For many people the exquisite islands and coral reefs of the Maldives require little introduction. For once the holiday brochures do not need to exaggerate: these really are picture postcard islands, with swaying palm trees, white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons…

The Maldives is home to 23 species of cetacean, from the diminutive but super-abundant Spinner Dolphin to the mighty Blue Whale. Other species that we might see include Spotted Dolphin, Striped Dolphin, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Indo-pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin, Fraser’s Dolphin and Rough-toothed Dolphin, Shortfin Pilot Whale, Killer Whale, False Killer Whale, Pygmy Killer Whale, Dwarf Sperm Whale and Sperm Whale. In addition, the Maldives has an international reputation for its beaked whales: Cuvier’s Beaked Whale, Blainville’s Beaked Whale, Longman’s Beaked Whale (long considered the rarest whale in the world) and Deraniyagala’s Beaked Whale (recognized only in 2014) are all seen regularly.

But what makes a visit to the Maldives so memorable for many is the quality of the snorkelling. The warm clear waters hold an abundance of technicolor coral reef fishes; Manta Rays and Whale Sharks.

We run trips of 7-12 night’s duration, visiting more distant Maldivian atolls during longer trips. In all cases we make use of our considerable local knowledge to seek out the areas most likely to offer the very best cetacean sightings. These are wild animals, so we cannot guarantee sightings, but we fully expect to see hundreds if not thousands of individuals of up to 12 different species.

All trips are kept flexible to make the best of these sightings, but for a one week trip the typical itinerary will be something like this:

Day 1: Arrival in Maldives. Arrive at Malé International Airport and transfer to our comfortable live-aboard boat. Depart around lunchtime. With a little luck we can expect our first cetacean sighting while still in sight of the airport! Tonight, and every night we will anchor in a sheltered location within one of the atolls. Depending on anchoring time there should be the opportunity for a swim, snorkel or island visit. This first evening there will be an orientation talk after sunset drinks, and most other evenings there will be an informative and engaging talk on local marine life and natural history.

Days 2-6: Whale and dolphin watching in the central atolls. Most mornings will start with a snorkel on a nearby coral reef, which in some cases may be frequented by schools of Spinner Dolphins. We then head out of the atolls into the deep ocean, in search of the rich diversity of whales and dolphins that inhabit these waters, at the same time keeping an eye open for turtles, flying fish and seabirds. Each evening we will anchor in the lagoon of an atoll, near a reef or island. Unless we have delayed by too many cetacean sightings (!), there should be time for a second snorkel or perhaps an island visit. And, depending on the season, we expect to visit at least one site where we can snorkel with magnificent Manta Rays.

Day 7: A final full day of whale and dolphin watching off Malé Atoll. In the afternoon we will return to our anchorage near the international airport. Farewell dinner and last night on board

Day 8: Malé. After breakfast transfer to international terminal for departure.

CETACEANS

Spinner Dolphins are super-abundant in the Maldives, and we do see hundreds on our trips. But the main attraction of cetacean-watching in the Maldives is the great diversity of tropical cetaceans. On most 10-day trips we see 10-12 different species, and have recorded 21 species in total:

Blue whale                           Balaenoptera musculus

Bryde’s whale                       Balaenoptera edeni

Sperm whale                       Physeter macrocephalus

Dwarf sperm whale              Kogia sima

Spinner dolphin                    Stenella longirostris

Spotted dolphin                    Stenella attenuata

Striped dolphin                     Stenella coeruleoalba

Bottlenose dolphin               Tursiops truncatus

Indo-pacific bottlenose         Tursiops aduncus

Fraser’s dolphin                   Lagenodelphis hosei

Rough-toothed dolphin        Steno bredanensis

Risso’s dolphin                    Grampus griseus

Shortfin pilot whale               Globicephala macrorhynchus

Melon headed whale            Peponocephala electra

Pygmy killer whale               Feresa attenuata

False killer whale                 Pseudorca crassidens

Killer whale                           Orcinus orca

Cuvier’s beaked whale         Ziphius cavirostris

Dense-beaked whale           Mesoplodon densirostris

Deraniyagala’s beaked        Mesoplodon hotaula

Longman’s beaked               Indopacetus pacificus

BIRDS

A recent Checklist of Birds of the Maldives by Charles Anderson and Mohamed Shimal is available here:

Maldives Bird List

“What a most enjoyable and informative trip. To start the week with spotting two blue whales (a lifetime wish) and to finish off with a great view of those shy beaked whales has made this an unforgettable experience. Thank you for sharing your expertise and enthusiasm for the wildlife and culture of the Maldives. A special place. ” RA, UK

“Your knowledge and enthusiasm for protecting the Maldives’ ecosystem is inspirational. Thank you
for the in-depth lectures, story-telling and camaraderie.” SG, USA

“Thank you so much for this wonderful trip, for your kindness and sense of humour, and the
knowledge you shared with us! The crew and the meals were awesome too …” MF, France

“Wonderful trip, great introduction to the wildlife of the Indian Ocean. Thanks for all the great talks
and snorkel guidance.” KH, USA

“The snorkelling and reefs and fishlife have been truly amazing.” S&KW, UK

“Thank you for … introducing me to the mighty mantas. So many ‘wow’ moments.” AK, UK

“Good food, good company and an amazing set of Whales, Dolphins and reef fishes.” FR, Sweden

“Thank you very much for the wonderful trip, for the knowledge you shared with us, the great
choice of snorkelling spots and your helpfulness.” AS, Germany

“If I knew before what I know now – I would have come far earlier. This trip was beyond every
expectation.” UH, Germany

“The manta magic was one of the most memorable and wonderful experiences I’ve had.” DR, UK

“What an absolutely wonderful experience. Memories for a lifetime.” WH, USA

“A great trip. The food, the cabins, the whales, the diving, the land excursions, and especially the
people. I am so happy to have come for this adventure.” PG, UK

“A wonderful trip, relaxing and full of spectacular encounters with dolphins, whales, rays and reef
fish. Your ‘lectures’ were a model of how to communicate.” CW, UK