Maldives Aggressor Captain's Logs

[Aggressor Adventures]

Log Date: Sunday, Jan 08, 2012
Entry By: Maldives Crew





Maldives Aggressor Captains Log January 1st - 8th 2012.

Weather: Very Good.

Wind: 3- 10mph NE – 5 mph SE

Sea: Slight moderate

Current: Morning from West to East /afternoon East to west.

Air temp: 72f min – 87f Max

Water temp: 84F / 28 degree

Sunday.

At Male International Airport we received all guests and we escorted them to the Maldives Aggressor around 16:20 and greeted everyone with a refreshing tropical welcome drink. First we helped the entire guests to show and explain their cabins. Meanwhile our dive masters were helping to assemble their dive gear and weights. Captain briefings starts with a glass of champagne, and the chefs special welcome dinner.

Monday.

We did our orientation dive at Vihamana, (north Male’); as this dive site is an easy start to check proper weighting and equipment. As usual the current was very small. It was a good start as we saw many interesting marine diversity which included: white tip reef sharks, big groups of bat fish (they are the owners of this reef, as you can meet them anytime of the day.) After our first dive we moved further northeast Male’ atoll to do our second dive at Paradise out (MANTA POINT), because of the current we started our dive just next to the cleaning station to make sure that we didn’t miss it. After 40 minutes another 4 of them came to the cleaning station and stayed there until end of the dive. Other than mantas we saw napoleon wrasse, white tip reef sharks and also turtles. Once we were back from the dive, we traveled towards south Male’ atoll where we did our third dive at Embudhoo express as our first channel dive this week. Incoming Current was in favor with us. We jumped in at outer reef and drifted with the current. From the beginning to the end it was a very nice dive. There were many white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks big napoleon and many pelagic fishes in outer part of the channel. When we drifted in the channel the fish life changed to more reef fishes. Included oriental sweet lip, big groupers, lobsters and turtles. After the dive we moved to near Guraidhoo for the night. Our first night dive was at Dhahburi giri, which was a nice and easy dive without any current. The reef was full of macro life and resting fishes. To mention, we spotted Maldivian sponge snail, scorpion fish, different types of sea slugs and shrimps, stone fish, octopus and few free swimming moray eels. Lovely first day was over with a tasty set menu dinner with calm seas of south Male atoll.

Tuesday.

Around 06:00 o’clock all the guests were wake up to a bright sunrise. We did our first dive of the day at Lhosfushi kandu. We saw many pelagic life and macro life as well. Highlights of the dive were big napoleon wrasse, dogtooth tuna, and big schools of oriental sweet lips, nudibranch, and honey comb moray eels. Our 2nd dive of the day was in a protected marine area. Guraidhoo kandu we encountered grey reef sharks and white tip reef sharks. Next was MV/Kudhimaa wreck right next to Mahchfushi island resort. This dive was a nice combination of a beautiful house reef and wreck. Where we saw one of the rare fish in Maldives the frog fish. Last dive of the day we sailed south close to Dhigurah where we slept over night safely awaiting for the dive, the most famous night dive in south Ari atoll called “Archer’s”. Very nice as we saw lots of beautiful sea fans, sleeping napoleon, lobsters and lots of decorator crabs. Another beautiful day is over with fish ID game. All the guests onboard had really good time trying to tell the correct name of the fish.

Wednesday.

Our first dive at kuda rah thila was a perfect start for a nice dive holiday on the Maldives Aggressor. Beautiful 150 feet in diameter pinnacle, is one of the most beautiful dive sites we have in south Ari atoll, covered with thousands of blue stripe snapper, jack fish, dogtooth tuna and giant moray eels along everywhere on the reef. There are also 2 big overhangs located northeast side and south east side of the pinnacle. After the first dive, we headed back to south west, whale shark capital of the Maldives. We planned to snorkel and dive with whale sharks. We saw 3 whale sharks this week. We did our 2nd dive at Maamigilli beryu .It was a nice dive nearly no current. In this dive we saw white tip reef sharks, passing by oceanic manta ray, scorpion fish and many macro critters. Before 3rd dive, again we search for Whale shark; finally we spot it and did snorkelling with it. Our 3rd dive was on Sun Out and we encountered napoleon wrasse, turtles, and different verities of nudibranch. Last dive of the day was a night dive at Kukulhu reef. It was an amazing night dive with good visibility. There we saw a sleeping turtle, when we light up some caves were full of fireballs, as we went close to it we knew it’s the eyes of crabs and shrimps. Beautiful day ends up with surprise BBQ in the white sandy beach of Eriyadhoo island. The biggest surprise was not the tasty foods. It’s the whale shark on the beach made by our crew.

Thursday.

Dhidhdhoo beyru faru is famous for whale sharks. Reef itself is a normal outer reef, but the marine life there was totally different. There were lots of pelagic and reef fishes. We encountered white tip reef sharks dog tooth tuna, oriental sweet lips and a big group of bat fish. After the dive we move to north of south ari atoll. We did our 2nd dive at Madivaru. We had an amazing dive with 12 feet long 5 manta for 60 min. We traveled to north Ari to do our 3rd dive at Rah dhih gaa thila, which was a good combination of soft corals, hard coral and pelagic marine life. We then planned to do our most famous night dive up to east of north Aril atoll. Same like always, that was one of the most fascinating night dives in the Maldives and our guests enjoyed it very much. Another beautiful day over with our chef’s special stuffed chicken.

Friday.

Our day began with Maaya thila, we saw variety of marine life including, yellow fin tail barracuda, gray reef, white tip reef shark, sting ray and big schools of unicorn fish. We planned to do our second dive at Hafsa thila, which is one of the most beautiful dives in north Ari atoll. We saw, gray reef sharks, blue stripe snapper schools, big eye, juvenile white tip and some healthy corals on top of the reef. To do our 3rd dive we travel to east north Ari atoll. Kan thila was a beautiful narrow coral formation towards to open ocean. We saw lots of gray reef shark, Napoleon and lots of different verities of marine life. After 3rd dive we headed back to north Male atoll to do our 4th dive. Reethi faru was a very relax dive for our guest, along the wall lots of different verities of hard corals, napoleon wrasse, sleeping porcupine fish and many types of crabs .The beautiful day ends with a Maldivian buffet dinner. There were different verities of local food.

Saturday.

Last day and all the guests wake with a bright smile and we were welcomed by a big orange sun. We planned to do our last 2 dives in north Male atoll to see Manta Rays. Our first dive we did rasfari north. It was great with manta, white tip reef sharks, hawksbill turtle and napoleon wrasse were seen during the dive. Our last dive bodu hithi thila was farewell dive for our guest. We always save one of the best for the last. We saw manta, manta, manta, manta and manta. The entire guests were extremely happy to have such a nice dive as their last dive. Around 05:30 cocktail party started with our chef’s special snacks... beer, white wine and red wine.

The crew would like to thank our guests; Greg, Debbie, Terry, Jan, Brigitte, Stephanie, Garrett, Kurt, Mike, Kevin, Yulia, Clark, Victoria, Rebecca, Fred, Andrea, Charles and Barbara for coming to see us this week. We celebrate 100 dives for Jan and Kevin and also 400 dives for Clark. Crew wish a happy New Year to all our guests and pleasant journey back to home sweet home.

Written by Shumi

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Maldives Aggressor Captain's Log Jan 22 - 29, 2012

Weather: Very good
Wind: 10- 20mph NE
Sea: Slight moderate
Current: Morning from East to west / Mid-day west to east / Late afternoon- east to west
Air temp: 72f min – 87f Max
Water temp: 84F / 28 degree

Sunday.
At Male international airport around 4 pm we received all guests and escorted them to the Maldives Aggressor where they were greeted with a refreshing tropical welcome drink. First we helped the to their staterooms. Meanwhile our divemasters were helping to assemble their dive gear and weights. Captains briefings started with a glass of champagne, around 17:30, day is over with our chef’s special welcome dinner.

Monday
We did our orientation dive at Back faru, (north Male&#8217 this dive site is an easy start to check proper weighting and equipments. As usual the current was very small. Good start, as we saw many interesting marine diversity. Like few white tip reef sharks, Devil ray, honeycomb moray eel, hawksbill turtle and Pink leaf fish. After our first dive we move down to south Male atoll, were we plane do our second dive at Vadhoo caves. Lots of different sizes of overhangs attached on the north side of reef, was a nice combination of everything. We spotted lots of white tip reef sharks, giant barracuda, napoleon wrasse and some tuna pass by. Once we were back from the dive, we travelled to south Male’ atoll where we did our third dive at Kuda giri wreck, combination of 2 in one. We dived a small wreck round about 100 feet lay on the bottom of 100 feet covered with lots of glassfish and nice hard corals which were the highlight of the dive. After the dive we moved to near Guraidhoo for the night. Our first night dive was at Dhahburi giri, which was a nice and easy dive without any current. The reef was full of macro life and resting fish. To mention, we spotted Maldivian sponge snail, scorpion fish, different types of sea slugs and shrimps, stonefish, octopus and few free-swimming moray eels. Lovely first day was over with a tasty set menu dinner with calm seas of south Male atoll.

