Best Of Maldives - Thaa & Meemu (Malé - Malé)
Departure
Malé
Malé Intl (MLE)
Return
Malé
Malé Intl (MLE)
10 Nights
Approx. 23 Dives
No minimum number of dives required but recommended is 20 dives; AOWD or equivalent certification level and being comfortable with currents.
Itinerary Highlights
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Is the best of Maldives itinerary extended with some southern atolls. With some luck you will be even able to spot a whale shark .
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Speedy drift dives, mantas, lots of sharks, including Whale Sharks, Silkies, Hammerheads, Silvertips, Tiger Sharks and Grey Reef Sharks and dive several atolls.
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Many of these islands are yet to be fully dived and explored, further south the fewer people.
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The big attraction in the Maldives are the schools of fish that patrol the reefs in colorful packs: Humpback and Black and White Snappers, Trevally Jacks, Barracuda, Batfish, Unicornfish, Yellowback Fusiliers and Harlequin Sweetlips almost comical in design.
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Most intriguing are the cleaning stations, Groupers, Snappers, Surgeonfish, Eels, Parrotfish, even Giant Napoleon Wrasse park casually in corners, while armies of wrasse, shrimp and other assorted cleaners pick at debris in their open gills and cavernous mouths.
Embark/Disembark: Guests will fly in and out of Malé, Velana International Airport (MLE) and will be met on the start date of the charter from 11 am - 5 pm and transferred by speedboat to the Maldives Aggressor II.
Itinerary Description
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Safety briefing, crew introduction, necessary dive paperwork, cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the harbor.
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Journey to the first dive site for a check dive. Please take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the vessel and make yourself comfortable.
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Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforeseeable factors.
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All year round dive North Male, South Male, North Ari, South Ari, Vaavu,
Rasdhoorn, Meemu, and Thaa. Spectacular channel-drift dives, wrecks, reefs, pinnacles, world-famous night dives. Divers will be astonished by the variety of marine life. From nudibranchs, eels, schooling reef fish, eagle rays, sharks and turtles to manta rays and whale sharks.
Dive Sites Description:
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*easy **medium difficult ***challenging
MALE ATOLL
Lankan Beyru (Manta Point) *
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The main attraction of the site are manta rays coming to the cleaning station during the southwest monsoon. The cleaning station itself is a large coral block covered with anemones and full of fish life. It is also very common to come across whitetip reef sharks, turtles and napoleons.
Rasfari Corner *
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It is covered with hard corals and hosts a cleaning station during the northeast monsoon. The most common way to do the dive here is to start on top of the reef, which is protected from the currents and after spending some time with the mantas.The wall is nicely covered with hard corals, rich with fish life and popular with turtles.
SOUTH MALE ATOLL
Kandooma Thila ***
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Definitely number one in the ranking of the best dive sites in South Male atoll, offers spectacular conditions to observe grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays, big schools of jacks and snappers both with incoming and outgoing current. Currents can be pretty strong so negative entry and fast descent is often required. Current hooks should be ready to use. Rasdhoo atoll.
Rasdhoo Madivaru ***
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Channel dive between Rasdhoo island and Madivaru offering a spectacular ridge facing the ocean to observe grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays and large dogtooth tunas. More pelagics are visible during strong incoming currents, the use of current hooks is advisable.
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With incoming current and a bit of luck it is possible to encounter hammerhead sharks. In this case the dive starts in the blue.
NORTH ARI ATOLL
Maaya Thila **
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The upcurrent side is always very active and busy with fusiliers and snappers. Big jack fish, whitetip reef sharks, stingrays and moray eels can be spotted easily. Some overhangs around the thila provide shelter for turtles. With the right current this is a place to spot grey reef sharks as well.
Fish Head **
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One of the major attractions of the atoll, cannot be missed. Big schools of jacks and fusiliers on the upcurrent side as well as difficult to count amount of blue striped snappers hiding from strong currents inside the overhangs all around the thila are the highlights of the place. It is also popular with grey reef sharks, schools of barracudas and dogtooth tunas in the blue as well as turtles and moray eels on the top reef.
