The Black Pearl Liveaboard performed dives at popular Maldives dive site Kandooma Thila, later crossing over to the South Ari Atoll…

Yesterday, the Black Pearl live aboard performed Kandooma Thila for the first dive. With a strong current flowing from west to east and visibility at around 10 to 15 meters, divers managed to spot 6 grey reef sharks.

Scuba Diving Tips for Kandooma Thila

While diving at Kandooma Thila when the currents are strong, there are few points to consider in order maximize your bottom time, reduce drifting and ensure a safe dive.

Scuba Diving Tip #1 for Kandooma Thila – Strong Outgoing Current

Firstly, if a strong outgoing current is present, then get ready for a negative entry, making sure that you have deflated all air from you BCD and that your weight belt is on. As soon as you hit the water, start your descent head first and swim to deeper waters, allowing the reef to protect you.

Scuba Diving Tip #2 for Kandooma Thila – Drifting

Secondly, don’t drift all at once. The reef is no more than 350 meters in length and you don’t want to run out of reef and abort the dive. Make a habit of stopping or hooking the reef every now and then to observe your surroundings.

Bat Fish, Platax Teira, a fish from the Indo-West Pacific

Scuba Diving Tip #3 for Kandooma Thila – Reef

Thirdly, don’t swim away from the reef when the current is strong since you might not be able to get back to the reef. The current pushes you away from the reef when they’re strong.

Scuba Diving Tip #4 for Kandooma Thila – Surface Balloon

Lastly, be sure to carry a surface balloon and start inflating it as soon as you start your ascent or reach shallower water.

After diving, the guests snorkeled, followed by a tasty lunch. During lunch, the Black Pearl liveaboard began crossing the channel to the South Ari Atoll.

Present location of the Black Pearl live aboard is the Dhangethi Region, Southern Ari Atoll.

by Matt Walker Editor, BBC Earth News

The once secret life of a huge, recently discovered species of manta ray has been unveiled.

Biologist Dr Andrea Marshall has discovered that the giant fish, which she first described as new to science last year, undertakes huge journeys.

As well as making the longest migration known across the Indian Ocean, the fish gathers in large numbers to feed and survives attacks by sharks.

The behavior is revealed in the BBC documentary series Natural World.

Growing up to 7m wide, manta rays are the largest living ray in the ocean and one of the largest of all fish.

Previously, it was thought there was just one species of manta ray, known by the scientific name Manta birostris.

But the more Dr Marshall swam with them, the more she noticed how different manta rays that frequent reefs and the open ocean are, both in their behavior and markings.

Mantas evolved from sting rays, and it was thought they had lost their sting. But Dr Marshall has found that the larger ocean-going mantas have retained a vestigial sting on their tails, proving that the two are separate species.

In July last year, she announced the discovery that there are not one but two species of manta ray at the American Elasmobranch Society’s annual conference in Montreal, Canada.

Manta Ray

The larger giant mantas retain the name Manta birostris, while the reef-going mantas have been newly named Manta alfredi, in tribute to Alfred Whitley who first scientifically described manta rays in the 1930s.

However, Dr Marshall’s studies have uniquely revealed a host of manta ray behaviors.

The rays sometimes swim across the ocean floor, skimming the reefs with their mouths, a behavior filmed by the camera crew for the first time.

Usually the fish feed on plankton, but what they feed on when skimming is unclear.

Dr Marshall studies manta rays off the coast of Tofo in southern Mozambique.

It was always thought that manta rays stayed in shallow waters.

Manta ray mating behavior

But Dr Marshall has discovered that the larger giant species of manta ray dives deeply, and migrates 700 miles (1,100km) in just 60 days to the Maldives, the longest migration known for a fish living in the Indian Ocean.

In the Maldives, researchers have also uncovered a unique gathering place of reef mantas, where hundreds of the fish gather.

Around 80% of the fish are female, with many pregnant, suggesting the area is a critical breeding site for the species.

