I chartered the luxurious and seriously decadent Carpe Vita for the month of April and operated three consecutive groups. The volume and variety of marine life we snorkeled with was astonishing. Every time we jumped in the water there were jaw dropping sightings. For one thing, I’ve never encountered so many Octopi and not just fleeting views, we had long hang out sessions with them. Love was in the air, or the water…I saw no less than four sets of mating Octopi.
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- mating Octopi
The usual suspects were omnipresent, schools of parrot fish, unicorn fish, Moorish idols, snappers, dazzling fusiliers, and turtles. We encountered shoals of squid and all kinds of rays; eagle rays, sting rays and personal favorite, manta rays. Lots and lots sharks-black tip and white tip sharks, nurse sharks and Whale Sharks!
While anchored in Thaa Atoll the Carpe Vita shown a light off the boat platform at night. The light attracted the plankton and the plankton attracted one hunking BIG fish, the Whale Shark. We sat for hours watching the gentle giant feeding. The beauty would dive down and cruise back up with it’s huge mouth sucking in the plankton. It was incredibly thrilling.
And then there was the pod of dolphins we swam with! And this is just to name some of the amazing species we saw.
I’m still giddy with the joy of the experience. The groups were made up of like-minded serious water lovers who never tired of exploring the reefs. When we did pull ourselves out of the water we were rewarded with amazing food prepared by Kelum, our Sri Lankan chef.
While we were on board the Carpe Vita earned the distinction of one of the 10 best live-aboards in the world by CNN. All of us on board can understand why. Lots of outside deck space to enjoy the warm, balmy air, cabins that rival hotel rooms and a lively communal outdoor table to enjoy meals and conversation. Agnes Van Linden designed the boat and employees a top notch crew and guides, Lars, Ziyad and Chakku.
There are signs of stressed-out coral due to the rising water temps, yet the volume and quality of marine life was still stunning. It will be interesting to return in the future and see if there how the reefs change after this El Nino year.
We all gave the Maldives marine life and the Carpe Vita high marks for a very exceptional experience. A number of the snorkelers on board have requested a return to the Maldives so stay tuned for news of a March 2018 voyage!
Thank you very much for taking care of us during this terrific trip. You were attentive to everything this trip was one of the best of our life. We enjoyed every moment !!! and we are already waiting for the next one. Pilar L.
The trip was fantastic!! The crew was exceptional. Snorkeling with the whale shark was over the top. Can you arrange that every time? Divonna C.