Tuesday.
Guests awoke to a beautiful sunrise at 6 am. We did our first dive of the day at Guraidhoo kandu. We saw many pelagicsand macro life as well. Highlights of the dive were big napoleon wrasse, dogtooth tuna, and big schools of oriental sweet lips, nudibranch, and few honeycomb moray eels. Our 2nd dive of the day was famous kandooma thila. We encounter 60 to 70 grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, eagle ray and dogtooth tuna. After our 2nd dive we start to sail south ari atoll. Roughly 4 hours 30 mins to reach south ari atoll. We did our last dive of the day at MV/Kudhimaa wreck. This dive was a nice combination of a beautiful house reef and wreck. We saw one of the rare fish in Maldives .Yes the frog fish, millions of glass fishes were surrounded by everywhere on the wreck. Another beautiful day is over with fish ID game. All the guests onboard had a great time trying to identify the correct name of the fish.

Wednesday.
Our first dive at kuda rah thila was a perfect start for a nice dive holiday at Maldives Aggressor. A round 150 feet around pinnacle is one of the most beautiful dive sites we have in south Ari atoll, covered with thousands of blue stripe snapper, jack fish, dogtooth tuna and giant moray eels along everywhere on the reef. There are also 2 big overhangs located northeast side and southeast side of the pinnacle. After first dive we head back to southwest, whale shark capital of the Maldives. We planned to snorkel and dive with whale shark. We saw 3 whale sharks this week. We did our 2nd dive at Holiday out .It was a nice dive nearly no current. In this dive we saw white tip reef sharks, passing by oceanic manta ray, scorpion fish and whale shark. Our 3rd dive was on Kudadhoo beyru and we encounter napoleon wrasse, turtles, and different verities of nudibranch. Last dive of the day was a dusk dive at Mal mal reef. There we saw sleeping turtle, banner fish, soft corals and nice overhangs attached on the wall everywhere. Beautiful day ends up with surprise BBQ in the white sandy beach of Eriyadhoo island. The biggest surprise was not the tasty foods. It’s the whale shark and manta on the beach made by our crew.

Thursday.
Madivaru is famous for Giant Manta ray. Nice big reef at the end of south west side of rangali is a unique Manta point during northeast monsoon. We encounter giant manta, whit tip reef sharks, dogtooth tuna, oriental sweet lips, Hawksbill turtle and lots of different types of tropical reef fish. After the dive we move to north of south Ari atoll. We did our 2nd dive at Rah dhih gaa thila. Good combination of soft coral, hard coral and pelagic marine life. For 3rd dive of the day we travel up to north Ari atoll. Name of the dive itself gives a good reputation for all the divers who have been there, yes! Fish head. Small pinnacle round about 170 feet in diameter was one of the thrilling dive of the week. We encounter grey reef sharks, guitar shark’s, napoleon wrasse, turtles’, and giant moray eels. On the night dive, we had lots of white tip reef sharks, moray eels and marble stingray seen by the whole 60 min of diving. That was one of the most fascinating night dives in the Maldives and our guests enjoyed it very much. Another beautiful day over with our chef’s special, stuffed chicken with caramelized onion sauce.

Friday.
Our day began with Maaya thila, we saw a variety of marine life including, yellow fin tail barracuda, gray reef, white tip reef shark, sting ray and big schools of unicorn fish. Our second dive was at Hafsa thila which is one of the most beautiful dives in north Ari atoll. We saw, gray reef sharks, blue stripe snapper schools, big eye, juvenile white tip and some healthy corals on top of the reef. To do our 3rd dive we traveled to east north Ari atoll. Kan thila was a beautiful narrow coral formation towards the open ocean. We saw lots of gray reef shark, Napoleon and lots of different varieties of marine life. After the 3rd dive we headed back to north Male atoll to do our 4th dive. Reethi faru was a very relaxing dive for our guest, along the wall lots of different verities of hard corals, napoleon wrasse, sleeping porcupine fish and many types of crabs .The beautiful day ends with a Maldivian buffet dinner. There were different varieties of local food.

Saturday.
Last day morning all the guests wake with a bright smile and we were welcomed by big orange sun. We planned to do our last 2 dives in north Male atoll to see Manta rays. Our first dive we did Rasfari north. White tip reef sharks, hawksbill turtle and napoleon wrasse were seen during the dive. Our last dive Bodu hithi thila was farewell dive for our guests. We always save one of the best for the last. We saw manta, marbled stingray, napoleon wrasse and lobsters. The entire guests were extremely happy to have such a nice dive as their last dive. Around 05:30 cocktail party start with our chef’s special snacks... beer, white wine and red wine.

The crew would like to thank our guests... Sabrina, Simona, Steve, Sharon, Martin, Cathy, Peter, Anna, Gus and Cathy for coming to see us this week. Congratulations Simona for celebrating your 300 dives with us. Well done to Anna for doing her nitrox class with us.

Written by Shumi

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Wind: 15- 20mph NE
Sea: Slight moderate
Current: Morning - East to west (Medium to Strong)
Air temp: 72f min – 87f Max
Water temp: 84F / 28 degree

Sunday
At Male International Airport we met all guests and escorted them to the Maldives Aggressor and welcomed them with a refreshing tropical welcome drink. First we helped the entire guest to show and explain their cabins. Meanwhile our dive team was helping to assemble their dive gear and weights. Captain briefings started with a glass of champagne, around 17:30 then our chefs welcome dinner.

Monday
We did our orientation dive at Vihamana, (north male’) this dive site is an easy start to check proper weighting and equipments. As usual the current was very small and we drifted along the long reef. During the explore we saw many interesting marine diversity. Like white tip reef sharks, black tip reef sharks, Ghost pipe fish and scorpion leaf fish. After 1st dive we moved to South Male’ atoll. Our 2nd dive was at Laguna Caves. The overhangs were full of fishes and soft corals .The top reef was covered with lots of hard corals. During the dive we came across lots of marine life, turtle, napoleon wrasse, big schools of blue stripe snappers. To do our 3rd dive, we moved more east side of the atoll. The current was incoming and its best to dive at Emboodhoo express. Visibility was really good (50m).In this dive we saw many pelagic fish. From baby white tips to big grey reef sharks, eagle rays, group of barracuda. After the dive we moved more south of the atoll as we planned to spend the night near Guraidhoo. Last dive of the day was a night dive. The round shape shallow reef is a one of the best night dive in south male atoll. During our dive we saw lots of Spanish dancer, lobster, scorpion fish, and top reef is full of small shrimps and crabs. The beautiful day ended with delicious meal by our chef.

Tuesday
We woke to a bright sunrise from South East of South Male’ atoll for a beautiful diving day. We did our first dive at Guraidhoo corner (Protected Marine area). One of the most fascinating dive sites in south Male atoll. During the dive we saw lots of macro and pelagic fish. Saw gray reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleon and many different types of nudibranches. 2nd dive of the day were at Kadoomaa thila. One of the best places to see gray reef sharks in Maldives. We saw gray reefs, barracudas and the caves on the reef were full of soft corals. After the dive we moved to South Ari atoll and did our last dive of the day at Kudhima Wreck. It was a good dive with no current. The wreck was covered with millions of glass fish. From the distance it was difficult to see the wreck because glass fish were everywhere. Highlight of the dive was the frog fish, but still we have to mention the big group of bat fish came to us when we were doing our safety stop. For the night we went near Lonuboa Island. The day was over with a tasty dinner and big smile on everyone’s face. We prepared a special birthday cake to Lasse for his 16th birthday, and for Patrick to celebrate his 600th dive.

