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.
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:
“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
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