Studies by Dr Marshall and colleague Dr Simon Pierce of the Manta Ray and Whale Shark Research Centre based at Tofo Beach in southern Mozambique have also revealed that manta rays living off Tofo bear huge scars inflicted by large sharks.

Mysterious giants

Manta rays appear capable of surviving such attacks and will queue up to have their wounds tended by cleaner fish, which nibble at the wound to remove dead tissue and prevent infection.

Dr Marshall’s studies have also revealed new aspects to the fishes’ reproduction.

Many male mantas follow a single female, mirroring her behavior in a bid to attract her as a mate.

Females, which give birth to a single pup after a 12-month gestation, rarely give birth in consecutive years, Dr Marshall has found.

That extremely slow reproduction could place the fish in danger from overfishing, both for subsistence and for export to be used in traditional Chinese medicines.

Black Pearl Dives at Lankan Manta Point of the North Male Atoll

The Black Pearl live aboard continues its scuba diving adventures in the Maldives!

Lankan Manta Point, North Male’ Atoll

Black Pearl live aboard diving started from North Male’ Atoll at Lankan Manta Point. With a mild current and visibility of 10 meters, divers from the Black Pearl observed 3 mantas at the cleaning station during the entire dive.

Kuda Giri Wreck, South Male’ Atoll

After Lankan Manta Point, the Black Pearl live aboard cruised to South Male’ Atoll and dived at Kuda Giri Wreck. With almost no current at all, divers got the chance to explore the wreck without much difficulty.

Manta Ray over Coral in the Maldives

Guaraidhoo Region

For final anchorage, the Black Pearl live aboard was around the Guraidhoo region and will be crossing over to the South Ari Atoll today.

Maldives Weather

This week began with clear, sunny skies…Holidaying and scuba diving conditions have remained perfect!

For present weather in Maldives and a 5 day weather forecast, click here.

Weather: Apart from a few showers in the upper north province, generally favorable weather is expected to prevail over the country.

Temperature: 30° C / 86° F

Humidity: 63 %

Winds: West / north-westerly 4 – 11 knots.

Visibility: 12 km

State of the sea: Slight

Wave Height: (open sea) 1 – 3 feet

The Black Pearl liveaboard explores the Kandooma Thila, Vaagali Thila & Medhu Faru dive sites in the Maldives…

The Black Pearl Liveaboard, one of the Maldives’ finest scuba diving vessels, concludes yet another successful week of adventurous scuba diving and fun in the sun!

Kandooma Thila Dive Site

Kandooma Thila is one of the most renowned dive sites in the South Male / Guraidhoo region.  Kandooma Thila features healthy coral growth and an abundance of fish life with the right currents.

With around 10 to 12 meters visibility, the dive at  Kandooma Thila turned out to be a fantastic dive. The divers had the chance to swim with grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks and, of course, schooling jacks at Jack’s Corner.

Vaagali Thila Dive Site

The Black Pearl Liveaboard‘s second dive was to Vaagali Thila. Vaagali Thila is located southeast of Vaagali, an uninhabited island, and is the perfect dive site for spotting sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, fusiliers and jackfish. Furthermore, schooling snappers are often seen at Vaagali Thila as well.

Medhu Faru Dive Site

The Black Pearl Liveaboard‘s third and last dive of the day was to Medhu Faru, located south of Guraidhoo Island. Medhu Faru offered an easy, relaxing dive where white tip sharks and napoleon wrasse were the highlights.

Second Dive at Kandooma Thila

The Black Pearl Liveaboard ends the week in South Male’ Atoll, with another dive to Kandooma Thila, which ended up being a superb choice.  The current conditions were really good with a medium-strong current. Highlights at Kandooma Thila included white tip sharks, grey reef sharks and, to our delight, a mobula, also called a devil fish

Mobula, or Devil Fish

Mobula, also called devil fish, is a genus of ray in the family Myliobatidae (eagle rays). The appearance of a mobula is similar to that of manta rays, which are in the same family. The devil fish can attain a disc width of up to 5.2 meters (17 feet) and tip the scales at over a ton. The mobula is second only to the manta in size. Despite their size, the mobula remains one of the lesser-known ray species.