Wednesday
Our first dive at Kuda rah Thila was a perfect start for a nice dive holiday at Maldives Aggressor. Current was perfect .It was easy to descend because the current was slight , we saw variety of marine life; big schools of blue stripe snappers, fusiliers, jack fish. The caves on the dive site were full of soft corals. After this beautiful dive we moved to most southern part of the Ari atoll to see whale sharks .We did our 2nd dive at Holiday Out. During the dive we saw few scorpion fish, turtles, and many different types of nudibranch. After the dive we searched for whale sharks. But, today the sun was not with us. We went back to the mothership hoping that the sky would clear up for afternoon. Around 14:00 sun came out little bit. We did our 3rd dive at Maamigilli. It was a nice and easy drift dive. No luck of whale shark but, few white tips, napoleon, turtles. As we planed to do a BBQ at Eriyadhoo Island we anchored inside Maamigilli harbour. For the night dive we went to Kukulhu reef. We had a little current to do a nice drift along the long reef. Inside the caves on the reef we spotted sleeping turtles and big napoleon wrasse. The caves were also covered with different colours of soft corals. After the dive we moved little bit east of the atoll close to Eriyadhoo Island. WEDNESDAY ends with a BBQ on the white sandy beach. Again we gave a big surprise to our guests by making a whale shark on the beach. After the BBQ dinner our guests walked on the beach and took pictures of the whale shark. At the end, we lit up the whale shark.

Thursday
Early morning we moved little bit North West of the atoll to do our 1st dive at madivaru. There we saw 3 manta rays, turtles, passing by dog tooth tunas and many macro lives. For the 2nd dive we moved north end of the atoll. HOLLYWOOD was one of the famous dives in this area. Current was not strong. The caves from start to end of the dive were full of soft corals. Top reef is covered with live hard corals. In blue we saw few gray reef sharks, white tips, tunas, jackfish, and inside the caves there were lots of small things like, nudibranch, shrimps, and crabs. When we were doing our safety stop we spotted free swimming octopus. 3rd dive of the day was at Black Jack. The formation of the reef is good to do a drift dive with some current. Caves on the reef give protection from the current. And it was full of soft corals .We saw some barracudas, white tips and on the current side it was full of fusiliers. .After the dive we spotted some manta rays on the surface and our guests did snorkel with it. For the night we moved bit north to sleep safely near dega thila. Night dive was at dega thila. As usual we were welcomed by big group of batfish. Caves on the west side of the reef were full of shrimps, crabs. We did our safety stop on the top reef while watching some free swimming octopus and moray eels. Beautiful day ends dinner by our chef. We celebrated Lasse’s 100th dive as well.

Friday
Our day began with Athabu Thila, we saw variety of marine life include, big schools of blue stripe snappers, fusiliers, jack fish. Millions of altheas on the current side of the reef were amazing. High light of the dive was big gray reef shark stayed with us from the start to end of the dive. .After this beautiful dive we moved to more north to do our 2nd dive at fish head. It was a nice dive with lots of marine life. Current side of the reef was full of fusiliers, jack fish, dog tooth tunas, and big groups of unicorn fish. The caves on East wall of the reef were full of macro life. On the top reef we found two turtles having there meal. Our guests spend lots of time with these friendly turtles. 3rd dive was at Hafsa Thila .Its famous for its unique formation and grey reef sharks. Current was perfect and we saw few big grey reef sharks on the current side. Marine life was in its best. Big dog tooth tunas, jack fish were everywhere on the reef. Top reef was beautiful with many small things .mantis shrimps, free swimming moray eels and different types of nudibranch were spotted. Last dive of the day was at Maya Thila. This dive is famous for action during night. From the start to till end it was full of live actions. As usual we saw some white tips coming very close to us and stingrays too. Few moray eels were spotted free swimming. Friday ends with a very special Maldivian style dinner.

Saturday.
Last day morning all the guests wake with a bright smile and we were welcomed by big orange sun. We planned to do our last 2 dives in North Ari to see few more sharks. Our 1st dive of the day was at maaya Thila as many guests wanted to see the place during daytime. On the current side of the reef, it was full of fusiliers, jacks and many dog tooth tunas. After swimming around reef and exploring the caves we went to top reef to see some sharks. There were few gray reef sharks and many white tips. 2nd dive was at Kan Thila, which is one of the best places to see big gray reef sharks. During this beautiful dive we were able to spot some big gray reef sharks, a big napoleon wrasse which came very close to say bye to our guests. Still we have to remember the eagle ray couple that stayed with us during whole dive. After the dive we headed to male atoll. After lunch around 14:00 we had movie and photo of the week. All the guests were so amazed to see their video and pictures. Around 17:30 cocktail party start with glass of champagne. Our chef’s special snacks... beer, white wine and red wine were there as well. All the guests were really happy and enjoyed the beautiful sun set.

The crew would like to thank our guests. Dennis, Patrick, Susan, James, Thomas, Stephan, Simon, Lasse, Jens and Mona for coming to see us this week. Congratulations Patrick, for celebrating your 600th dive with us. And Lasse to choose us to do his 100th dive. And also we would like to include Thomas and Simon for doing their nitrox course with us.

Written by Boboa

Maldives Aggressor Crew

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Maldives Aggressor Captain's Report Feb 19 - 26, 2012
Weather: dull sky
Wind: 15- 20mph NE
Sea: Slight moderate
Current: Morning - East to west (Medium to Strong)
Air temp: 72f min – 87f Max
Water temp: 84F / 28 degree

Sunday.
At the Male International Airport around 16:00 we received all guests and escorted them to the Maldives Aggressor around 16:20.Refreshing tropical welcome drink was the beginning of their journey. First we helped the entire guest to show and explain their cabins. Meanwhile our dive team was helping to assemble their dive gear and weights. Captain briefings started with a glass of champagne, around 17:30 pm, day is over with our chef’s special welcome dinner.

Monday.
Vihamanaa, is the best place to do an orientation dive in North Male atoll. This dive site is an easy start to check proper weighting and equipment. As usual the current was very small and we drifted with it along the long reef. Visibility was very good (150FT). During the dive we saw many interesting marine diversity. Like White tip reef sharks, Black tip reef sharks. Towards the end of the dive we went near the top reef to explore the top reef. It was full of hard corals and millions of small fishes like altheas. After 1st dive we moved to the west part of north Male’ atoll. Our 2nd was at Hanboa reef. This long reef is one of the best drifts in Maldives. The long reef was full of marine life. Many different types of snappers and big groupers were on the reef. High light of this dive was the big green turtle we saw on the top reef. As most of the guests want see some more hard coral life we did 3rd dive at coral garden. This reef is the one of the first reef recovered from late 90s coral bleach. From top reef bottom it was full of live stunning hard corals .Under the big table corals we saw some baby white tips, sweet lips. Different types of wrasse.For the night we went close to boduhithi. Last dive of the day was a nice night dive. Hithi faru is protected from strong current, but the fish life there is very good. During our dive we saw lots of Spanish dancer, lobster, scorpion fish, and the small holes on the reef was full of small shrimps and crabs. The beautiful day was end with a set menu dinner set by our chef. We celebrated Seiko’s 600th dive as well.

Tuesday.
Rasfari north was famous place to see manta rays in this time of the year. During the dive we saw many passing by dog tooth tunas, big napoleon wrasse, and few white tip reef sharks lying on the sandy bottom. The safety stop we did there was on of the few stops anyone could do with out counting. There were 2 turtles having there breakfast on top of the big table coral. Our guests were very happy because they were able to get some close shots of the turtles .2nd dive was at boduhithi tila. It was our first dive of this week with some current. On the current side of the reef we saw thousands of fusiliers, jack fish, tunas, and some barracudas. High lit of this beautiful dive was the grope of manta mobulas (13 of them). After this dive we crossed to north ari atoll. Last dive of the day was at maya thila. This dive is famous for action during night. From the start to till end it was full of live actions. As usual we saw some white tips coming very close to us and stingrays too. Few moray eels were spotted free swimming. Top of the reef was covered with millions of fusiliers. A wonderful day at sunny side of Maldives ends with a fish ID slide show after the set Manu dinner from our chef.

Wednesday.
Our first dive at hafsa thila was a perfect start for a nice dive holiday at Maldives Aggressor. Current was perfect .It was easy to descend because the current was very less. , we saw varity of marine life including, big schools of unicorn fish which comes very close to divers, fusiliers, jack fish. After this dive we moved little south to do our 2nd dive at fish head to see some gray reef sharks. We were really lucky that current was not that strong and the visibility was really good (100FT). We jumped into the current side of this pinnacle, where we spent few minutes watching live show of hunting. On this dive we saw big groups of fusiliers, jack fish big tunas, and eagle ray on the current side. From the start to end there were big groups of bat fish with us. Close to the sandy bottom we saw sting rays, gray reef sharks, baby white tips resting at the bottom .When we came to top reef to do our safety stop we saw few turtles and friendly big gray reef shark. After this beautiful dive we moved to more south of the atoll. We did 3rd dive at kuda thila. This small reef is one of the few points we can find frog fish in Maldives. On this dive we saw few white tip reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, and two frog fish. On the top reef when we did our safety stop there were few stone fish as well. For the night we went close to an island called rah dhigga. Some of the guests enjoyed the sunset at sandy beach. Others went for a night dive at rudidigga reef.This long reef gives well protection from the current and divers can enjoy the night dive with out current .During the dive we spotted many different types of shrimps, crabs, nudibranch, and some free swimming octopus and moray eels. Another perfect day ends with a very tasty dinner from our chef. All guests went bed early to get some rest for THURSDAY.

