STINGRAY SAFARI TOUR 1 DAYS/14 NIGHTS DAYS ITINERARY DIVES DAY 1 Kuda Giri South Male' Atoll (Check Dive). 1 DAY 2 Guraidhoo South is well known for spotting Gray Reef Sharks, Eagle Rays and Pelagic species. The dive at Guriadhoo Kandu begins at the outer reef close to the channel corner and divers swim towards the corner during an incoming current. Once at the corner, divers can use the current to hook on a coral and observe the entrance of the channel VlamendhooThila Twin Rock. The "rocks" that make up this dive site are huge limestone pinnacles that shoot up from the ocean depths to just break the surface. Strong currents rip through these small islands during large monthly tidal changes - making this dive site difficult at times. Along the walls of the twin rocks the coral is very alive. Fan corals, soft coral, and thousands of small fish abound. Out into the blue, large sea creatures such as Dogtooth Tuna, Giant Trevally, and Eagle Rays can be sighted. DAY Kudarah Thila is subject to strong currents and a quick descend is necessary here. The dive begins at the up current and usually the dive guide sets the jump point a few meters away from the reef. Divers can easily circle around the Thila and the coral head located just a few meters away from the main reef. Bodu Finolhu Thila. Bulha Lohi Cave DAY 4 Bulha Lohi Thila. Penettone is also known can be subject to some strong currents at times and washing machines and underwater turbulence is created here, so it is only suitable for novice divers when there are no currents. A long overhang between 12 and 25 metres has fallen to the bottom due to underwater disturbance to the
bottom, which is easily noticed when you begin the dive. Dhega Thila. DAY 5 Thudufushi Thila Dhokalho Thila Ranfaru DAY 6 Maalhos Thila The reef starts at 12m with big overhangs that fall down at 5m grown over with white blue soft corals. You will get the impression of being in an ice cave. Swarms of blue strip Snappers and Sweet Lips will make your dive unforgettable. Recommended only for experienced divers, as there might be strong current sometime. Fesdhoo Wreck Maaya Thila (Night Dive) DAY 7 Maaya Thila A small dive-spot, just 25 min away from the island with lots of fish and black corals. Here you can see Grey Reef Sharks, White Tip Reef Sharks, Batfish, Barracudas and Eagle Rays. Also you will find turtles and Sepias. It is an easy dive spot. Recommended for beginners. The reef top is at 7m. Fish Head is every diver s favourite dive and one of the most prominent dive sites in Maldives. Famous for populations of Grey Reef Sharks, White Tip Reef Sharks, Napoleon Wrasse and many other pelagic, this used to be a shark feeding site until the government declared it a Protected Marine Area and banned shark feeding. Simply put, the fish life at Fish Head is excellent and also includes Trevallies, Jacks and Tuna. If the current is not too strong a complete circle can be made in one dive. Maaga Thila DAY 8 Ellaidhoo House Reef Bathala Thila offers magnificent corals and is haunted by giant Napoleon wrasse and white-tipped reef shark. RusdhooMadhivaru DAY 9 Rusdhoo Madhivaru Voshi Mas Thila. This small thila near Reethi Rah is another good site for sharks particularly where there is current. There are also some overhangs to explore and generally good stocks of all the popular reef fish Rasfari Bodu Thila DAY 10 Rasfari Out offers spectacular dives filled with myriad species of fishes, invertebrates, soft corals and colorful flora. Vashi Mas Thila Finger point. This site is a thila and noted for shark sightings. Expect to see white tip, grey reef, silver tips and if you are lucky even hammer head sharks.
