Southern Cruise is a diving cruise to the Southern Heart of the Maldives in other words to South of Male’ Atoll and South of Ari Atoll. South Ari and Male’ is one of the most dived areas of the Maldives. Very high possibility to see whales and whale sharks.
DAY ONE (1)
Upon arrival at the airport you will be met and greeted by one of our representatives and here you will be assisted to embark your chosen Safari Boat. Enjoy your welcome drink and take your time to discover your room and unpack. Relax in the restaurant before we come together for our Safety Briefing. After chilling out and setting in we anchor outside Kurumba Maldives. Now it’s time to get into the water for our Check Dive at VELASSARU CAVES to get comfortable in the waters of the Maldives. While we are cruising to Velassaru, you have time to explore the Boat.
DAY TWO (2)
We start our day in the early hours at VAADHOO CAVES, located on the Northern tip of the Atoll. This pristine reef is famous for drift dives and all species of Reef Fish. Discover the multiple caves and overhangs and watch out for the bigger visitors such as White Tip Reef Sharks, Tunas and Turtles. For our second dive we either head to KANDOOMA THILA, a teardrop shaped reef and considered as one of the most spectacular dive sites in South Male’ Atoll, famous for its scenery and prolific fish life. Or we venture to the KUDAGIRI WRECK, a small intact wreck with its bow at 18m and its stern at 30m depth. Watch out for the Frog Fish which can be seen every now and then or go for a discovery tour inside the wreck. Join us for our afternoon dive at COCOA CORNER and be witness of one of the best Shark shows around Male’ Atoll.
DAY THREE (3)
During dawn the boat moves to South Ari Atoll. We will wake up at Guraidhoo and jump for our first dive at GURAIDHOO CORNER. This reef, well known for its notorious incoming and often very strong current, reveals Grey Reef Sharks, patrolling the edge of the channel entrance and a high activity of other Pelagic. We take you to RANIKAN to experience the colorful abundance of tropical fish and corals. Look well enough to spot Leaf Fish and take the opportunity to see most of those shy visitors such as Torpedo Rays, Manti Shrimps and Lobsters. In the summertime there is a big chance to experience the Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. Come with us for a calm and highly inspiring dive at RANVELI THILA. This is the spot for photographers to catch Sand Eels and sleeping White Tip Reef Sharks on the sandy saddle. Consisting of two Thilas, the beautiful Pyramid Corals are home for some of the most spectacular species of Nudibranchs and Flatworms. For the night we anchor at Dhangethi in South Ari Atoll.
DAY FOUR (4)
(All stops for today are listed inside the TOP 10 diving sites of the WORLD!) Our first jump-off point is at KUDARAH, an advanced diver’s dive site with strong current, abundant fish life, coral gardens, overhangs and caves where you find Octopus. Discover BROKEN ROCK, with its infamous submerged 2m wide canyon which splits the Thila into two parts and is the highlight of this reef, even rated as one of the top 5 dive sites in Maldives. FIVE ROCKS is a reef broken into five pinnacles. Take your camera to explore the numerous overhangs, caves and huge undercuts, covered with soft corals and encrusting Sponges. This area is packed with long-jawed Squirrelfish, oriental Sweetlips, Anthias and Moray Eels. Our night shutdown is planned at Maamigili.
DAY FIVE (5)
We wake up at the deep Southern tip of South Ari Atoll and head straight for an exciting day. At MAAMIGILI BEYRO, a sloping outside reef, we drop down for a great cavern dive, heading towards the channel entrance and dive along a vertical wall of corals, down to 30m. There is a huge possibility to see Whales and Whale Sharks, as this dive site is considered to be one of the best spots in Maldives to encounter these giants. BODU FINOLHU THILA will give us another chance to meet up with the biggest fish on earth, the Whale Shark. Besides watching Eagle Rays and Mantas which can be often found in large schools, we discover the small beautiful coral heads, overhangs and crevices to find big Moray Eels and spiny Lobsters. HUKURUELHI FARU will entertain us with regular visits of Manta Rays, feeding, cleaning or performing circuits and loops. The 1km long reef slopes down gently from 8m at the top to 30m to the sandy reef floor, with coral gardens and many overhangs and caves at a depth of 20-25m. The dusk has come and we venture for a popular night dive at BULHAA LHOHI CAVES on the Westside of South Ari Atoll. The short reef presents many caves between 7-20m. At 16m you find a cave looking like a huge window with a swim- through to another cave where Seafans and Featherstars dominate. The fish life here is above average and is an excellent location for photographers.
DAY SIX (6)
Anchored in Raiydhigaa we take you to KALHAHANDI HURAA, also known as PANNETONE. Get ready for a strong current dive adventure. The reef wall is covered from floor to ceiling with multi-colored soft corals, Sea Fans, Sea Whips and Sponges, flushing back and forth with the current. See Squirrelfish, Scorpion Fish and Pipefish, just to name some of the multiple species at this dive site. Take your camera when we go for a very different kind of dive experience. Our next stop is planned inside the Atoll at DEGA THILA, an unusual reef formation, divided into 2 parts. Coral heads rise from 30-5m and you will enjoy the healthy coral growth, mainly consisting of Sponges, soft coral and black coral bushes, giving home to colorful Nudibranchs, Frog Fish, Leaf Fish and many more. For our third dive you can choose AIYABE THILA with beautiful overhangs between 3-25m, lots of Gorgonians and at times Grey Reef Sharks or we jump off at BODU MIYARU GAH, where two Frog Fish are frequently spotted and where you can experience a very nice top reef and overhangs filled with Glassfish, Moray Eels and Lionfish. In the evening we complete our day with a relaxing Beach BBQ on an desert island.
DAY SEVEN (7)
If you don’t hop on a plane within the next 24hrs you come with us for our last dive on this cruise. Enjoy AIYABE THILA once more or head to KALHAHANDI HURAA again to finish your dive experience with us in a current dive, before we move back to Kurumba at the Southern tip of North Male’ Atoll for our night shutdown. From there we take you for a walk to Male’, offering you the chance for some sightseeing and souvenir shopping, before you enjoy your last night on the boat.
DAY EIGHT (8)
After breakfast your crew will transfer you to Male’ International Airport.
The above Itinerary is just to give you an idea of the routes we follow and dive sites. The route will be discussed on your arrival. We will consider your preferences, weather and seasons to offer you an unforgettable diving experience.