Thursday.
Our big day began with a dive at Madivaru. We were blessed with small outgoing current. Its best current to see mantas in cleaning station. After checking the current we jumped very close to the cleaning station not to waste any time. After 3 minutes big manta ray was spotted .First one stayed with us for more than 15 minutes. We saw 7 different mantas in this dive. All the mantas we saw in the cleaning station came really close to our divers. After this beautiful dive we move to most southern part of ari atoll. This part of the atoll is homes for many whale sharks. Our search began around 10am.We did search for an hour and did our 2nd dive at maamigilli out .During this drift dive we saw few turtles, barracudas, dog tooth tunas, and many small things like, peacock mantis shrimps, Spanish dancers and small shrimps. After the dive we continue our search for another 30 minutes but were unable to spot one. After the lunch again we went try our luck. 3rd dive was at sun out. Again nice drift dive with loads of marine life. Few white tips, big napoleon wrasse, and different types of snappers and groupers. Highlight of this dive was nurse shark sleeping inside a cave. Last dive was a dust dive at kukulhu reef. The caves on this dive were covered with soft corals. There were many macro lives there. Nudibranch, crabs and shrimps were hiding themselves inside these caves. We spotted one big napoleon wrasse sleeping in a cave. THURSDAY ends with a BBQ at white sandy beach. The big surprise was not the tasty foods but, the whale shark and manta made by our crew. All guests were really pleased to see the beautiful setup under the moon light.

Friday.
Our day began with kuda rah thila. This is a protected marine area. We saw a varity of marine life include, big schools of blue stripe snappers, fusiliers, jack fish. Millions of altheas on the current side of the reef were amazing. The caves on the east side of the reef were full of soft corals. 2nd dive of the day was at MV.kudhima. The wreck was covered with millions of tiny glass fish. We saw a sting ray, lots of lion fish, and nudibranch. We did our safety stop with big group of bat fish.3rd dive of the day was at malfalho reef. During this drift dive we saw big groups of fusiliers, jack fish and tunas. High light of the dive was the sting ray resting at the bottom. After the dive we headed to south male atoll. As soon as we reached there we did our last night dive of the week at dhahburi giri. The round shape reef is one of the famous night dive in male’ atoll. Location of the reef gives protection from current. This relaxing dive was full of encounters. We saw many Spanish dancers. The caves on the reef were full of shrimps and crabs. On the top reef we spotted some scorpion fish and stone fish as well. This amazing day ends with a Maldivian style dinner by our chef.

Saturday.
Last day morning all the guests wake with a bright smile and we were welcomed by big orange sun.We planned to do our last 2 dives in south male’ atoll to see few more sharks. Our 1st dive of the day was at cocoa corner. During this channel dive we saw some white tips and many pelagic fishes. 2nd dive of the day was at famous emboodhoo express. This dive site is famous for gray reef sharks. We had small incoming current. The platform 100FT below was the best place to hook. We spent first half of the dive watching gray reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, eagle rays. When we drift in the reef was full of reef fishes. After lunch around 14:00 we had movie and photo of the week. All the guests were so amazed to see their video and pictures. Around 17:30 cocktail party start with glass of champagne. Our chef’s special snacks... beer, white wine and red wine were there as well. All the guests were really happy and enjoyed the beautiful sun set.

The crew of Maldives Aggressor would like to thank Ulrike, Gene, Mikhail, Natalya, Terry, Bonnie, Gordon, Heather, Gary, Joanne, and Seiko for coming to see us this week. Congratulations, Seiko for celebrating your 600th dive with us.

Written by Boboa

Maldives Aggressor Crew.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Maldives Aggressor Captains Log March 25 - April 1, 2012.

Maldives Aggressor Captains Log
March 25 - April 1, 2012


Weather: very good.
Wind: 10- 20mph NE
Sea: Slight moderate
Current: Morning - East to west (Medium to Strong)
Air temp: 72f min – 87f Max
Water temp: 84F / 28 degree
Visibility: 100 t0 200 feet

Sunday
At Male International airport we received all 20 guests and escorted them to the Maldives Aggressor. Guests were treated to a special tropical welcome drink, which was the beginning of their journey. First we helped the entire guest to show and explain their cabins. Mean while our dive team was helping to assemble their dive gear and weights. Captain briefings starts with a glass of champagne, around 17:30, day is over with our chef’s special welcome dinner.

Monday
Our orientation dive was at vihamanaa. This dive site is the best place to check weights and new equipment. As usual the current was very small and we drifted with it along the long reef. We saw many interesting marine diversity. Like, white tip reef sharks, Black tip reef sharks. Top of the reef was full of hard corals and millions of small fishes like antheas. After the check dive we moved north of the atoll to do our 2nd dive at lankan out. This dive site is an outer reef. There are manta cleaning stations on this reef. The biggest coral block is located at the reef edge of 35 FT deep. We jumped in and visited a very large cleaning station. After a few minutes with one manta another 2 came to clean. Our guests had a very good show of mantas, which they came very close for the whole dive. After diving with these mantas, we went to south male atoll. 3rd dive of the day was at malmal reef. This is one of the few dive sites in this area where there are live hard corals. During the dive we saw some friendly turtles, different types of gobies, and some sharks. The table and branching corals were covered with millions of antheas. After the dive we moved more south to sleep safely near gulhi. Last dive of the day was a night dive at kuda giri. This small mountain shaped reef gives protection from the current. The overhang and caves were full of small shrimp and crabs. Some lobsters, leaf fish, and different types of nudibranch were spotted. The beautiful day ended with a delicious meal by our chef.

Tuesday
Incoming current is the best time to dive at miyaru faru. Visibility was good and we jumped to the outer reef. In the beginning of the dive we went to 65 ft deep. From there we saw some white tips and turtles. Napoleon wrasse, school of blue stripe snappers, big groupers, and passing by eagle rays were spotted. After the dive we went close to Cocoa Island to do our 2nd dive at kandoomaa thila. During the dive some reef sharks, eagle rays, school of barracudas, and jack fish were seen. After the dive we did cross to south ari atoll and did last dive of the day at kudhima wreck. Stonefish, frogfish, and different types of nudibranches were seen. Wreck was covered with glassfish. Big school of batfish were with us during whole dive. A wonderful day at sunny side of Maldives ends with a fish ID slide show after the set Manu dinner from our chef.

Wednesday
Our first dive at kuda rah thila was a perfect start for a nice dive holiday at Maldives Aggressor. Current was perfect .It was easy to descend because the current was not strong, we saw a variety of marine life include, big schools of unicorn fish which comes very close to divers, fusiliers, jack fish. After going around the small reef we came to top part. There we were welcomed by school of batfish. After this beautiful dive we headed to maamigilli out. (Capital of whale shark). As usual we did search for whale shark. After few minutes of search we spotted one and did snorkel with it. Few minutes later we spotted another one. This time we were only people with it, and she stayed with us for more than 15 minutes. When whale shark went deep, we did dive at sun out. Under water we encounter that whale shark. Other than that we saw mobula rays, eagle rays, few white tips, and turtles. Our 3rd dive was at ari faru. This is an easy drift dive. This reef is full of overhangs and caves. These caves were covered with soft corals. Resting napoleon wrasse and sting rays were spotted inside these caves. High light of the dive was the ghost pipe fishes. Wednesday ends with a BBQ at white sandy beach. The big surprise was not the tasty foods but, the whale shark and manta made by our crew. All guests were really pleased to see the beautiful setup under the moon light.

Thursday.
As we want to see whale sharks we did our 1st dive at dhihdhoo corner. This time of the year it’s the best current to see whale shark there. This dive is an outer reef drift dive. In the beginning of the dive we saw passing by mobula rays, eagle rays. Few gray reef sharks, white tips were seen close to sandy bottom. On the reef nudibranches, few octopus, and napoleon reefs were spotted. Highlight of the dive was nearly 30 ft long whale shark. After the dive we went out to search for whale shark. After few minutes we saw one close to surface, and we did snorkelling with it. Today the whale shark was just below the water and stayed with us more than 30 minutes. Our 2nd dive was at holiday out. We checked the current and jumped in a few hundred feet away from where we saw whale shark. During our dive we saw whale sharks, and manta rays. Big napoleon, turtles, stingrays, and few mobula rays were seen. After the dive we moved up bit north to do 3rd dive at angagaa thila. This mountain shape reef got 80 m in diameter. We spotted some stone fish, turtles, and free swimming octopus on top reef. Mantis shrimps, white tips and big school of banner fish were seen. 4th dive of day was at falhoa reef. This is an easy relaxing night dive. This long reef was covered with hard corals. Different types of shrimps, crabs, worms and big red snappers were seen. Parrot fish and moray eels were seen underneath the table corals. This beautiful day ends with a set menu dinner from our chef.

