Maldives Safari Boats – For That Perfect Diving Holiday
If you’re looking for an amazing scuba diving holiday in the Maldives, you should really think about a Maldives boat charter. There are plenty of Maldives diving boats to choose from, which are generally known as “liveaboards” and they offer comfortable accommodation to groups of around 10 to 20 passengers. The boats are equipped with everything you need for life on board and are accompanied by a second boat, known as a dhoni – a traditional Maldives dive boat – on which all the scuba diving equipment is stored and from where all dives begin. Having this second boat is a great advantage because it can navigate much shallower waters and get much closer to the dive sites than the actual liveaboard boat.
A Maldives Safari Boat
Maldives Boat Trip Diving
The best thing about holidaying on a safari boat in Maldives is that it allows you to explore far more of the country and its magnificent dive sites than you would be able to if scuba diving from a resort dive centre. Because the Maldives islands cover such a large expanse of ocean, if you were tied to sleeping in one place, and had to return there every night by boat, the amount of time you would be able to spend actually scuba diving would be far more limited and the experience would likely be much more expensive. Maldives boat trip dive trips on a liveaboard tend to be surprisingly affordable, especially if you are not opting for one of the more high-end liveaboard boats.
View from a Maldives Safari Boat – Theia
Maldives Safari Boats
There is an incredible variety of Maldives safari boats on offer when looking to book your Maldives diving holiday, and you will find one to suit every taste and budget. Possibly the most exciting liveaboard dive boat in the Maldives is Theia.
Theia is a brand new dive safari boat in Maldives that was launched in 2010 and has been causing a lot of excitement. Offering stylish travel, Theia has accommodation for up to 16 people through 6 cabins and 2 suites, each with en-suite, hot water bathrooms and a stylish Asian décor. The suites located on the upper deck go that one step further, as they are equipped with flat-screen televisions and private balconies, giving guests a touch more privacy.
Other destinations for a sophisticated Maldives boat holiday are the liveaboards Island Safari 2 Royal, Dream Catcher II and MV Orion. Just like Theia, MV Orion was first launched in 2010 and is reminiscent of the private superyachts seen cruising the Caribbean or Mediterranean. Described by one diver as “business class scuba diving”, the 130-feet MV Orion houses special features including a private outdoor Jacuzzi on the deck of the master suite, stunning lounge areas and immaculate interior design throughout.
Panoramic Suite on the Dream Catcher II
Naturally, dive holidays aboard MV Orion, Theia, Dream Catcher II and Island Safari 2 Royal come at a premium, with a night’s accommodation costing around USD $200 on each of the boats, which includes all meals and dives. Now, if you compare this with the price of accommodation in one of the Maldives’ most luxurious resorts and then factor in the cost of diving from a resort dive centre, you will actually find that luxury Maldives boat diving is surprisingly affordable.
Furthermore, Maldives diving holidays can be even more economical if you choose one of the many other boats on offer. There is a wide range of Maldivian boats that offer liveaboard diving holidays at a more competitive price, from as little as USD $165 per night. Some of the best choices in this price range include Stingray, Black Pearl and Nautilus One and Nautilus Two. All of these offer a variety of cruises throughout the year which include all dives, meals and accommodation.
Jacuzzi and Lounger on Deck
If you’re looking for more of a feeling of adventure on your diving holidays in the Maldives and have a minimum of 60 dives in your logbook, Nautilus Two is a great option. This traditional Maldivian-style vessel is kitted out with everything you could need for a comfortable diving adventure. The boat is constructed completely out of wood and has 12 cabins – each air conditioned and with a private bathroom. Nautilus Two also features an outdoor Jacuzzi on one of the decks for use by all the guests and hammocks are strung out in the shade for whiling away your surface intervals in peace.
