There are over 1190 islands in the Maldives with breath taking underwater realms, swaying palm trees and white powdery beaches. It is almost impossible to reach all the islands or to explore the dive sites within a 14 days or 7 days vacation to the Maldives, travel by a safari boat or by a cruise vessel because of the greater distance and limited cruising speed so, the travel companies have designed a common cruising routes to experience the most out of your holiday to the Maldives. Here are some of the most popular cruising routes of Maldives liveaboards and what you can expect while scuba diving within the region.
1 – THE MAGICAL DEEP NORTH (North of Male’ & Baa Atoll)
This route covers cruising further North of Male’ Atoll as far as Baa Atoll. The fish life includes Midnight Snapper, small-toothed Emperor, coral rock Cod, Moon Fusiliers and broad-striped Fusiliers, while the shallows play host to thousands of orange Basslets as well as Moon Wrasse and Lizardfish. However, it is for the quantity of brightly-colored pendulous soft corals that this site will live in your memory. Hanifaru bay in Baa is famous for Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. The Deep North Cruise takes you to the best of Baa Atoll Maldives.
2 – THE NORTHERN HEART OF MALDIVES (North of Male’ & Ari Atoll)
North Male and North Ari atoll are perhaps the best known and explored diving areas of the Maldives, having long been recognized as providing a great variety of scuba diving and beautiful scenery. It’s geographical location makes it relatively easy to get to Male’ international airport, the favored port of departure. North cruise diving is characterized by reefs, caves and drop offs. This cruise sees plenty of fish in action and is generally a good area for large pelagic, with sharks and mantas at the front of the queue. A shipping route through one of the atoll channels has also left a few wrecks for future generations to enjoy as colorful and thriving artificial reefs. In addition, the North Cruise dive sites enjoy some of the best coral reefs in the Maldives.
3 – THE SOUTHERN HEART OF MALDIVES (South of Male’ & Ari Atoll)
Channel diving is a major feature of cruising through South Male and Ari Atolls. On the eastern reef wall there are 6 channels through which a huge volume of water floods, bringing with it all the nutrients to attract large quantities of marine life. Diving the South Cruise features fish in schools of sizable numbers, big pelagic fish, plenty of soft corals and caves as well as one very good wreck, and is considered one of the best liveaboard diving areas in the Maldives. Highlights: Cocoa Thila – A large, deep water pinnacle on the outer edges of the atoll, Cocoa Thila’s many ravines and overhangs provide divers with refuges in which to shelter from the strong currents that attract grey reef sharks, eagle rays and large schools of fusiliers.
Guraidhoo Kandu Thila – a large underwater region with a variety of channels, reef plateaus, walls and drop-offs. The diversity of topography is reflected in the many attractions here, from Moray eel, Lionfish, quirrelfish, soft corals and fans occupying the colorful chamber dwellings, to schooling trevallies and Sharks patrolling the reef channels and walls.
4 – THE BEST OF SOUTH (South of Male’ & Vaavu Atoll)
Cruising through the South Male’ Atoll to reach Felidhu Atoll, the highlights include Alimatha Kandu outer reef – ribbon Eels of black, blue and Grey reef sharks. Fohtheyo – caves also offer colorful soft corals, schooling Jacks and Grey reef sharks. Fohtheyo is also popular for sighting Hammerhead sharks during early morning dives.
All cruising routes will include stopping by at nearby local islands as well as uninhabited islands and there are more routes yet to be discovered.