Friday.
Our day began with a manta dive at madivaru. This is also a protected marine area where manta comes to top reef to clean their body. After few minutes of the dive we spotted one manta ray. Few minutes later another 3 came. They came really close to us and stayed there for rest of the dive. After the dive we went bit north and did our 2nd dive at Hollywood. Caves on north side of the reef were full of soft corals. Big gray reef sharks and eagle rays were seen on blue. 3rd dive of the day was at fish head. As soon as we jumped in, big school of bat fish welcomed us. Other than that we saw verity of marine life include, big schools of blue stripe snappers, fusiliers, and jacks. 4th dive of the day was at dega thila. This is an easy relaxing dive to see macro life. Nudibranch, shrimps, and big school of very friendly bat fish were seen. We did our night dive at famous maya thila. This reef is famous for actions during night. Lots of sharks sting rays were seen while hunting. This amazing day ends with a Maldivian style dinner. Our chef prepared verities of Maldivian foods.

Saturday.
Last day morning all the guests wake with a bright smile and we were welcomed by big orange sun. We planned to do our last 2 dives in north ari’ atoll to see few more sharks. Our 1st dive of the day was at hafsa thila. Visibility was very good. Gray reefs and white tips were seen in deep area. On top reef under the table corals, few baby white tips were spotted. Last dive of the charter was at kan thila. When we reach at the edge we did hooked there. Big gray reefs, napoleon, eagle rays and white tips were seen. Around 17:30 cocktail party start with glass of champagne. Our chef’s special snacks... beer, white wine and red wine were there as well. All the guests were really happy and enjoyed the beautiful sun set.

The crew of Maldives Aggressor would like to thank, Tim, Patrick, Randy, Rick, Matthew, Marc, Tom, Matt, Brian, Jane, Rodrigo, Karen, Tarek, Caroline, Kevin, Peter, Gina, Sarah, Richard & Birgitta for coming to see us this week.

Written by Boboa
Maldives Aggressor Crew

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Maldives Aggressor Captain's Report June 3 - 10, 2012

Maldives Aggressor Captain's Report June 3 - 10, 2012

Wind: 20-35mph S/SW
Air temp: 72f min – 87f Max
Water temp: 84F / 28 degree
Visibility: 50 to 80 feet

Sunday.
We welcomed guests with a refreshing tropical drink. First we helped the entire guest to show and explain their cabins. Meanwhile our dive team was helping to assemble their dive gear and weights. Captain briefings starts with a glass of champagne, around 17:30 pm, day is over with our chef’s special welcome dinner.

Monday.
Our orientation dive was at Vihamanaa. This dive site is an easy start to check proper weighting and equipment. Current was very small and we drifted with it along the long reef. Visibility was very good. During our first dive we saw passing by big tunas, white tips resting at the sandy bottom. Lots of macro life was found on the reef. Different types and colours of nudibranches, octopus, and many small shrimps were seen. After that we moved north of the atoll to do our 2nd dive at lankan out. Current was small incoming and visibility was about 50 feet. During this dive we saw big schools of fusulliers, jacks, dog tooth tunas and few stingrays resting at the bottom. Our 3rd dive we did Kuda giri wreck in south male’ atoll. Beautiful Japanese fishing vessel was the highlights of the dive.we encounter dogtooth tuna, leaf fish and lots of different types of reef fish. After this dive, we went bit down south to do our 4TH dive at Dhahburi giri. Nice beautiful pinnacle shape coral formation gives us different choices of marine diversity was incredible. We encounter Maldivian sponge nail, ghost pipe fish, octopus and millions of glass fish. We sleep close to Guraidhoo. The beautiful day was end with a set menu dinner by our chef.

Tuesday.
Around 6 am, all guests woke up to a beautiful sunrise. Our 1st dive we did in Guraidhoo kandu. Known as famous for sharks and other pelagic schools of fish was the perfect choice for a great start.2nd dive was at famous kandooma thila where you can see almost everything. Current was small out going and it’s the best current to dive there. From to start to end there were lots of thing to see. In the very beginning, school of eagle rays, different types of snappers, and groupers were there. Caves and coral blocks were covered with soft corals. Many gray reef sharks were seen in cleaning station. They were in upright position and came very close to us. After the dive we did cross to south ari atoll. As soon as we reach there we did last dive of the day at mv kudhima. . It was a good dive with no current. The wreck was covered with millions of glass fish. From distance it was difficult to see the wreck because glass fish were everywhere. Highlight of the dive was the frog fish, but still we have to mention the big group of bat fish came to us when we were doing our safety stop. This beautiful day ends with a special dinner from our chef.

Wednesday.
Our big day began with a dive at kuda rah thila. This is a marine protected area. This small mountain shaped reef is one of the best dives in Maldives. It’s famous for vibrant marine life and coral growth. Overhangs on the east side and swim through on west were covered with soft corals. Big schools of blue stripe snappers were everywhere on the reef. Big jacks and tunas were on current side of the reef trying to get their breakfast. Millions of altheas on the current side of the reef were amazing. After the dive we went for search for whale shark. Blessed in few minutes we spotted one whale shark and our guests did snorkel with it. Big fish stay with us for more than 30 minutes. We did our 2nd dive at Holiday out. During this drift dive we saw few devil rays, leopard sharks, sting rays, and octopus. 3rd dive of the day was at Dhihdhoo corner. Top reef was covered with live hard corals. The coral blocks deep down was full of blue stripe snappers. Other than that we saw white tip reef sharks, scorpion fish, big school of devil rays and many other reef fishes. 4th dive was a dust dive at kukulhu reef. The overhangs on the reef were covered with soft corals. Shrimps, sea slugs, were seen inside these beautiful overhangs. Passing by napoleon wrasse, tunas and big groupers were also seen throughout the dive. This beautiful day ends with a BBQ at white sandy beach. The big surprise was not the tasty dinner but, the whale shark and manta made by our crew. All guests were really pleased to see the beautiful setup on the white sandy beach.

Thursday.
Early morning we moved little bit North West of the atoll to do our 1st dive at madivaru. Due to bad surface condition we change our dive site. We went do Rangali south. We encounter lots of blue stripe snapper, hawks bill turtle and leopard shark. For the 2nd dive we moved east end of south Ari atoll. Lah miyaru gaa was an easy round shape small pinnacle. There we saw schools of barracuda, white tip reef shark and lots of scorpion fish.3rd dive of the day was at Rah dhigaa reef. This was an easy drift dive. Easy relax dusk dive was something very comfy for our divers. Nice hard coral was the highlight of the dive. We spent the night inside of Rah dhih gaa island lagoon. This beautiful day ends with a lovely meal from our chef.

Friday
Friday began with an easy dive at Rachaa reef. The whole reef top was covered with lots of different types of hard corals make it so special. All of us enjoyed spotting lots of macro life along the reef. 2nd dive of the day was at famous Fish head. From the name itself it won’t need much description about the dive. We encounter grey reef shark, turtle, napoleon, jack fish and lots of giant moray eels. 3rd dive of the day we travel all the way up to east side of Ari atoll. Ellaidho reef was the first dive we encount giant manta ray, turtle, black tip reef shark and Schools of blue stripe snappers. Last dive of the day was at maya thila. This dive is famous for action during night. From the start to till end it was full of live actions. As usual we saw some white tips coming very close to us and stingrays too. Few moray eels were spotted free swimming. Friday ends with a very special Maldivian style dinner.

Saturday.
Last morning all the guests wake with a bright smile and we were welcomed by big orange sun.We planned to do our last 2 dives in North ari to see few more sharks. Our 1st dive of the day was at Hafsa thila. Again a small round shape pinnacle gives us the opportunity to dive with amazing marine diversity was speechless. Almost every kind of reef fish is there waiting for us. Most interesting part of the dive was juvenile white tip reef shark and free swimming octopus. 2nddive was at kan thila which is one of the best place to see big gray reef sharks .During this beautiful dive we were able to spot some big gray reef sharks, a big napoleon wrasse and lots of giant manta ray which came very close to say bye to our guests. After the dive we headed to male atoll. After lunch around 14:00 we had movie and photo of the week. All the guests were so amazed to see their video and pictures. Around 17:30 cocktail party start with glass of champagne. Our chef’s special snacks... beer, white wine and red wine were there as well. During the party we did celebrate Laura 150th dive and Bogdan 50th dive with chocolate cake. All the guests were really happy and enjoyed the beautiful sun set at the bow of the ship.