Mobula rays in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) have been reported to breach as high as 2 metres above the sea.

A mobula breaches, or jumps out of the water

Black Pearl Liveaboard Concludes Another Week of Diving

The Black Pearl Liveaboard will leave their guests at the airport  and resume diving on Monday morning.

The Kuda Giri Wreck dive site in the Maldives is a treat for avid scuba divers!

The Kuda Giri dive site, located in the South Male Atoll of the Maldives, possesses a small boat wreck and a reef / pinnacle.

Kuda Giri Dive Site Information

• Location: South Male Atoll, 22km south of Male’
• Description: Wreck / Reef
• Depth: 31 meters (102 feet)
• Visibility: Approximately 10 to 25 meters (50 feet)
• Currents: Gentle
• Surface Conditions: Calm
• Water Temperature: Approximately 27 to 30°C
• Experience Level: Beginner to Intermediate
• Diving Season: All Year Round
• Access: Maldives Liveaboard

Kuda Giri Dive Site – Wreck

The Kuda Giri dive site features a small ship wreck, a fishing trawler that was scuttled (or sunk deliberately) 10 years ago. The fishing trawler was sunk to form an artifical reef, which has proved to be a success. The wreck is now covered by stony, staghorn and table corals, not to mention the colorful red, orange and yellow sponges that reside amongst the coral.

The Kuda Giri wreck sits upright on the sea floor, and can be explored from its bow (which points towards the giri, or pinnacle) at 18 meters all the way down to its stern at 30 meters.

Experienced divers can swim through the Kuda Giri wreck, discovering the plethora of sea life that now calls the captain’s cabin, cargo hold and machine room home. Divers can enter the Kuda Giri wreck through the machine room and exit at the stern, or enter at the front cargo hold and exit at the bridge.

While diving amongst the Kuda Giri wreck‘s remains, divers should look out for large schools of glass fish and bat fish that have made this sunken ship their home. Divers can also expect to see turtles, napoleon wrasse, jack fish, trigger fish, shrimp, lobsters, frog fish, blue fin trevally, fusiliers and leaf fish, among others!

Kuda Giri Dive Site – Reef / Pinnacle

After the Kuda Giri wreck, you can swim back to the reef / pinnacle, where you can enjoy a typical reef dive, as well as all the Maldivian marine life that comes along with it, including napoleon wrasse, parrot fish, oriental sweetlips and many more.

The reef tower features beautiful overhangs overflowing with colorful soft coral. Fish playfully swim amongst the coral, often making for a great photo opportunity.

Lionfish Spotted at Kuda Giri Dive Site, Maldives

Guests aboard the Black Pearl Liveaboard dive at Nassimo Thila and Kuda Giri in the Maldives…

The Black Pearl liveaboard began the day’s first dive from Nassimo Thila, which is considered to be one of the Maldives’ best dive sites.

Nassimo Thila Dive Site

During your next diving holiday in the Maldives, Nassimo Thila is a must! Nassimo Thila is an oval-shaped Thila displaying a good variety of colourful, soft corals. The most interesting aspect of Nassimo Thila is the randomly scattered pinnacles.

Nassimo Thila features scattered coral blocks rising from the ocean floor up to 23 meters, as well as caves and overhangs where divers can swim around and observe the beauty of this oval-shaped thila.

Tubastrea

Gulhi Island, South Male’ Atoll

The weather conditions improved, allowing the Black Pearl liveaboard to cross over to the island of Gulhi in the South Male’ Atoll.

Kuda Giri Dive Site

The second dive was performed at Kuda Giri as night dive. Kuda Giri is one of the ideal locations around the Male’ Atoll for to perform an easy night dive site. This small Giri offers everything from beautiful coral growth to interesting reef dwellers during the night.