DAY 11 Finger Point. Tri See Cave Helengeli Hose Reef (Night Dive) This is a renowned dive site and the strong currents mean that you are likely to see sharks, eagle rays and large shoals of jacks. The corals are also very colourful at this site and it's worth taking along your torch to pick out the wonderful hues. DAY 12 Helengelhi Thila Coliseum. The reef of the Coliseum dive site features an initial steep descent, which is carpeted with hard coral. However, once inside the channel, the reef s slope becomes more gradual. The appearance of playful, colorful soft coral becomes more intense as well. This is one of the Maldives best dive sites because the marine life is rich with pelagic species, sharks, eagle rays and all kinds of reef dwelling fishes. Lankan Manta DAY 1 H.P. Reef.The best diving at HP Reef is found on the southern side of the reef and when the current is flowing into the Atoll (East to West). During mild current, you should swim slowly, while observing the coral blocks, caves and overhangs. The coral blocks and the caves at HP Reef are filled with multicolored soft coral and you should keep your eyes open for the many invertebrates, including nudibranchs, leaf fish and many more. Eagle Rays, schooling Silver Jacks and Batfish are common at HP Reef Nashimo Thila is an oval-shaped Thila displaying a good variety of colourful, soft corals. The most interesting aspect of Nassimo Thila is the randomly scattered pinnacles. Spend as much time as possible around the scattered pinnacles but limit your depth to maximize bottom time as the scattered pinnacles go down to more than 0 meters. Okobe Thila is one of the most uniquely shaped Thilas in the North Male Atoll and it comprises three large coral heads. Usually the boat is fixed to the mooring on the dive site and divers use the mooring as both the descent and ascent line. Once divers reach the end of the line at Okobe Thila, they start swimming towards the up-current. If the current allows, divers can zigzag from one coral head to the other while observing the fish life, which commonly includes Eagle Rays, Jacks, Tuna, Napoleon Wrasse and Bannerfish. DAY 14 Departure TOTAL DIVES 7
BOAT SPECIFICATIONS Technical specifications Year Built: 2001 Length: 1m Beam:09m Draft: 02m Main Engine: 278 HP Yanmar diesel Japan. Cruising Speed: 10 knots (max 12 knots) Power Supply: 24hrs 220volt / 50Hz A/C 2 ONAN sound proof generators (Combined 40 KW) Water Supply: Aqua Tec Desalination Plant 125ltrs /hr, storage tank 4000 liters. Hot water system available. Accomadations and Facilities 9 comfortable, air-conditioned double cabins (approx 25 sq M) each with port holes. All cabins have bathrooms with shower and toilet Our bar facility in the Salon offers a choice of fresh fruit juice soft drinks, cocktails, liquors, wine and draft beer Maw passengers : 18 Crew : 8 Navigation and Communications 48 miles radar SSB marine Radio Satellite phone Mobile Phone VHF radios Depth sounder Magnetic compass FAQ PASSPORTS & DOCUMENTATION Visitors must have a current passport, adequate funds to support themselves and a return airline ticket to travel to the Maldives. It is the travelers responsibility to ensure they have the proper documentation to travel to the destination and return to their country. Please check with the appropriate consulate to ensure you have the proper documentation. Always check your passport and visa requirements. US citizens may go to the US Department of State website at www.travel.state.gov for more information. The Reservations Center cannot assume responsibility for passengers not having correct documentation. TAXES & FEES The Maldives Government charges a bed tax of $8 US per person per day which is collected at the end of the week when you settle your tab. (MasterCard/Visa, US dollars, Travelers Checks or Rufiyaa are accepted). C-CARDS & DIVE THE WORLD CLUB Please bring your c-card or proof of certification. The divemaster requires proof of certification before the first dive. If you are a member of the DWC, you will receive onboard discounts. HEALTH We have a complete first aid kit on board, including oxygen. You may want to bring motion sickness medicine if you feel you ll need it. We recommend a complete physical prior to your trip. There is no smoking allowed inside the yacht or on the dive deck. Smoking is only permitted on the sun deck. Two recompression chambers are available in the Maldives. One is on Bandos Island (fifteen minutes by speedboat from Male) and the other is in Kuramathi.