Maldives Safari Boat Information
Now you know there are plenty of Maldives liveaboard dive boats to choose from, there are a few more snippets of information you’ll need to know before you’re ready to start finding the right boat for you and looking into booking some Maldives boat trips. It’s important to understand that the prices for liveaboard holidays do not include flights from your home country to the Maldives, but do tend to include transfers from the airport to the Maldives holiday boat. Likewise, while the boats are typically equipped with a complete bar, alcoholic drinks are not included in the packages and so are charged separately at the end of your trip.
Unique Diving Experience on Maldives Dive Safari
As most experienced scuba divers tend to have their own scuba equipment and prefer not to hire, the prices do not include scuba equipment rental, although this can easily be organized at the time of reserving your Maldives boat safari. Some of the Maldives safari boat operators offer scuba certification courses if you are not yet a certified diver, while others will require that you are already a certified diver. Be sure to indicate your experience level when arranging your Maldives boat holiday. It’s also good to bear in mind that the Maldives is home to some strong currents and some of the dives are in deep water, so it’s really an ideal destination for an advanced diver, although that’s not to say there are no dive spots suitable for beginners.
Check out this breathtaking view of a sea turtle shot while scuba diving in the Maldives; The marine life is unmatched in the Maldives – be prepared for many more jaw-dropping sights and sounds from deep in the Maldivian waters.
How to book a Maldives Safari Boat
You can find out more about Maldives boat holidays online at www.maldivesdivetravel.com, a leading provider of Maldives boat safaris. On the website, you will find plenty of information about the different choices of dive boat in Maldives, prices, special offers, photos, videos and much more. There is also plenty of other relevant information about dive sites, marine life, and general Maldives travel information.
We are glad to assist you in any way possible, so don’t hesitate to contact us, regarding your Maldives Safari Boat Holiday.
Maldives Safari Boats – For That Perfect Diving Holiday is a post from: Maldives Blog
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Liveaboard Holidays
Trust our decades of experience when it comes to liveaboard diving holidays in Maldives; we are more than happy to help you plan and organise all aspects of your tropical holiday; from your flights to accommodation, to your luxury liveaboard cruiser, dive spots and guides, and any other details concerning your trip. Just get in touch right here. Our carefully selected ships are fully equipped with air-conditioned rooms and suites (single or shared occupancy) with en-suite bathrooms, stocked bars with a variety of soft drinks and liquor, full board including meals, snacks tea and coffee, instructors and dive master on hand, PADI courses, internet access, accompanying fishing boats and much, much more. For details on features, prices and reservations, check out the Maldives liveaboards cruise ships below. Our news section is always up to date with special offers and last minute deals – take advantage of them here!
Grey Reef Sharks in the Maldives
Grey Reef Shark in Maldivian Waters
The grey reef shark is a fascinating species of shark with a long, streamlined body. Spotting them underwater is one of the highlights of diving holidays in the Maldives. The reef sharks habitat is most commonly found around the coastal regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Scuba diving destinations where you can dive with them include the Maldives, the Red Sea, Australia, the Philippines and Madagascar. The grey reef shark tends to be found in shallow parts of the oceans and around coral reefs, where it hunts its prey. Its streamlined physique allows the grey reef shark to glide smoothly through the water, approaching unwary fish without warning.
There have not been many reports of grey reef shark attacks on divers and no attacks on humans in the Maldives have been reported.
Grey Reef Shark Facts
Grey reef sharks form part of the reef shark species – more specifically they are part of the requiem shark family – of which there are many, including the black tip reef shark and white tip reef shark; both of which can also be observed while scuba diving in the Maldives. All of these reef shark species are similar to the grey reef shark in that they have a slender grey body with a white underside, wide nose and big eyes. You can tell the grey tip reef shark apart from his family by his characteristic white-tipped dorsal fin, a dark grey-black stripe on his tail and his size – grey reef sharks are considerably bigger than their white and black-tipped cousins.
