SCUBA DIVING IN THE MALDIVES 15TH TO 22ND AUGUST, 2019 SCUBA DIVING IN THE MALDIVES In August 2019, we’re headed to the Maldives to catch the post-monsoon monsoon frenzy! The plankton-filled waters will attract large filter feeders – mantas, whale sharks – and of course the sharks and coral gardens that make the Maldives such an exciting destination. We’ll start in Male and cruise around the central atolls, hitting North Ari, South Male, and the famous Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll to snorkel with the mantas! Expect choppy seas and some current – participants must have at least a PADI Advanced Open Water or equivalent certification and 20 – 30 dives to participate. Spots are extremely limited. Reserve yours soon! Inquiries & bookings: [email protected] | +91 9619698098 | + 91 2226400434 FORCE MAJEURE The Company accepts no responsibility for and shall not be liable in respect of any loss or damage of alterations, delay or changes arising from unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond its control, such as war, or threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial disputes including air traffic control disputes, terrorist activity, political unrest, change in government regulations, natural and nuclear disaster, floods, fire and adverse weather conditions, technical problems with transport, closure or congestion of airports or ports. DIVING The Maldives has something for everyone – from tiny jewel-colored critters to mighty whale sharks. And, just because sensory overloads are never enough, dolphins may play in the boat’s wake. You’ll be diving in kandus (channels), sandy bottoms with shark action, coral atolls with hunting dogtooth tuna, swim-throughs with coral overhangs, cleaning stations with mantas, eagle rays and perhaps larger creatures! The post monsoon season boasts plankton-rich waters, so we are looking forward to meeting large filter feeders that are attracted to the plankton blooms. SCUBA DIVING IN THE MALDIVES THE OPERATOR We will be diving off the Blue O Two’s charming wooden yacht, the Sea Spirit. Deliberately built for intimacy, this boat and its dhoni have a capacity of only 12 people – so you can expect personal attention from the two dive guides and two Lacadives staff members who will accompany you on this trip! Blue O Two, and its partner Master Liveaboards own and operate liveaboards in some of the best locations on the planet, including the Red Sea, the Galapagos and French Polynesia. You will be in good hands! SCUBA DIVING IN THE MALDIVES KEY FEATURES · 26 meter wooden hull · 6 en-suite air conditioned cabins · Nitrox membrane for those who would like to use nitrox · Wifi · Al fresco dining area GETTING TO AND FROM THE MALDIVES Male International Airport (MLE) is fairly straightforward from Mumbai or Bangalore on Go Air or Spice Jet. If you’re traveling internationally, Emirates and other middle eastern airlines fly into Male via their respective hubs. This trip will depart from and end in Male, please see one potential itinerary below We suggest arriving in Male on the morning or afternoon of August 15th, and departing on the morning or afternoon of August 22. Go Air G823 BOM – MLE (August 15, 2019). Departing 12:40 Arriving 14:55 Go Air G824 MLE – BOM (August 22, 2019) Departing 15:55 Arriving 19:20 The boat will dock in Male on the morning of August 22nd. If you have a few hours between disembarkation and your flight out, you can spend time at either Hulhumale Island Resort or the Airport Lounge (see pricing section below for details) TRIP SAFETY Travel cancellation and dive insurance (including insurance covering decompression chamber fees) are absolutely mandatory on this trip. We recommend using DAN or Dive Assure for dive insurance, and your preferred insurance company for travel and medical insurance. As All guests must have a minimum of a PADI Advanced certification (or equivalent) and comfort with diving in currents. As some dive sites may be challenging, the trip leaders and the crew may request some guests to sit out certain dives due to a lack of experience or skills. ITINERARY (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) · 7 nights, 8 days (August 15 – 22, 2019) · 3-4 dives per day, weather permitting · The daily schedule will approximately be as follows: o Light breakfast, followed by dive 1 o Full breakfast, relaxation, briefing, dive 2 o Lunch, relaxation, briefing, dive 3 o Snack, relaxation, dinner. If there’s a dive 4, the schedule will be slightly amended SCUBA DIVING IN THE MALDIVES DIVE SITES We’ll be visiting several dive sites along our journey, but