PACKING When packing, please watch the weight and size of your bags. You will need to check with the airline for more information on weight restrictions. For easy luggage storage, we recommend you pack a soft duffel bag. CLOTHING T-shirts and shorts are the usual attire due to the warm and sunny days. Evenings can be cool. Therefore, you should pack a sweatshirt or windbreaker. Tennis shoes are recommended f orland tours. For easy luggage storage, we recommend you pack a soft duffel bag ENTERTAINMENT There is a variety of nightly entertainment including night diving, fish identification slide shows, games and more. The crew especially enjoys recent DVD movies, musical CD s, magazines, and books. Feel free to bring along your favorites. MALDIVES DIVING CONDITIONS The climate is warm year round and determined by the monsoons. The monsoons are mild and not as defined as in neighboring countries. The northeast monsoon starts in January and goes through the end of April. In January and February the currents can be very strong but the big animal activity can be. The beginning of January brings clear water to most of the area which can be over 200 feet visibility. Underwater visibility in the Maldives is determined by the tidal movements with incoming and outgoing tides. The monsoon patterns have a significant impact on the diving. From May to October, the southeast monsoon brings more rain, wind and big animal action. Mantas and Whale Sharks can be seen year round, however are more prevalent in April, May, October and November. There are no cyclones in the Maldives because of being located at the Equator level. The air temperature varies little with an annual average of 90F and minimum of 80F, while the water temperature ranges from 80F to 86F Diving is carried out from a "diving dhoni that will not anchor but will follow the divers from the surface. This is the safest and most comfortable way to dive in the Maldives due to the wind and current. Every diver will have his own seat and his own basket where he will store his diving gear, which will always remain on the diving dhoni. The system leaves the main boat free to handle accommodations, meals and social activities in a quiet atmosphere. DIVE GEAR SUGGESTIONS We suggest you pack the following: mask, fins, snorkel, regulator with pressure gauge, buoyancy compensator, depth, gauge, dive computer, wetsuit, dive light, and batteries. We encourage and recommend you have your equipment checked before arrival in the Maldives. Each piece of gear should be marked with waterproof paint or tape. RENTAL DIVE EQUIPMENT A full line of rental dive gear is available aboard including regulators, BCs, dive computers, and night lights. Please reserve in advance. TRAVEL IN MALDIVES Climate: Air temperatures are constant through the year averaging around 90F. The water temperatures range from 82F to 86F. Time Zone: Maldives is on the Standard Time Zone, GMT+5 hours with no daylight savings time. Electricity: 240 volts. It is recommended you bring a plug converter and a transformer. Plugs,are the type G and prongs. Transformers will am Sunday morning. change the voltage to 50 cycles and not to the necessary American 60 cycles needed. Vaccinations are not necessary. The crew on board is Maldivian but a European and American crew will be responsible for the diving and to take care of guest requests. Currency: Maldivian currency is in the form of rufiyaa and laree s. American dollars, traveler's checks and major credit card are widely accepted. Clothing: Casual cotton clothing is best for most occasions. There are no dress requirements aboard, however, when on land modest clothing and covered shoulders are recommended. Language: The main language is Dhivehi; however, English is widely understood and spoken. The crew will be English speaking. Food: The food is a well-balanced mixture of Maldivian, Asian and Western influenced cuisine. Special requests can be accommodated with advanced notice. Environment: please take care of the environment by kindly taking used batteries and plastic bottles. Maldives Law: The Maldives are a quiet, trouble free and highly respected destination. Importation of alcohol is forbidden. There are no liquor stores or bars; however, alcoholic beverages are available by
special permit to international tourists traveling to Maldives. A limited selection of beer and wine will be offered at dinner as well as scotch, rum, gin and vodka will for sale by the bottle once onboard from the ships bar. Liquor must be ordered at least 7 days from departure date. While this is not the normal Aggressor practice, due to the customs of the Maldives, it is necessary to abide by the laws of the country.