Caves and overhangs are filled with a species of sponge called tubastrea, also known as sun coral. Marine life includes leaf fish, scorpion fish, moray eels and nudibraches.

The dive safari route of the Black Pearl liveaboard changed slightly due to the Maldives’ North East Monsoon…

The Black Pearl liveaboard left Male’ this week planning to embark upon the classic Maldivian dive safari route that includes the South and North Male’ Atolls and the Ari Atoll. However, plans were changed due to the weather in the Maldives.

Black Pearl Liveaboard Route Changes Due to Weather

The Black Pearl liveaboard is currently anchored at the North Male’ Atoll at Himmafushi Lagoon. Although the initial dive safari route was changed, two exciting dives were performed at Lankan Manta Point! Learn more about Maldives dive sites here!

Scuba Diving at Lankan Manta Point, North Male’ Atoll

Although the surface conditions were a bit rough, both dives at Lankan Manta Point turned out to be excellent. On the first dive, scuba divers spotted four manta rays and a leopard shark. On the second dive, scuba divers spotted three big, beautiful manta rays.

Current weather conditions in the Maldives: isolated showers every now and then, gusty winds and rough seas at time.

The Black Pearl liveaboard plans to move to South Male’ Atoll, more specifically the Guraidhoo Kandu Dive Site tomorrow.

The Black Pearl, a Maldivian liveaboard, sets sail once again, and is currently at the Himmafushi island of the Male’ Atoll…

This week, the Black Pearl liveaboard set off with 11 divers from Switzerland. Following the check-in orientation dive, the diving team headed to the outer reef of the Farukholufushi unihabitated Maldivian island. Learn more about the liveaboards offered by Maldives Dive Travel here!

Black Pearl Liveaboard Dives at Banana Reef

This morning, the first dive took place at Banana Reef, where visibility was fantastic, allowing us to see a large collection of Maldives marine life, such as Clownfish, Whale Shark, Reef Shark and Manta Rays.

Black Pearl Liveaboard Dives at Lankan Manta Point

The Black Pearl liveaboard‘s second dive was to the Lankan Manta Point, truly a top of the line dive. The diving group saw 7 manta rays, 4 of which were happily parked at the cleaning station of Lankan Manta Point. Throughout the dive, the other 3 manta rays periodically glided through the Lankan Manta Point’s cleaning station.

Black Pearl Liveaboard Dives at HP Reef

Manta Ray at Lanka Manta Point, North Male Atoll

The Black Pearl liveaboard‘s third dive was to HP reef, where divers spotted a sting ray and a couple of eagle rays.

North East Monsoon Transition Period

The North East Monsoon transition period has begun, which has caused less-than-optimal weather conditions during the past week, such as isolated showers and gusty winds, where the average wind speed is 15 – 25 mph, gusting up to 45 mph. However, this Maldives weather is limited mostly to the central and southern Maldivian atolls.

Current Diving Conditions

Weather: Widespread rain with isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms will be experienced over the country. Get up-to-date Maldives weather here!

Winds: South-west / westerly 9 – 17 knots in northern atolls and 13 – 22 knots elsewhere. Winds may increase 35 – 43 knots during showers.

Visibility: 10 km, becoming 3 – 1 km during showers.

State of the sea: Generally rough.

Wave Height (open sea): 5 – 7 feet.

The Black Pearl liveaboard docks at Hulhumalé island in the Maldives after a great week of diving…

Book your liveaboard holiday on the Black Pearl now!

The Black Pearl liveaboard, whose mission is to comfortably transport divers to the Maldives’ best dive sites, has returned to Hulhumale’ island of the North Male Atoll after a great week of diving.

The Black Pearl liveaboard‘s final dives were performed at the Northern Ari Atoll (also called the Alif Alif Atoll), which boasts some of the Maldives’ most magnificent dive sites. The Southern Ari Atoll also features an area of beautiful diving destinations, including Broken Rock and protected marine area Kuda Rah Thila.

