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Great boat trip through the Maldives with daily snorkelling sessions looking for reef fish, turtles and manta rays and an occasional visit to a local island
Snorkelling close up with mantas.
UB
Don’t chase after the mantas, stay by their path and try to lie quietly and horizontally in the water and allow them to come to you. Avoid the month of Ramadan if possible as the staff can tire out with the food and water fasting and exertions in the water.
Overall experience, value for money, excellence of guide and team. Plus the good nature, friendliness, sense of humour of guide and team. All the above made it a tour to remember for a very long time. Thank you.
Seeing a whale shark while snorkelling. Having an island dinner with a sunset in the company of our group, Ub, ship crew.
Ub was great. He used all his experience and personal skills to make our tour as close to perfect as possible. His sense of humour, excellent English and energy (despite Ramadan) made the whole group enjoy our time together. He went out of his way to ensure we saw whale sharks by pulling us by the hand when we couldn't go as fast as necessary!
We have had an outstanding holiday on a Turkish Gulet searching for marine wildlife in the Maldives. Exodus have created an incredible trip. The crew of the Akoya Pearl were superb and made us feel part of a family. Raju cooked us delicious meals and Hassanbe kept our cabins beautifully clean. Alibe, Saudhbe and Muneer ran the Gulet and dhoni with expertise whilst our knowledgeable tour leader, Ubee, gave us unforgettable wildlife encounters. We saw whale sharks, manta rays and teeming reefs.
I felt very emotional to swim with whale sharks and manta rays, especially as it was important to Ubee to put the wildlife first. He gave us the etiquette of swimming with them to ensure the animals felt comfortable. He was also successful in keeping us away from the busy tourist times, ensuring we had more intimate experiences.
He is a superb leader and Exodus are lucky to have him. He has the perfect balance of skills to inspire confidence. He is so knowledgeable about the marine life and also his country. He looked out for our well being and was always full of fun and smiles.
Absolutely loved this trip – scenery and wildlife was incredible and Zaff and the crew went all out to make it one of the best weeks of our lives
Swimming with three whale sharks in 30 mins, the manta rays at the cleaning station - but in general the underwater life is fantastic
Zaff was great, he lifts up those around him. At the beginning he told us he would try and give us the best week of our lives which was a great start! He's a charismatic and open guy who taught us a lot about the Maldives outsude of the honeymoon resort experience. I felt we got a much more authentic experience - visiting local islands, hearing about life there. We watched documentaries and also had speakers from NGOs. In the water he is a graceful swimmer who makes everyone feel safe. He worked hard alongside the other excellent members of the crew to make sure we saw as much as possible but not at the expense of the welfare of the animals or the reefs. Big shout out as well to our other snorkeling / diving companions Shafi and Hussein!
Just do it! The boat is not a 5 star resort but the guys kept the boat clean and changed bins in the bathroom twice a day, and made up the rooms morning and evening. The Sri Lankan chef and waiter worked very hard - nothing was too much trouble - and I loved the exciting array of dishes we got at every meal. You definitely need a rash vest if you are Caucasian plus a factor 50 sunblock or you will burn.
A very enjoyable week on the Felicity in the Maldives snorkelling, diving, island visits, a couple of very interesting talks and a fun evening of entertainment.
Diving and snorkelling with mantas, up very close and playful.
Zaff was very enthusiastic and tried very hard to make it a great trip for everyone.
We spent 3 lengthy sessions in our dhoni over 2 days searching for whale sharks and found none. There are alot of boats looking for manta and whale sharks and at times sightings are a scrum. If you are a diver, it is worth taking the opportunity to dive. The coral isn't what it used to be but there are lots of fish varieties, hawksbill turtles, sharks. Getting up so close to the mantas for so long was very special. You don't need to bring any equipment, it is all supplied. If you do pack your own don't bother bringing short fins, they are not suitable. If you want mobile coverage during the week buy a pre-paid sim at the airport. If you don't do that the captain will provide wifi on the last day so you can do the Maldives exit form and checkin online. I am not a great sailor but the sea conditions were not too uncomfortable, the worst times are the channel crossings at the beginning and end of the trip. The transfer to the Felicity on arrival day is at 12pmish. If you arrive earlier, you will be taken to a waiting area whist the group gathers and the boat is got ready. I had to hunt for a fair while to find Zaff and the Exodus sign at arrivals so keep looking.
Lovely way to explore the Maldives though I felt the chances of seeing let alone swimming with Whale Sharks was exaggerated
Swimming with Manta Rays
Saf is a fun person to be around. He has boundless energy.
Be prepared for hours of whale shark hunting on the Dhoni
MV Felicity is a comfortable old Turkish Gulet. The trip had lots of snorkeling in clear warm water. The reefs have lots of colourful fish, and you get a chance to see the Manta Rays, Reef Sharks, Turtles and if you are lucky the Whale Sharks. The food was amazing, plentiful and the staff were great. Very helpful and friendly. Being a small group, it was the perfect way to spend time both relaxing and visiting small islands. Lots of space on the boat for either sunning yourself or like us keeping out of the sun, which is very strong.