here are some of the highlights we’re most excited about! Orimas Thila, North Ari Atoll: Although sharks are not usually the highlight of the northern itineraries, Orimas Thila is an exception to the rule. Here, grey reef sharks can be observed circling and wriggling whilst they are being cleaned. The best spot to view them from is down-current either on the sandy bottom or from a ledge out of sight, kneeling or using a reef hook if the current is running. Miyari Faru, North Male Atoll: ‘Miyaru’ means ‘shark’ in Dhivehi - sharks feature prominently at this North Male spot! At around 30 metres there is an overhang which can shield you from the strength of the passing current, and with an incoming current the visibility can be excellent and the parade of pelagic fish and local residents, impressive. You might see a number of grey reef sharks as well as barracuda, kingfish and tuna. Large groups of eagle rays and their larger cousins, the manta rays, are often seen here filter feeding in the plankton-rich water. Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll: Yes. That place – a UNESCO World Heritage site where hundreds of mantas converge in an area the size of a football field to create one of the largest feeding frenzies on earth. There may be 200 mantas at one time, and perhaps even whale sharks! Since January 2012, SCUBA diving has been halted in Hanifaru Bay, however snorkeling is still permitted for $20 per person Dhigala Thila, Baa Atoll: This beautiful thila in Baa Atoll is easily circumnavigated in one dive and is a favourite for shark sightings; often big numbers of grey reef sharks together. Once heavily fished, it is now a protected marine sanctuary and the fish life is prolific and varied with blue fin jacks, fusilier, blue striped and humpback snapper, batfish and schools of barracuda. SCUBA DIVING IN THE MALDIVES PRICING AND INCLUSIONS STANDARD CABIN o Per person price: USD 2,375 (approximately INR 160,000) Accommodation in standard cabin, twin sharing: USD 1,999 (approx. INR 136,000) Full set of equipment, including dive computer: USD 350 (approx. INR 24,000) – contact us for individual equipment prices. Green Tax of USD 6 per person Hanifaru Bay snorkeling fee of USD 20 Please contact us if you would like a room to yourself, the surcharge for this is 80% on the accommodation Expect the full cost of this trip to be approximately USD 2,700, or about INR 180,000, once you include flights INCLUSIONS 7 nights accommodation, meals and snacks Tea, coffee, fruit juice, soft drinks 17 - 22 dives (3-4 dives per day, including 1 night dive) Full set of equipment, including a dive computer Transfers between airport and Sea Spiriton days of embarkation and disembarkation ADDITIONS/EXTRAS Nitrox: USD 105 (for the week) Reef hook rental: USD 21 (for the week) Alcohol and merchandise International flights: approximately USD300 (INR 20,000), round trip from India Visa fees, if required (Indian nationals can receive a visa on arrival for up to 90 days’ stay; please make sure your passport has at least 6 months’ validity) Crew tips Insurance (we require diving insurance, health and travel insurance for this trip). DAN insurance is also a good option for annual insurance Airport lounge/additional hotels not listed above Airport lounge fee can be booked in advance: USD 30 for the first three hours, and USD 8 for each additional hour after that. Hulhumale Island Resort starts at USD 80, and has free shuttles to the airport every 10 – 15 minutes. Day use packages can be arranged on arrival at the reception SCUBA DIVING IN THE MALDIVES PAYMENT METHODS AND TIMELINES Payment methods and details will be shared at the time of booking Payment timelines and policies are as follows: On confirming booking: 40% of trip cost due as a non-refundable deposit to Blue O Two upon confirmation of booking 60% due 60 days before the trip (June 1, 2019) CANCELLATION POLICY If you would like to cancel your trip, please contact us at the earliest 61 days or more before departure: 40% of price is forfeited 60 – 0 days before departure: 100% of trip price is forfeited Please see full set of terms and conditions here OTHER THINGS TO KNOW The currency in the Maldives is USD. Larger hotels and shops accept Visa and Mastercard, and may levy a credit card fee Cash is accepted on board – USD, GBP, EUR and AUD Although on the Maldives is generally warm, it might get cool or windy during the evenings. Bring a light jacket or sweater! There is free wifi on board when the boat is “in range”. However, if you need consistent internet, you may consider purchasing a SIM card at the airport..