Bathalaamaagaa Kanthila ***
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Offering good conditions for observing grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays and napoleons as well as schools of jacks and fusiliers. The dive site is active during both incoming and outgoing currents but might be more challenging during outgoing currents of northeast monsoon. Current hooks strongly recommended.
SOUTH ARI ATOLL
Moofushi Kandu (Manta Point) **
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Drift dive with a chance to spot manta rays hovering over the cleaning station at the depth of around 14 to 25 meters. If mantas are spotted it is recommended to use current hooks and stay around the cleaning station for a longer time. Whitetip reef sharks are common visitors around the deeper part of the cleaning station with blue striped snappers and fusiliers being permanent residents.
Kudarah Thila ***
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The thila is a part of Marine Protected Area and is often considered the most beautiful site of the atoll with exceptional diving conditions. It is also known for big schools of blue striped and midnight snappers, fusiliers and jacks. It is worth to have a torch and look inside small caves where often you will find big groupers hiding.
Kudhimaa Wreck **
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50 Meters long cargo ship lying on a sandy bottom at around 30 meters depth, right next to a resort island called Machchafushi. It was sunk in 1998 and already offers good coral growth and a large variety of species living on it. Nurse sharks, batfish, stone fish, lion fish and moray eels are permanent residents and can be spotted around the wreck. There are a few entrances allowing to penetrate the cargo hall as well as the wheelhouse.
Maamigili Beyru (Whaleshark search) *
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Best location in the Maldives for spotting the biggest fish in the world. Whale sharks can be seen cruising along the reef all year round. Most of the boats look for them from the surface. The code of conduct for whale shark encounters must be followed and is always discussed during the briefing.
VAAVU ATOLL
Miyaru Kandu ***
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One of the channel dives that you don’t want to miss. With strong incoming current the list of possible encounters is impressive. Mainly grey reef sharks but also whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleons and tunas are quite common and with the visibility reaching 40 meters during the northeast monsoon it can be the highlight of the trip.
Alimatha House Reef **
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Every night there is a show performed by a big number of nurse sharks, stingrays and massive jacks. Maximum depth will not exceed 15 meters and most of the time you will be kneeling on a sandy bottom waiting for the sharks to come closer.
MEEMU ATOLL
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Popular with divers of all levels. Advanced divers can enjoy the deeper reefs and exhilarating drift dives in the channels. You'll see pretty corals, mantas and reef sharks. Meemu Atoll is home to dolphins, whale sharks, moray eels, grouper, Napoleon wrasses, eagle rays, and snapper.
Mulaku Kandu
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A channel with interestingly shaped pinnacles and soft coral overhangs.
Medhufushi Thila
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A pinnacle covered with sponges that leads to a sheer wall and overhangs.
Muli Corner
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The reef is known as home to a lot of sharks during incoming currents but it also welcomes manta rays on a large cleaning station during outgoing current.
Thaa ATOLL
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Suitable also for beginners, but many of the best dive sites have strong currents that requires experience. Advanced divers can explore deep, steep walls that are decorated with coral. With little current, lots of macro life, and the possibility of spotting manta.
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Visibility is superb in the warm waters surrounding the atolls. Healthy corals are virtually untouched by humans. Large predators are attracted into the channels to feed on the profusion of smaller reef fish schooling close to the coral walls and submerged thilas.
Whaleshark point
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Common practice at this site is to use a strong light in the evening at the back platform of the boat to attract the zooplanktons which will further attract the whale sharks. Sometimes in this site the whale shark will stay for hours
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Diving in the morning and return to port after lunch followed by a Malé city walking tour (1 hour), dinner ashore and farewell cocktail party.
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Dinner is the only meal not included in your trip
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Cocktail party 6 pm, dinner 7 pm ashore at a local restaurant.
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Unfortunately our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon!
Please note: the itinerary above is an example of the planned route and dive sites cannot be guaranteed. All dive sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.