Grey Reef Shark Diet
The grey reef shark’s diet generally comprises small marine life including octopus, shrimp and many of the small fish species you would expect to find around a coral reef, where the grey reef shark spends much of his time hunting. The grey reef shark is a nocturnal animal, when they will be found hunting alone. The rest of the time, you will usually find grey reef sharks in groups, as they are quite social animals while not hunting. An adept hunter, the grey reef shark is able to lie very still on the ocean floor in wait of its prey and its acute sense of smell enables it to sense a potential meal from quite a large distance. When attacking the grey reef shark is an extremely quick swimmer – reaching speeds of around 18 meters per second – and its streamlined body helps for a very smooth line of attack.
A grey reef shark patrols the waters near a drop-off.
Grey Reef Shark Reproduction
The grey reef shark is one of the most widely-studied species of marine life in the Maldives and so we are fortunate to know a significant amount about grey reef shark populations and reproductive habits. The female grey reef shark can typically gives birth every two years and each litter has up to six pups. The time between conception and birth (gestation period) is approximately 12 months. When they are newborn, the grey reef shark babies are around 60 centimeters long and they reach their full length of around two meters after 7 years. The grey reef shark’s lifespan is around 25 years.
Thanks to its preference for shallow waters, and its aggressive nature, the grey reef shark has few natural predators. When attacked, the grey reef shark swings its head around, warning predators away.
Grey Reef Sharks in Maldives
The grey reef shark has been assigned the status of “near threatened” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature because in some parts of the world, it is hunted for its meat and the valuable shark fin is exported to China. Luckily, this practice is illegal and poaching remains relatively rare, though some incidents have been reported in recent years.
Other threats to the grey reef shark include general overfishing. To protect the species from extinction, it is important that shark hunting is monitored and fishing of the grey reef shark is limited where possible. Ideally, shark hunting should be banned altogether because most shark species are threatened by overfishing.
Thankfully, the Maldives announced a ban on shark fishing throughout its waters in March 2010 in an attempt to preserve and increase shark populations and consequently boost tourism to the country.
Many people are keen to know whether the grey reef shark is dangerous. While attacks have been reported, the good news is that such attacks are very rare and usually it is a case of a scuba diver or swimmer in the way of a very curious shark.
Maldives Reef Shark Diving
There are plenty of opportunities for scuba diving with grey reef sharks in the Maldives. One of the best sites for reef shark diving is Maaya Thila, in North Ari Atoll, where there are several different dive routes both for day and night diving. A Maaya Thila night dive is a great opportunity for you to see grey reef sharks while they are hunting alone, while during a day dive you are more likely to encounter them swimming in groups around the reef. This is also a great dive spot for seeing the white tip reef shark, as well as moray eels and octopus and countless coral-dwelling fish species. Many liveaboard divers will spend a day moored close to Maaya Thila, allowing them to take in a night-time, morning and afternoon dive, all of which will bring you in contact with different marine life.
Guraidhoo Kandu is another great dive spot, well known for its impressive grey reef shark populations, varied marine life and gorgeous coral heads. Located in the South Male Atoll, Guraidhoo Kandu is often visited on the way to or back from Maaya Thila on the same Maldives liveaboard cruise.
Elaidhoo Thila is another top diving attraction for Maldives reef shark diving; here you will find populations of white tip and grey reef sharks, amid groups of trevallies, nurse sharks and batfish. Like many dive sites in the Maldives, Elaidhoo Thila can be subject to strong currents and so is recommended for experienced scuba divers. Novices may be able to dive here when currents are calm.
More Grey Reef Shark Information
You can find more grey reef shark information online on the dedicated pages on pages like Wikipedia or MarineBio, where you will find a wealth of information related to all kinds of marine species. If you are looking for more information on reef shark diving in the Maldives, check out our recent blog post about it here.
Furthermore, you may be interested in “Maldives SharkWatch”, a research initiative launched by www.saveourseas.com. The page is set up for divers, fishermen and in general all tourists or visitors to the Maldives, who can assist in the study by reporting their personal shark sightings. In turn, contributers can obtain significant information about different species of sharks, and their whereabouts. Please check out the page here, and don’t hesitate to get involved!
Grey Reef Sharks in the Maldives is a post from: Maldives Blog
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