Trip Report Carpe Vita Real Time Review: March 7-18, 2021 Trip to Maldives Deep South

[Dan]

Departure Day
Today’s plan is to have breakfast at 7am then at 8am the crew would take us to the Male airport. I’ll be staying 2 more days in Hulhumale (an extension city of Male, next to the airport where Chinese are heavily investing, developing & constructing quite few buildings there) before boarding on Emperor Leo for “The Best of The Maldives” trip. Hopefully I’ll be able to repeat the “Real Time Review” of that next trip like I did for this trip.

 

[Dan]

Everyone who took PCR test, just received the result this morning at 8:12am. All is negative!

 

[Tippytoes12]

Everyone who took PCR test, just received the result this morning at 8:12am. All is negative!

Thanks for this wonderful trip report, I so so enjoyed your updates every morning. We have been on Emperor Leo and loved it too. There is apparently great snorkelling in parts of the island you will be on for the next two days.

Wishing you a wonderful second liveaboard.

 

[BoltSnap]

Thank you for the most wonderful "live" report. I wish you an even more successful second live-aboard with most awesome diving.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Which hotel are you staying at on Hulhumale?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Day 10 (the last dive day)
Dive 28 was at Fish Head, NE Ari Atoll. Another channel diving, but there was not much current to speak of. Saw a Tuna hunting, Turtle munching & Moray Eel free swimming.

Bottom depth was 98 ft (29 m) with 59 minutes of time.

Dive 29 was at Kan Thila. NE Ari Atoll. The diving is similar to Fish Head. Saw juvenile whitetip reef sharks cruising around on the Thila and some Napoleon Wrasses looking for food. A nice relaxing last dive of the trip.

Bottom depth was 79 ft (24 m) with 62 minutes of dive time.

After the dives, the crew cleaned out our gears, so we could hang on the back deck for drying before having our last lunch.

When we arrived in Male, medical professional came aboard and performed a PCR swab test (for $60) to everyone who was heading home, before disembarking the boat tomorrow morning. The results would be available in 12 hours. I’d be continuing on another liveaboard trip so I don’t need to get the test.

It had been a great trip so far. Everyone on board seemed happy with the diving experience.

The only unpleasant event was one diver dropped a camera to the bottom of the sea at the end of a dive. Not sure about the detail of the event, but I think the leash that held the camera on to BCD D-ring broke while the diver was in safety stop in blue water. I always afraid this could happen to me so I keep 2 point contact (wrist strap & leash) on my camera.

I noticed that the dive guides had new to them cameras every time that I returned to the boat for a new itinerary. It made me smile.

 

[Dan]

Which hotel are you staying at on Hulhumale?

Huvan Beach hotel for $43/night, next to the beach, comfortable & clean bed, fast wifi (faster than that of Carpe Vita)

 

[Bubble99]

Hi Dan,
Thanks a lot for the detailed report, this is so helpful!
We always wanted to go to Maldives and kept postponing due to covid, but I hope we can go soon - though I doubt we will manage to get vaccinated this year

Was that what is advertised as the Deep South route from Gan to Male 12 days 11 nights, with 10 days diving and 28-30 dives (Addu - Foammulah - Huvadhoo - Laamu - Thaa - Meemu - Vaavu - South Ari - North Male)?

Also I saw you did another trip in 2012 which was the central route I believe - if you compare the two, which one did you prefer, and why?
There are so many different routes to choose from, i don't quite understand yet where to go when to see what, or if they are pretty much the same. And did you go on some sites in 2018 and this year and notice a lot more bleaching?
What about the boats, how do they compare?
And you wrote the food was ok - that didn't sound that fantastic? What type of food was the choice?

Loved your video from the 2018 trip - can't believe that nurse shark came right on top of and in between you group of divers! Hope you will be uploading some photos and videos once you are back.
Sorry for the many questions...if you are too busy diving maybe just answer them later when back home
Have a fantastic time on you next trip!

 

[Dan]

Hi Dan,
Thanks a lot for the detailed report, this is so helpful!
We always wanted to go to Maldives and kept postponing due to covid, but I hope we can go soon - though I doubt we will manage to get vaccinated this year

1. Was that what is advertised as the Deep South route from Gan to Male 12 days 11 nights, with 10 days diving and 28-30 dives (Addu - Foammulah - Huvadhoo - Laamu - Thaa - Meemu - Vaavu - South Ari - North Male)?

2. Also I saw you did another trip in 2018 which was the central route I believe - if you compare the two, which one did you prefer, and why?

3. There are so many different routes to choose from, i don't quite understand yet where to go when to see what, or if they are pretty much the same. And did you go on some sites in 2018 and this year and notice a lot more bleaching?

4. What about the boats, how do they compare?

5. And you wrote the food was ok - that didn't sound that fantastic?

6. What type of food was the choice?

Loved your video from the 2018 trip - can't believe that nurse shark came right on top of and in between you group of divers! Hope you will be uploading some photos and videos once you are back.
Sorry for the many questions...if you are too busy diving maybe just answer them later when back home
Have a fantastic time on you next trip!

Thanks for your kind words. I put numbers next to your questions above to avoid quoting your post multiple times as the phone signal here in South Ari Atoll is weak today.

Answers:

1. Yes.

2. @drrich2 had the same question and I answered it on my post # 4 here, Emperor Leo Real Time Review, March 21-28, 2021, The Best of Maldives

3. The coral bleaching happened in the shallow due to El Niño happened a few years ago. On the deeper region and overhangs, the corals are still healthy & colorful. As the weather is returning to normal, I can see some recovery now. I’ll post some pictures of the coral recovery later when I am home and post the full report. Yesterday I was in Rangali, SW Ari Atoll, where Conrad Hilton built a resort with underwater restaurant, I saw rows & layers of beautiful “juvenile” table corals grew over the dead corals. This situation reminds me of volcanic eruption happened in Banda, Indonesia, in 1980’s, where the lava flowed down into the sea. Those underwater lava layers are now disappeared and covered with beautiful hard corals.

4. The boats are about the same, nice, spacious cabin. You’ll like either one. I am now on Emperor Leo for this Best of Maldives route, like what I did on Maldives Aggressor II back in 2018. Bilal, the cook of Emperor Leo is a good cook. Chris is a great Cruise Director. The boat was refurbished a year ago and it looks nice, clean and beautifully decorated.

5. Yes, not fantastic, but plentiful. I love their lentil curry with dal for breakfast though. Can’t go wrong with tuna sashimi, but barracuda sashimi? It barely went through my stomach.

6. The type of food were mix of Indian, Mediterranean and bit of Chinese.

Today we are heading west with Emperor Leo to Vaavu Atoll and plan to do another nite dive in Alimathaa Jetty with very friendly Nurse Sharks again.

 

[NootFish]

I loved the dive on that lava flow by Banda Neira! Staghorns!

So happy to hear that there is recovery from the bleaching!

I need to book my trip this weekend! Eek!

What did you have to do in order to transfer between boats? I'm going to do a 15 day Gan - Male and then 11 day Male-Male, I think...