Deep South Maldives
CSAC Dive Trip January 2024
Planning for this trip went back to February 2023 when we were on a dive trip to Raja Ampat, Indonesia. After seeing photos and video from another diver on the liveaboard we were hooked. Helena at Diverse travel was then commissioned to organise the flights and liveaboard for our Maldives trip.
The main object for this trip was to dive with Tiger sharks, Manta Rays and hopefully Whale Sharks, amongst others. All of the objectives were met with the exception of Whale Sharks, which turned out to be illusive in the area at this point in the year. Unbeknown to us we were at a transition point in the monsoon season, which arrived late this year, producing outgoing currents from the atolls and milky visibility. Had the trip taken place in mid February onwards we would have had more of the incoming currents which would have possibly brought clearer waters and plankton for the larger pelagic marine life we were in search of.
We all arrived at Birmingham airport in plenty of time for our 14:45 take off on the new Airbus A300 800. Travel time to Dubai was around 8hrs, travelling some 3,500 miles.
The second leg of the journey saw us flying from Dubai to Male taking just over 3½ hours on a smaller Boing 777. The final leg – Male to Gan was a short flight of 1½ hours. In total we had been travelling some 23-hours.
We were met at Gan International by 3 of our dive guides. Ichelle from Germany, Lucas from Austria and Ana from Male, Maldives.
A short walk with our luggage brought us the dohny, Neemo, which was to be our dive boat for the nine days of diving in the Maldives. After a short ride we were at the main MV Leo liveaboard – our floating hotel for ten days. Jules, the French dive guide and tour manager greeted us once we were aboard the MV Leo and carried out the usual safety and boat orientation brief. We did a quick rekey of the boat and sorted our rooms, introduced ourselves to the boat crew and other divers and awaited the remaining passengers before having our first evening meal aboard the MV Leo.
A short walk with our luggage brought us to the dohny, Neemo, which was to be our dive boat for the nine days of diving in the Maldives. After a short ride we were at the main MV Leo liveaboard – our floating hotel for ten days. Jules, the French dive guide and tour manager greeted us once we were aboard the MV Leo and carried out the usual safety and boat orientation brief. We did a quick rekey of the boat and sorted our rooms, introduced ourselves to the boat crew and other divers and awaited the remaining passengers before having our first evening meal aboard the MV Leo.
The daily plan was our bible for the week outlining the timing of our schedule.
Daily Plan – Day 1 (after travelling for a copious amount of time)
06:00 Wake-up call and light breakfast
06:30 Dive and safety briefing
07:00 Dive 1 – Kotty Beyru
10:00 Breakfast
11:30 Brief & Dive 2 – Maa Kandu, Manta Point
13:30 Lunch
15:00 Brief & Dive 3 – Bodu Hoholha
18:00 Happy hour (2 for 1 Beer)
19:30 Dinner
The rest of the week was a similar daily plan with the exception of a few minor changes to diving and visiting local islands.
Diving through out the week was varied both with sites and marine life, wall dives, channel dives, pinnacles, coral reefs, blue dives with no reference points, massive currents, drift dives, night dives, wreck dives etc. We carried out 25 dives usually around 30 metres and up to 65 minutes per dive all on 30% nitrox, which greatly helped with gruelling schedule.
Eat, Sleep, Dive, Repeat was never truer as with most liveaboards.
Day 3 we carried out 2 dives before travelling 3½ hours north, crossing the equator to Huvadhoo Atoll, before happy hour and dinner.
Day 4, three more dives then a BBQ on a local beach. Tables and chairs hired from a local island, BBQ set up by the crew and a whale shark made out of sand on the beach. It was good to get off the liveaboard for the evening and stroll around the small uninhabited island with beautiful white sand and palm trees and flowering shrubs.
Another 12 dive over the next four days and then a fabulous night dive at Lovalo Giri, North Huvadhoo.
Sunday 28th three more dives before celebrating Tony G’s birthday and another trip to a local beach for a kick-around and a few beers. Being the last few on the beach we were able to see the stars in complete darkness.
