Explore the underwater world @Male
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Photo Courtesy: Whale Submarine
There’s no doubt that the white sands and the blue waters of the magnificent beaches of Maldives are for the honeymooners. But, Maldives has many things hidden under its blue waters for families who wish to travel with children. Take the little tots on a Whale Submarine ride from Male, the capital beach, to the mysterious depths of the ocean to explore the underwater world.
Whale Submarine, world’s deep diving largest passenger submarine currently operating in Maldives, is not a submarine for whale watching but for observing life on a reef. With 50 comfortable seats, Whale Submarine is certified to dive up to 150 meters.
Photo Courtesy: Whale Submarine
The submarine will take you below the unexplored waters of Maldives to Tear Drop Reef, which was previously reserved exclusively for divers. The Whale Submarine dive will take you to Sea fan Garden of Maathila, Tear Drop Reef, Maldives Victory (shipwreck) and a recently discovered shipwreck of Fuku Maru.
Whale submarine dives in every 90 minutes day and night, starting 9am until 8pm. You can either book through the in-house excursion packages of the resort where you stay or you can book it directly with the Whale Submarine team. If you are staying at a far away resort, then it is better to opt for the ride when you arrive at the airport, for your departure. Those who book the rides through the resorts will be transferred directly to the submarines floating dry-dock called ‘Whale House’ whereas departure passengers can check-in to Whale Submarine’s airport counter located at the arrival hall. The ride to the dive site from airport will take approximately 20 minutes and from there, the transfer vessel transfers you to Whale Submarine’s ‘Whale House’ on the dive site.
Photo Courtesy: Whale Submarine
The first stop after boarding the submarine’s 45 minute dive is at 25 meters where you will see a colourful display of corals and different types of reef fish. In most of the dives the submarine is greeted by a school of blue or yellow-striped Snappers. You can also find Common Lion fish, Yellow Box Fish and turtles here. The next stop is at a coral garden down 40 meters, close to a big cave where you can see different types of fish taking shelter inside the cave including White Tip Reef Sharks and Napoleons.
Photo Courtesy: Whale Submarine
Whale Submarine is the only passenger submarine in South East Asia and is the world’s largest deep diving passenger submarine in existence. This is an excellent opportunity, especially for the non divers and hydrophobic people, to dive without getting drenched.