Discover the destination:
Dive into the best and most famous diving spots in Male and Ari Atolls. Explore channels, pinnacles, exciting night dives with nurse sharks, and manta cleaning stations. Expect to see sharks, manta rays, reef fish, turtles, moray eels, eagle rays, abundant macro life. Possible sightings of hammerheads and whale sharks. We don't follow an exact itinerary; Flexibility is key, regardless of what time of year you decide to travel, this underwater world is yours (and ours) to explore.
Clean ocean waters flow from the eastern side of the Maldives. This means that the currents running from Sumatra, Indonesia, to the Maldives not only bring fantastic visibility of up to 40 metres, but also plenty of nutrients for fish to feed on, which in turn attracts a variety of pelagic marine life. Dives in the canals of the east coast of the Maldives are the main attraction of the day.
These kandus, as they are known in the local language (dhivehi), attract grey reef sharks, dogfin tuna and eagle rays as standard, but look out into the blue and you'll never know what surprises await you. The outer walls and corners of the canals at Vaavu and Meemu have the added bonus of beautiful ledges covered in the blues, yellows and pinks of majestic soft coral.
After exciting dives in the channels of the eastern Maldives, we crossed to South Ari Atoll to look for whale sharks around the Maamagili area and manta rays at Rangali Madivaru, among other cool spots like Kudarah Thila and the Kudimaa wreck.
Included in the price:
- Green Tax: $6 per person per night.
- GST Tax rate 12% of services included.
- 7 nights aboard the Emperor fleet.
- Full board: Unlimited water, tea and coffee.
- Assistance at the airport and transfer to the ship.
- Approximately 17/18 dives.
- FREE Nitrox (subject to availability).
- Barbecue on a local island. Subject to weather conditions.
Not included in the price:
- Plane tickets.
- Tips: 10% of the cruise amount.
- Diving equipment.
- Travel insurance, assistance and cancellation.
- Diving Insurance.
- Any service not indicated in “the price includes”.
Dive Check and Departure: Once on board, a safety briefing will be conducted, the crew will be introduced, dive documents will be completed and reviewed, cabins will be assigned, and a boat orientation will be provided. Our ships dock at the port on the day of arrival, leaving early the next day. The first dive is a check dive near the port.
On the last day of diving, a morning dive is available, respecting the rule of no diving within 18 hours of the return flight. We returned to the port at approximately 1PM. and we docked here overnight. There is the option of an afternoon shore visit to stretch your legs and get off the ship while we are in port.
This itinerary is not suitable for beginners, as all dives are at depths greater than 18 meters and currents can be unpredictable and strong. We recommend that you have at least 30 logged dives and require that you be a Deep Diver or Advanced Diver or equivalent to join this trip. Divers may find many dives challenging and may be asked by the Cruise Director to refrain from dives that are not suitable for their diving experience. Diving is done from a Dhoni to provide precise entry and exit points.
Diving in the Maldives is highly dependent on currents as this is when we get the most exciting dives. Currents can vary from very gentle to extremely strong. Many dive sites transform with medium to strong currents, giving us many opportunities to encounter sharks, horse mackerel and schools of reef fish.
The real 'action' occurs when the current rushes against the Thila (pinnacle) or towards the mouth of a canal. Divers who need to reach this point may have to descend quickly (sometimes with a negative dive) and use their legs to move against the current. Therefore, a good level of fitness is required to enjoy the best action.
Moon phase, seasonal changes, and incoming or outgoing currents have a large impact on current strength and visibility. Visibility is variable and can range from 10 to 30 meters or more depending on conditions, current and season.
· During the northeast monsoon (approximately November to April), dive sites on the eastern side of an atoll have good visibility, while the western side has reduced visibility.
· During the southwest monsoon (approximately May to November), the opposite is true.
Mantas migrate with these seasons and are most often found in areas with reduced visibility.
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