The crew of Maldives Aggressor would like to thank, Laura, Lidia, Julie, Jim, Jesse, Mike, Makoto, Bogdan, Brad and Dmytro for coming to see us this week.
Written by Shumi

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Maldives Aggressor Captains Report July 8^th to 15^th
Air temp: 72 F min – 87 F Max
Water temp: 84 F / 29 C
Visibility: 50 -100 feet

Sunday
At Male International Airport around 16:00 we met our guests and escorted them to the Maldives Aggressor around 16:30. They were welcomed aboard with refreshing tropical drinks. First we showed our guests their cabins and let them settle in. Meanwhile our dive team was helping to assemble their dive gear and weights. The Captain’s briefing started with a glass of champagne and around 17:30 we enjoyed our chef’s special welcome dinner.

Monday
We started the diving with an orientation dive at Vihamanaa, which is an easy dive site. Here, everyone was able to check his or her weight and equipment. This was a drift dive along the long reef, which had visibility of around 60ft. During this dive we saw black tips, an eagle ray and lots of colorful fish. After the dive, we came back for morning snacks before heading to Banana Reef for the second dive. Another nice easy dive to get everyone started off. On this dive we saw lots of moray eels and a nice amount of table corals surrounded by many different reef fish. Following this dive, we enjoyed a fresh lunch prepared by our onboard chef.




The next dive was at Feydoo Wall, a nice dive against a reef wall where seven turtles were spotted. There was lots of nice macro life around, including a rare fish from the Maldives!!! Yes it’s a Black Frogfish. The last dive of the day was a night dive back at Vihamanaa where our guests really saw the difference from day to night! There was a lot to be seen on this dive with schools of squid and sleeping turtles. After the night dive, we came back and experienced a fresh a la carte dinner from our chef. To top the night off, we celebrated Cameron’s 100^th dive!

Tuesday
To start off the day, we moved to South Male’ Atoll. Velassaru Cave was the first dive and there was a small current sweeping us along the reef wall. The visibility was approx. 100ft and we saw lots of aquatic life, such as white tips, turtles, oriental sweetlips, and lots of different triggerfish along with beautiful corals. The second dive was at Dhahburi Giri where again there was a lot of marine life to be seen. Another turtle made an appearance along with large schools of batfish, plenty of clownfish and even a napoleon wrasse. After the dive we went back and enjoyed a freshly prepared buffet style lunch.

Our third dive was at Lhosfushi Kandu. This was our first channel dive of the week. The dive starts with a sandy shallow and narrow entrance just 30ft wide and deepens inside to a sandy bottom to 90ft. From start to finish there were a lot of things to see with white tips, a green turtle and two octopus. Our guests were also thrilled to see large schools of blue striped snapper and a honeycomb moray eel. The last dive of the day was a night dive at Biyaadhoo Reef. Lobsters, grouper and octopus were the larger highlights and flatworms, nudibranchs and hermit crabs were also seen. A good day overall with lots to be seen and we finished it off nicely with a fresh a la carte dinner.



Wednesday
The day began with a wonderful dive at Cocoa Corner on the north side of Biyaadhoo Kandu. The site has many caves and overhangs, which make it a very interesting dive and a devil ray swam past the group mid-way through the dive. The second dive was at Kandooma Corner where there were lots of exciting things to see. From the very start we encountered a number of white tips, gray reef shark and a large marble stingray swimming through the group. We moved on to see turtles, moray eels and lots of colorful reef fish. After this dive, we travelled further south to the South Ari Atoll. Along the way, we were greeted by a pod of Dolphins swimming in the waves next to the boat.

The third and final dive of the day was dusk to night dive at the Kudimaa Wreck. The wreck is a ship, which is home to a lot of different species of marine life. A nurse shark lying on the sandy bottom was one of the highlights along with white tips, a marble stingray and a large free-swimming moral eel. Two stonefish, an orange frogfish and a leaf fish were also spotted, making this a very exciting dive for all! Wednesday ended with a tasty dinner from our chef. Guests went to bed early to get some rest for the early start the following day.

Thursday
The day started with a dive at Kudarah Thila, which is a marine protected area. This small mountain shaped reef is one of the best dives in the Maldives. It’s famous for vibrant marine life and coral growth. Overhangs on the east side and swim throughs on the west were covered with soft corals. Large schools of blue striped snappers were all around the reef and there were a large number of anemones across the top of the reef. The highlight of the dive was the two manta rays, which swam slowly past the group. We then started our whale shark search. The second dive was at Holiday where there was lots of colorful reef fish and beautiful table corals. After the dive we saw a whale shark, which swam close to the boat for a short time. After this we came back for a fresh buffet lunch from our chef before more whale shark searching.

The third dive was a dive to remember! We went to Sun Out and saw a number of different things. Turtles, white tips and napoleon wrasse were some of the highlights along with different species of triggerfish and lot of beautiful reef fish. However, the main event was the whale shark, which all of the guests got to snorkel and dive with. After this exciting third dive, our guests came back onboard for quick afternoon snacks before getting ready for the last dive of the day. The fourth dive was dusk to night dive at Ari Faru. There was a medium current so we were able to just drift along nicely. On this dive we saw a large sleeping turtle, octopus, lionfish, sweetlips and plenty of other fish.

The day was finished with a candlelit BBQ on a white sandy beach. Both the food and the whale shark made in the sand by the crew were a treat for our guests. All of the guests were happy with the set up on the white sandy beach and enjoyed the ambience of the evening - especially Ana and Alastair who enjoyed their special setting to celebrate their honeymoon.



Friday
Our day began with bright sunlight from the east part of South Ari Atoll. The first dive was at Dhihdhoo Kanmathi. There were lots to see with white tips, napoleon and turtles being the main highlights. After this we moved north of the South Ari Atoll to Bodu Miyaru Gaa for the second dive. The dive was very enjoyable and there was a great amount of colorful reef fish. During the dive we also spotted a lobster, lionfish and enjoyed the large fan corals all around. The third dive was at Fish Head, which is a small Thila with a lot of different marine life. A marble stingray and turtle were the main highlights however the great number of moray eels, colorful reef fish and unicorn fish playing in the bubbles added to the enjoyable dive. After the dive, the day was finished with a Maldivian themed evening with a fresh buffet prepared by the chef. The night was the perfect end to a great day and to top it off we enjoyed cake and champagne to help Daniel celebrate his 40^th birthday!!!

Saturday
The last day of diving and our guests woke up early ready to make the most of the last few dives! The first dive of the day was another dive at Fish Head. The dive was another stunning dive with large schools of fusiliers, large trevally, inquisitive unicorn fish, turtles, moray eels, lobster and even an octopus. We the travelled back north to North Ari Atoll for the second dive. The dive was at Ehlaidho Reef where we did a slight drift dive across the reef wall. There was an abundance of reef fish, including different species of triggerfish, anemone fish, butterfly fish, lionfish, and scorpion fish along with some large groupers. The final dive of the trip was at Kan Thila. The site was a nice easy dive to finish with where we saw many white tips, turtle, numerous moray eels, batfish, schools of oriental sweetlips, flatworm and a scorpion fish. The site gave the guests a nice dive to finish off the trip.

The night ended with a farewell party on the bow of the Maldives Aggressor with snacks and drinks to celebrate the week. All the guests were really happy and enjoyed the party. During the party we celebrated the milestone dives for Nancy, Sandra, Razvan and Daniel! Congratulations for the Nitrox Class done by Ana and Alastair and the Advanced Open Water Course completed by Jaclyn. A brilliant way to finish off the week!




The crew of Maldives Aggressor would like to thank Alastair, Ana, Joseph, Makiko, Nancy, Shirlee, Kathy, Sandra, Shalair, Paula, Bradley, Daniel, Razvan, Cameron and Jaclyn for coming to see us this week.
Written by Mary
Maldives Aggressor Crew

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Maldives Aggressor Captains Report 15 to 22 July 2012
Weather: Average
Wind: 30- 45mph NE
Sea: choppy
Current: Morning - East to West (Medium) Afternoon West to East (Small to Medium)
Air temp: 72 F min – 87 F max
Water temp: 84 F / 29 C
Visibility: 50 - 100 feet

Sunday
We received all of the guests at Male International Airport around 4.00pm and escorted them to the Maldives Aggressor. Our guests were welcomed with a refreshing tropical drink and a small selection of snacks. First, we showed everyone their cabins and after everyone had settled in the Captain briefing started with a glass of champagne. Around 6.00pm we enjoyed a special welcome dinner from our onboard chef.