Snorkeling with the gentle Manta Rays, who seemed to want to interact with us.
Despite having a tooth infection, which was obviously painful, Zak remained professional, friendly and helpful and ensured the trip went smoothly. Explaining each days activity, and especially about respecting the wildlife and whale sharks. We had good encounters that were mainly just our boat and us.
The cabins are comfortable. There is storage under the beds. Very little in the way of hanging and drawers but then you dont need many clothes. You live in swim suits and shorts. Hanging space to dry stuff on the deck. There are some very early starts to avoid the crowds. Seeing the reefs and colourful fish are a given. We saw lots of Manta, reef sharks and a few turtles. Dont expect to see lots of whale sharks. We only saw 1, and that was brief, on the whole trip. There is a lot of chaos around the whale shark area when all the day boats are about. Exodus ensure we stay out of harms way if its very busy. You will not get in the water if there are lots of people in the water. This could mean missing the whale shark, but we would prefer that to either harassing the whale shark, or getting hurt in the mass of people and boats. Take ear plugs if you are a light sleeper as the aircon and fans needed to keep the rooms cool are noisy.
This trip was amazing, and our group was so lucky and i felt privileged to see so many wonderful , amazing animals on this trip, Manta Rays, Feather Sting Rays, Turtles, Spinner Dolphines, Whale Shark, black tip sharks, Nurse Sharks and flying fish – AMAZING. I would like to highlight the need for a UV Protect shirt – not just a rash vest. There will be plankton that will sting when swimming in areas with Manta rays / Whale Sharks. i felt like i overpacked for this trip, you will need a change of swimming costumes but no need to take that many clothes for the evening. Sea shoes for sharp shell beaches are beneficial, and flip flops but no need for other shoes.
All wildlife - out of this world - amazing .
Engaging and supportive
UV top, and maybe a long sleeve if available. Sports camera for underwater filming a must. take your sea legs with you, as the crossing can be a little rocky at times - channel crossing even lost the support dinghy for a short time until recovered by the snorkel boat. You will need to complete a traveller declaration - Maldives immigration on departure from UK & Maldives - save a screen shot with QR Code for customs.
I actually did this trip 4 years ago, but it was even better this time. We had excellent viewings of whale sharks and manta rays over 2 days focused on finding these. Our final snorkel on the last day as with stingrays and that was a whole new experience for me. In addition the reef snorkels were also beautiful with a stunning variety of fish and a few turtles. The experience on board was lovely, with plentiful food.
I also did a trial dive that took me down to the manta rays – something I never thought I would do.
There were many, but I will choose one. Just 4 of us had gone for an extra whale shark search, and one was spotted. I jumped in ahead of it, and it came right towards me. It swam slowly under me and it was so clear in the beautiful blue water. I felt like it was just the 2 of us in the water. I followed it for a while until it dived.
Zav was brilliant. He was funny and entertaining. Not all of the group were confident in all environments and he looked after them and ensured that they got the best experience possible.
Bring several swimming costumes and ensure you have something like swim shorts as well as a rash vest/ other top as the top of your legs are as likely to burn as back and shoulders. I learned this many years ago.
An amazing tour during which we were lucky enough to snorkel with turtles, dozens of spinner dolphins, huge manta rays, a whale shark on two days, eagle and sting rays, moray eels, reef sharks and of course a wide variety of numerous reef fish large and small.
We were all keen snorkelers and were able to snorkel at least twice a day.
The boat was roomy and comfortable to spend time on during the day as were the cabins at night. The latter had both air conditioning and a fan to keep things cool. The crew were welcoming and helpful.
The food was tasty and plentiful, the group were all keen snorkellers who got on well together.
Snorkelling with five manta rays which were feeding in the water beneath us, flying/swimming gracefully in formation, spiralling and going round in small circles near the sea bed. We were able to easily keep up with them for about half an hour. An enormous manta ray joined the loose group for a while before disappearing into the plankton haze. Visibility was surprisingly good, given the plankton, and we able to duck dive a few metres to get clearer photos. Swimming above and briefly alongside a whale shark with only our group present in the water on our second encounter with it, was also magical. We were lucky to see several whale sharks at night pass very close by at the surface by the stern illuminated by a powerful light used to attract small fish eaten by the whale sharks.
UB (Ubai) was personable, had an easy and infectious laugh and who “got” the English sense of humour, looked after all members of the group very well, and quietly and efficiently ensured that everyone was happy and that everything ran smoothly and without drama.
Practise snorkelling and duck diving, go on a course if you can, it will pay dividends when it comes to getting closer to the wildlife underwater. Although snorkelling gear is available on the boat, take your own mask (and fins ) to ensure a comfortable fit. Take a camera suitable for underwater photography and practise with it before you go. A rash vest, preferably but not essentially a thermal one (see on Amazon), is really useful for up-to one hour plus snorkelling sessions. Take along some luck with you to help you find plenty of all the creatures you want to see.