14:00 in Male on Sep 20th and check out by 10:00 on Sep 27th. Please take these times into account when booking flights to and from the Maldives.
That`s exactly what makes scuba diving holidays in Maldives perfect for divers: Whale Sharks, the highlight for Maldives liveaboard diving. Guests on board Theia this week were lucky to see the Whale Shark.
Maldives liveaboard diving at it`s best, seen this week on the Theia liveaboard dive trip.
seven nights on board for the price of five nights
only US $ 1,495 per person
MV Orion is brand new – Nitrox free of charge on board
The MV Orion is a brand new, luxurious super cruiser eager to chaperone guests to some of the Maldives most alluring dive sites. When on board, guests can enjoy a library, bar, jacuzzi and top of the line massage services. Nitrox, all dives and full board accommodation are included in the package price.
MV Orion Maldives private deck for the Executive Suite
Stay seven and pay only five nights is valid for all bookings from 19 Nov 2010 for the following cruise dates:
29 Nov – 6 Dec 2010
6 – 13 Dec 2010
13 – 20 Dec 2010
3 – 10 Jan 2011
10 – 17 Jan 2011
17 – 24 Jan 2011
24 – 31 Jan 2011
only US $ 1,495 per person
MV Orion Maldives diving boat
Check-in, check-out:
Cruise start and end is in Male. Meeting for transfer to the boat is at 1200 noon in Male airport on cruise start day. You will have checked out by 10:00am latest on the last day of the cruise. Take these times into account when booking flights to and from the Maldives.
This last minute offer will sell out fast, so book your maldives diving vacation now and take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy terrific diving and cruising in the Maldives at an unbeatable price!
We are happy to be at your service in case you have more questions or if you want to place your booking:
Magnificent Maldives Dive Trip with Whale Shark Biologists!
Unique safari departs August 30th – 14-night trip $2,590 per person (includes fuel surcharge and marine biologist fee)
Upon arrival in the Maldivian capital Male (the most densely populated piece of land on the planet) the crew will meet and transfer you to your home, away from the hustle and bustle of life, for the next two weeks – The Black Pearl. There you’ll meet the rest of your Maldivian crew and the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) marine biologists.
Whale Shark Research Biologists will be Present on the Cruise
After chilling out and settling in, no time will be wasted in getting you in the water! An orientation dive will take place in North Male before you begin your journey north, through the idyllic coral chain of islands to Baa Atoll.
During the evening, the MWSRP biologists will formally introduce themselves and deliver a presentation about the organisation’s work and provide a short briefing about animal encounter conduct. The next day your dives will begin! Rasfaree Outside and Voshimas Thila, where grey reef sharks, green and hawksbill turtles and other wonders of the ocean will be awaiting you in the warm crystal clear tropical water. afternoon will bring the channel crossing to Baa Atoll – drawing you ever closer to some of the most extraordinary dive sites in the world.
Explore the Stunning Coral Reefs of the Baa Atoll
Gather Incredible Knowledge from Marine Biologists
During evenings onboard the Black Pearl, the marine biologists will discuss with you the importance of the precious ecosystem through interactive presentations and conversations. You will also be given the opportunity to become involved in the research – taking photographs, monitoring behaviour and distuinguishing features, measuring animals (where possible), sexing, logging GPS coordinates, etc – and recording all of the data in one of the most comprehensive whale shark databases in the world. You’ll be introduced to and given the chance to use I3S, the spot pattern recognition software, originally developed by NASA and used to identify whale sharks and manta rays through their unique spot patterns. The biologists will be with you 24/7 giving you every opportunity to gain answers to those questions you have always wanted to ask.
The Black Pearl is the Perfect Liveaboard for a Dive Safari in the Maldives
Your dive locations will vary depending on wind and weather conditions. Please see the list of sites below for the scheduled dive sites. However, nothing is set in stone. If you particularly like a certain spot we may stay for another dive… or two.
Experience the Magic of Hanifaru Bay!
For example, Hanifaru! The lagoon is a natural phenomenon where you will almost certainly want to stay. Arrival will be scheduled for the best tide times to ensure the best chance of witnessing the manta ray feeding frenzy at is climax.
Dive Sites: Anga Faru, Dhigali Haa, Rangali Faru, 12.5 Thila, Maavaru Kandu, Muthaafushi House Reef (Night Dive ), Dharavandhoo thila, Milaidhoo Outside, Blue hole, Dhe Gaa Thila, Neli Varu, Don Fan thila, Blue Hole, Cake, Outside Reef, Udoodhoo West, Ranfaru, Hurualhi Corner, Kihaa Rock, Vadhoo Corner, Kihaadhoo Thila, Aidhoo Channel, Iru caves,…
Dive with Grey Reef Sharks in the Baa Atoll
Day 13: Unfortunately, is the beginning of the end of your experience with the Black Pearl crew and MWSRP. The channel crossing voyage will begin… but don’t worry! You’ll sneak one last dive in at Lankan Manta point, where chances are you’ll get one last ‘manta ray fix’ before departing the incredible environment of the Republic of Maldives.
Day 14: Your crew will transfer you to Male airport for your departure where you can dream of your unforgettable experience over the past two-week experience.
The Stingray Liveaboard is not only an extremely comfortable scuba diving liveaboard, but affordable as well, a combination which attracts divers from all over the world.
MS Stingray – Maldives Liveaboard
Stingray is a solid wooden boat and combines traditional Maldivian boat-building with modern engineering. 9 comfortable cabins (4 with double and 5 with twin beds) are all equipped with air conditioning and en-suite hot-water showers. All cabins offer external portholes.
The Stingray’s attentive crew will pay close attention to your safety and comfort throughout the duration of your Maldives diving holiday. Nitrox is available for certified Nitrox divers, and Padi/NRC Nitrox courses are available on board upon request.
Special Prices on Maldives Diving Holidays aboard the MS Stingray
The following offers are valid for all bookings made September 3rd and onwards:
MS Stingray Maldives Diving Holiday – October 10 – 20, 2010
October 10 – 20: 10 nights for the price of 9 – only USD $1,512 per person
MS Stingray Maldives Diving Holiday – December 8 – 15, 2010
December 8-15: s 7 nights for the price of 6 – only USD $1,260 per person
MS Stingray Maldives Diving Holiday – December 15 – 22, 2010
December 15-22: 7 nights for the price of 6 – only USD $1,260 per person
Check-in and check–out in Male:
Please check in for the Maldives liveaboard cruise no later than 14:00 in Male on the cruise start date. Check out is 10:00 on the final day of the Maldives diving cruise.