Monday
We started the week off with an orientation dive at Vihamanaa, which is a simple dive site enabling everyone to check their weights and equipment. The dive was along the long reef and had visibility of around 20m. During this dive we saw black tip sharks, a marble stingray, schools of batfish, moray eels, and lots of colorful fish. A nice dive to start off the trip! After the dive, we came back for a hot breakfast before heading further North for the second dive. Another nice easy dive for everyone at Lankan Reef. The site is famous for its many mantas, however we did not spot any on this dive. Instead the main highlights of the dive were the white tip sharks, turtles, lobster and schools of sweetlips. After a fresh buffet lunch the next dive was at Bandos Rock. A nice dive against a reef wall where there were a number of different things to see, including white tip sharks, lionfish, and a moray eel.




The last dive of the day was a dusk dive back at Mal Mal Reef, which was a nice gentle dive to end the day. The highlights were moray eels, lionfish and a large turtle was spotted at the end of the dive as well. After the dive, which had now turned into a night dive, we came back and experienced a fresh a la carte dinner from our chef. To top the night off we celebrated Clarene and Henrique’s 13^th Wedding Anniversary!



Tuesday
To start off the day we did our first dive at Maagiri Rock. This was a perfect start to the day with Napoleon wrasse, garden eels, octopus, a moray eel, and a big school of blue striped snappers all being spotted amongst the healthy reef. For the second dive we went back to Lankan Reef. There were again no mantas to be seen, however we swam along with a turtle and came across schools of sweetlips, anemone fish, schools of fusilier and lots of colorful reef fish. After this dive our guests filled up on a wonderful lunch prepared by our on board chef and had a short rest while we moved to South Male Atoll. Our third dive was at Velassaru Caves. The caves cut into the vertical reef wall, which makes for an interesting dive. During the dive we saw lots of aquatic life such as turtles, oriental sweetlips, lots of different triggerfish, along with beautiful types of corals.

The last dive of the day was another dusk to night dive at Coral Gardens where there was lots to be seen! Lobsters, grouper and octopus were the larger highlights and flatworms, nudibranchs and hermit crabs were also seen. A good day overall finished off nicely by a fresh a la carte dinner.



Wednesday
The day began with a dive at Embudhoo Kandu, the first channel dive of the trip. Due to the current, we stuck to the corner and were greeted by lots of marine life with the main highlights being lionfish, schools of fusilier, and Napoleon wrasse! After the dive, the guests enjoyed a hot breakfast before getting ready for the next dive. The second dive was at Kuda Giri Wreck. On the wreck we saw lots of marine life including a leaf fish. We then swam across to the Thila, which was full of beautiful corals complimented by an array of colorful reef fish. A perfect dive for some of our guests to practice their photography skills.

After this dive, we travelled further south. Along the way, we spotted dolphins swimming in the waves next to the boat. The third dive was at Kandooma Thila where there was lots to be seen! Schools of jack fish, schools of unicorn fish, a turtle and a lobster were seen along with lots of colorful reef fish. The final dive of the day was a night dive at Dhahburi Giri. This is a popular spot for diving in the South Male Atoll and a nice dive for everyone. There were lots of colorful reef fish along with hermit crabs and moray eels.

Thursday
We started the day by moving to South Ari Atoll to search for whale sharks. The first dive was at Maamigili Beyru and there was lots to see from start to finish. There were many white tips along with a leopard shark, which was spotted on the sandy bottom. A few turtles were also seen along the reef slope and an octopus, however the main highlight was the group of eagle rays!

For the second dive we went searching for whale sharks again but still had no luck! We dropped down to Ari Faru and spotted some great marine life including moray eels, turtle and lots of reef fish. After this dive everyone was tired and relaxed and decided not to do another dive. The night was finished was a few beers along with a beautiful meal from our chef.



Friday
Our day began with bright sunlight from the east part of South Ari Atoll. The first dive was at Dhihdhoo Kanmathi. The dive was a drift dive as the current was able to push us along the reef. There was a lot to be seen on this dive including lots of white tips, napoleon wrasse, octopus and an eagle ray. After this we had another attempt to find whale sharks. With still no luck we did our second dive at Bodu Finolhu Beyru where white tips were spotted along with moray eels, lionfish, triggerfish, anemone fish and lots of other marine life.

On the third dive we finally found a whale shark, which the guests snorkeled with – it was worth the wait and everyone was thrilled! The third dive was at Maamigili Out. Along the dive there were schools of fusilier, jack fish, lionfish, lots of reef fish, moray eels and some beautiful table corals as well. The final dive of the day was a dusk to night dive at Arches. On the dive there were many moray eels spotted along with crabs, large groupers, lionfish, triggerfish and flatworm being other highlights. The night ended with a fantastic Maldivian themed buffet freshly prepared by our onboard chef.



Saturday
The first dive of the day was at Kudimaa Wreck. The wreck is a ship, which is home to a lot of different species of marine life. Glassfish, scorpion fish, marble stingray and a stonefish were the main highlights of the dive. After this, the guests enjoyed their last hot breakfast from our chef. The final dive was at Kuda Rah Thila and was a brilliant end to the trip. There was plenty of marine life to be seen including a turtle, a school of blue striped snappers, jack fish, marble grouper, crabs, nudibranchs, and flatworms. A great dive to finish on.

After the dive, we travelled back to North Male Atoll for a farewell party. A perfect way to end the trip with snacks and wine! We also celebrated Karen and Alan’s 200^th dives, Eleonora’s 100^th dive and Clarene’s 50^th dive!

The crew of Maldives Aggressor would like to thank Alan, Karen, Marcos, Eleonor, Henrique and Clarene for coming to see us this week.

Written by Mary
Maldives Aggressor Crew

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Maldives Aggressor Captains Log 29^th July to 5^th August 2012
Weather: Good
Wind: 5 to 10 Knots
Sea: Calm
Current: Morning - East to west (Medium) Afternoon Wet to east (small to medium)
Air temp: 72 F min – 87 F Max
Water temp: 84 F / 29 C
Visibility: 50ft to 100ft

Sunday
At around 4pm at the Male International Airport we met our guests and escorted them to Maldives Aggressor where they were welcomed aboard with refreshing tropical drinks. While our guests were shown their cabins our dive team was helping to assemble their dive gear and weights. The Captain’s briefing started with a glass of champagne and afterwards, around 17:30, our chef presented his special welcome dinner.

Monday
We started the diving with an orientation dive at Vihamanaa, which is an easy dive site. Here, everyone was able to check his or her weights and equipment. This was a drift dive along the long reef, which had visibility of around 60ft. During this dive we saw white tips, octopus, moray eels, lionfish, shrimps and barracuda. After the dive, we came back for morning snacks before heading south to Velassaru for the second dive. Another nice easy dive to get everyone started off. On this dive we saw turtles, white tips, Napoleon wrasse and lots of schools of snapper. Following this dive, we enjoyed a fresh lunch prepared by our chef. The next dive of the day was at Kuda Giri Wreck, which is a wreck dive along with a pinnacle of soft corals. On this dive there was lots of reef fish to be seen along with turtle, lionfish and also a leaf fish. The last dive of the day was a night dive at Dhah Buri Giri. The main highlights of the dive were shrimps, a large moray eel, sleeping triggerfish and squid. After the night dive, we came back and experienced a fresh a la carte dinner from our chef.

Tuesday
For the first dive of the day the guests split into two groups and were given the choice of two dive sites. One site was Kandooma Thila where schools of jack fish, unicorn fish and white tips were spotted. The other site was Cocoa Corner on the north side of Biyaadhoo Kandu. Here, we spotted a turtle, moray eels and lots of schools of fusilier and snapper. For the second dive we had the guests split into groups again and chose between two more sites. One group went back to Kandooma Thila to see if they could see more! On this dive we spotted eagle rays, white tips and lots of unicorn fish swimming in the bubbles! The other group went to Kandooma Out where they spotted a turtle, moray eels and lots of colorful reef fish. After this dive we moved further south to South Ari Atoll and did one final dive at MV Kudimaa Wreck. The wreck is a ship, which is home to lots of different species of marine life. There was a lot to be seen with moray eels free-swimming along the wreck, stonefish, lionfish and a white tip being the main highlights. The day ended with a tasty dinner from our chef. Our guests went to bed early to get some rest for the early start the following day.