Black Pearl Liveaboard Dives to Lhamiyaru Gaa Thila & Maaya Thila

The Black Pearl liveaboard‘s initial dives took place at Lhamiyaru Gaa Thila and Maaya Thila.  The dive at Maaya Thila was an especially wonderful dive, where the current were very weak and the divers had the opportunity to closely observe the Malidves’ fish without much effort, such as Clownfish and Oriental Sweetlips.

Black Pearl Liveaboard Maldives

The Black Pearl liveaboard‘s third dive was planned as a night dive to Maaya Thila. However, the dive was cancelled for safety reasons due to poor weather conditions.

Black Pearl Liveaboard Dives to Makaru Thila

The Black Pearl liveaboard‘s last dive took place at Makaru Thila, where grey reef sharks and juvenile white tips were seen up close.

The return trip to Hulhumale’ island began right after the last dive at Makaru Thila.

All the divers checked-out this morning.

The new groups of divers arrived this morning and right now the Black Pearl liveaboard is getting ready for the check dive.

Book your liveaboard holiday on the Black Pearl now!

A whale shark was spotted around the Southern Ari Atoll by divers aboard the Black Pearl liveaboard…

Divers aboard the Black Pearl liveaboard (book a holiday on the Black Pearl now!) spotted a whale shark around the Southern Ari Atoll.

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest of all fish species alive today.  A filter-feeder, the whale shark feeds mainly on plankton and can grow to lengths of 40 feet, and can weigh up to 47,000 pounds.

Black Pearl Diving Safari – Day Four

Black Pearl Diving Safari – First Dive

The day began with a fantastic dive at 5 Rocks, located 25 minutes away from the final anchorage Dhangethi (also know as the Alif Dhaal Atoll).

The incredibly unique formation of the 5 Rocks, in addition to the canyon, made gliding through the caves and observing the soft, colorful coral a true delight!

Black Pearl Divers Search for Whale Shark

The whale shark search began after the aforementioned dive, and shortly after our efforts began, we came across a 9 meter whale shark. All divers aboard the Black Pearl liveaboard had the opportunity to snorkel with the giant creative for over half an hour!

Black Pearl Diving Safari – Second Dive

The day’s second dive was to the outer reef of Holiday Island, where the current was gentle and visibility was around 10 meters visibility, making for an easy-going, relaxed dive.

Divers Snorkeling with Whale Shark

Black Pearl Diving Safari – Third Dive

The third dive was to Thinfushi Ehthere Thila, one of my all time favorite dive sites. The timing couldn’t have been better in terms of current. The strong current brought an abundance of fish life. A massive cloud of fusiliers swam above the divers’ heads feeding on plankton, while a couple of white tip reef sharks patrolled back and forth. We also spotted napoleon wrasse and tons of other fish.

Black Pearl Diving Safari – Day Five

Kuda Rah Thila

Protected marine area Kuda Rah Thila, everybody’s favorite dive site around the South Ari Atoll, was the day’s first dive. The current was very mild, allowing divers to closely observe the intricate reef formations, caves and overhangs.

Angaga Thila

The Black Pearl liveaboard sailed towards the  atoll’s western side and performed the second dive at Angaga Thila. This tiny pinnacle is famous for its residential pack of giant dogtooth tuna that chase the fusiliers while gray reef and white tip sharks swim back and forth in the blue water. Today, we saw stingrays and white tip reef sharks.

Raidhigaa Thila

The third and dive of the day was to Raidhigaa Thila.  In order to see big fish, like grey reef sharks, at Raidhigaa Thila, divers should swim a little ways away from the reef and spend some time in the blue water.  The reef was full of fish life, starting at the 25 meter sand slop where divers could observe the giant sea fan corals to the caves and finally to the top reef, where the healthy acropra table coral flourishes.