Mentioning no names, the ball was kick inadvertently into the sea and as we all watched it being carried further and further out in the Indian Ocean. Our Spanish hero (Juan) swam out after it and retrieved the ball after a lengthy swim, needless to say the ball was put away after this! Returning to the boat, Tony was treated to the Maldivian way of celebrating birthdays being doused in raw eggs and a reddish liquid – jumping in the sea after this unusual celebration saw most of the mess removed.
Once showered and changed we were treated to a celebration evening banquet with traditional Maldivian cusine to round off the evening.
The final day had us carry out the last dive of the week and a shore visit to Addu City, Gan. After dinner, bills were settled, beers were consumed and dives were relived, discussing the highlights of the week and sharing photos and completing immigration forms for our journey home.
5am!!! Early start for our journey home, bags packed, goodbyes said to new friends before the mammoth journey home.
Until next time – farewell Mal Davies (you had to be there J)
We had a fabulous week of diving and micky taking and adopted an honorary Aussi member – Steve a retired consultant doctor from Newcastle, New South Wales, just north of Sidney, Australia.
There were a few very minor mishaps but no incidents thankfully during the dives. A few reels were dropped, a fin strap snapped, some weights were lost and a DSMB was ragged by the propeller. Memories were made, new experiences were discovered and goals were achieved. A great bunch of CSAC divers made the trip a success.
Some records were broken, 52 beers were consumed by one individual and in the region of 70 eggs were consumed by another during the course of the week. The food on-board was fabulous and plentiful, I think at some point we were tired of eating!
Water temperatures were always 29 – 30 degrees Celsius unless passing through a thermocline.
The weather was always sunny – too hot for sunbathing. After one dive we sat talking on top of the dohny and we got sunburnt within 15 minutes.
Coral gardens were spectacular, fish and other marine life was truly awesome.
Every dive had its own attributes and many of us chose different dive as our personal favourites. One dive did stand out as a favourite for everyone – the dive with tiger sharks at Fuvahmulah.
In the Maldives, where waters gleam,
A diver’s paradise, a diver’s dream.
Beneath the sun, the warm embrace,
Where currents whisper, a gentle grace.
MV Leo sails the azure hue,
To deserted islands, a chosen few.
Eat, sleep, dive, repeat the song,
As days and nights drift along.
Tiger sharks roam, majestic and free,
In the depths of the Indian sea.
Grey reef sharks glide with silent might,
In the current’s embrace, they dance in the light.
Drift dives take you where the ocean flows,
In the rhythm of the tide, a story grows.
Manta rays grace the water’s stage,
In elegant motion, they leave their trace.
Strong currents pull, a force to behold,
Yet divers venture, courageous and bold.
In depths where mysteries abide,
Adventure awaits in every tide.
Scuba diving in Maldives’ domain,
Where warmth and wonder forever reign.
In this realm where dreams take flight,
Each dive a journey, each moment bright.
Majestic corals, vibrant and bright,
A symphony of life in sight.
Amongst the shadows, mysteries hide,
In a watery world, they abide.
Weightless, drifting through the blue,
Exploring depths both old and new.
In every dive, a story to be told,
In every moment, secrets unfold.
Maldives Dive Sites
Dive sites – Addu Atoll
Sunday 21/01/24
- Kottey Beyru
- Maa Kandu (Manta Point)
- Maa Kandu
Monday 22/01/24
- British Loyalty Wreck
- Bodu Hoholha
- Maa Kandu
Tuesday 23/01/24
Dive Sites – Fuvahmulah
- Tiger Zoo / South Plateau
- South Plateau
Wednesday 24/01/24
Dive Sites – North Huvadhoo
- Maarehaa Kandu (out)
- Kondey Coral Garden
- Maarehaa Kandu (in)
Thursday 25/01/24
- Kondey Kandu
- Vilingili Kandu
- Koodhoo House Reef
Friday 26/01/24
- Koodhoo Corner
- Koodhoo Kandu
- Vilingili Kandu
Saturday 27/01/24
- Koodhoo House Reef
- Vilingili Kandu
- Koodhoo Kandu
- Lovalo Giri
Sunday 28/01/23
- Lovalo Giri
- Nilandhoo Kandu
- Kondey Kandu
Monday 29/01/23
Dive site – Fuvahmulah
25. Tiger Zoo / South Plateau