Wednesday
We were greeted by a beautiful pink sunrise to start off the day. The first dive was at Kuda Rah Thila. On this dive there were lots of schools of fusilier, schools of snapper, moray eels and sweetlips were also seen. After the dive everyone enjoyed a hot breakfast before getting ready to search for whale sharks! We started the second dive by looking for whale sharks and within ten minutes we found one that we snorkeled along with. After this everyone got their dive gear on and jumped in to dive with the whale shark at Maamigili Out. Stingrays, white tips and moray eels were also spotted on the dive. The third dive was at Dhihdhoo Corner where there were lots of colorful reef fish to e seen. Many different species of triggerfish were spotted along with unicorn fish, jack fish, moray eels and large schools of sweetlips. The final dive of the day was at Ari Faru – a nice easy dive to finish off the day. On the dive we spotted lots of moray eels, shrimps and nudibranchs. Schools of fusilier and colorful reef fish added to an enjoyable dive. We finished the day with a candlelit BBQ on a white sandy beach. Not only the food was fantastic, but also the whale shark sand sculpture made by the crew was a hit. All of the guests enjoyed the ambience of the evening – especially Carly and Elyse who enjoyed a special set up to celebrate their honeymoon.

Thursday
The day started off with a dive at Madivaru where there were white tips spotted along with moray eels, electric ray and triggerfish. We then moved further north for the second dive at Hollywood. The dive was filled with an abundance of different corals. At deeper depths there were beautiful mushroom corals along with different soft corals. At the top of the pinnacle, table corals filled the area along with the colorful reef fish. This was a stunning dive for everyone with so much marine life to be seen! For the third dive we went to Maalhos Thila. This was a drift dive along the sloping bottom with strong current. White tips were spotted along with a turtle feeding off the corals. The final dive of the day was at Maaya Thila - a popular spot for night diving due to the large amount of marine life that lives around the pinnacle. This dive was exciting from start to finish with many white tips feeding, moray eels free-swimming and feeding on small reef fish. Marble stingrays were also spotted feeding and our guests also saw a turtle, lionfish and lots of colorful reef fish.

Friday
Our day began with another dive at Maaya Thila. This was a great opportunity for our divers to see the difference between night and day!! The dive was again full of things to see with white tips, turtle, Napoleon wrasse, shrimps, lionfish and plenty more! After this we did a second dive at Hafsa Thila, which is a great site to spot reef sharks. During the dive our guests spotted lots of white tips, grey reef sharks and mantas shrimps. The third dive of the day was at Kan Thila where we greeted by a pod of dolphins at the surface. The site was an easy spot where we saw many white tips, turtle, moray eels, batfish and sweetlips. After the dive we came back to the boat and enjoyed a late lunch before heading north to North Male Atoll. The fourth dive was a night dive at Maagiri Rock where there was lots of marine life to be seen with shrimps, white tips and a moray eel being the highlights. After the dive, the day was finished perfectly with a Maldivian-themed evening and fresh buffet prepared by our chef.

Saturday
The day started off with an early dive at Lankan Reef, which is famous for spotting manta rays. This was a drift dive with a lot of current. The main highlights of the dive were Napoleon wrasse, white tips and stingrays. We decided to do another dive at Lankan Reef for the final dive of the trip. The current was not as strong this time and our guests spotted white tips, turtles, Napoleon wrasse, and an eagle ray. The night ended with a farewell party, which started on the bow of the Maldives Aggressor with snacks and drinks to celebrate the week. Our guests were really happy and enjoyed the party. During the party we celebrated the milestone dives for Thomas, Polly, Mitra and Victoria.

Congratulations to our Nitrox course students - Melanie, Adam, Paul, Mejda, Mouna and Yousef and the Advanced Open Water course completed by Adam and Yousef. A brilliant way to finish off the week!

The crew of Maldives Aggressor would like to thank Mejda, Paul, Mouna, Adam, Yousef, Mitra, Melanie, David, Thomas, John, Polly, Melody, Elyse, Carly, Daniel, Anna, Andrey, Victoria and Rob for coming to see us this week.
Written by Mary
Maldives Aggressor Crew

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Maldives Aggressor Captains Log 5^th to 12^th August 2012

Weather: Good
Wind: 5 - 15mph NE
Sea: Calm
Current: Morning - East to West (Medium) Afternoon West to east (Small to Medium)
Air temp: 72 F min – 87 F Max
Water temp: 84 F / 29 C
Visibility: 100ft to 150ft

Sunday
We met our guests at the Male International Airport around 4.00pm and escorted them to the Maldives Aggressor. Once onboard they were welcomed with refreshing tropical drinks. After they were shown to their cabins the Captain’s briefing started with a glass of champagne to toast the coming week. This was followed with our chef’s special welcome dinner.

Monday
We started the diving with an orientation dive at Vihamanaa, which is an easy dive site. Here, everyone was able to check their equipment and weights. This was a drift dive with a slight current along the long reef. During this dive the main highlights were white tips, black tips, turtle and a moray eel. After the dive, we came back for morning breakfast before heading to Velassaru Caves for the second dive. Another nice easy dive to get everyone started off. On this dive we saw a spotted eagle ray and Napoleon wrasse, along with beautiful table corals surrounded with many different, colorful reef fish. Following the dive, we enjoyed a fresh lunch prepared by our on board chef. The next dive of the day was at Kuda Giri Wreck. This wreck dive is alongside a pinnacle of soft corals. On this dive we saw a turtle, lionfish, leaf fish, giant clam and Napoleon wrasse, along with lots of beautiful soft corals. The last dive of the day was a dusk dive back at Dhah Buri Giri where we saw many sleeping turtles. After the night dive, we came back and enjoyed a fresh a la carte dinner from our chef.

Tuesday
The day started with a dive at Kandooma Corner. This was a drift dive with a moderate current. On the dive we saw lots of marine life including white tips, turtle, Napoleon wrasse, jack fish, schools of fusilier and schools of blue striped snapper being just some of the highlights. The second dive of the day was at Lhosfushi Kandu, which was a nice easy drift dive. This was our first channel dive of the week. The dive starts with a sandy shallow and narrow entrance just 30ft wide and deepens inside to a sandy bottom to 90ft. From start to finish there were a lot of things to see with white tips, a green turtle and two octopus being the main highlights. Guests were also thrilled to see large schools of blue striped snapper and a honeycomb moray eel. After the dive we stopped off at Madi Gaa (Manta Point) and found three mantas swimming below. The group got in and snorkeled with the mantas!The third dive followed quickly after the snorkeling and was back at Madi Gaa. Unfortunately the mantas had left, but the dive was still a lot of fun.

Wednesday
The day began with a wonderful dive at Dhigu Rah Corner. This was a nice dive where white tips, moray eels and fusilier were spotted! After the dive we came back for a hot breakfast before going searching for whale sharks!Before the second dive, we started the whale shark search and managed to find one to snorkel with!!! After the amazing snorkel we got our dive equipment on and jumped in to Ari Beyru for nice easy dive. Although we did not see the whale shark whilst diving, numerous turtles, schools of fusilier, beautiful corals with surrounding reef fish made the dive very enjoyable. After the dive the guests enjoyed a fresh lunch cooked by our chef.
After the excitement with whale sharks we did our third dive at Dhidhoo Beyru. Guests saw a turtle, reef fish, moray eel, however the main event was the manta rays that were spotted and stayed with the group for a large proportion of the dive!! The fourth dive of the day was a dusk dive at Ari Faru. The dive was a drift dive along the reef wall with a medium-strong current. During the dive we saw white tips, moray eels, crabs and Napoleon wrasse. The day was finished by a candlelit BBQ on a white sandy beach. The highlight was not only the food, but also the whale shark made in the sand by the crew. All of the guests were happy with the set up and really enjoyed the ambience of the evening.

Thursday
The day started with a dive Maamigili Beyru where there was lots to be seen! Again the guests spotted a manta ray along with a turtle, Spanish dancer, scorpion fish, white tip, fusilier and schools of snapper also seen along the dive, plus a remora that stayed with the group for most of the dive! For the second dive we moved north to Kuda Rah Thila. On the way to the dive site we spotted some more manta rays and decided to jump in for a snorkel with them before heading to the dive site. There were lots to be seen on the dive with moray eels, a turtle, schools of blue striped snapper and fusilier, nudibranchs, large groupers and beautiful sea fans being just some of the highlights!! The third dive was at MV Kudhimaa. This is a wreck, which is home to a lot of different species of marine life, and there were certainly lots to see! A large stingray was a highlight along with stonefish, lionfish, batfish, moray eel, glass fish and plenty more were seen on the wreck itself. Guests also got to see the beautiful coral on the reef as well! The final dive was a night dive at Mal Mal Reef. There was lots of interesting marine life to be seen on this dive with lots of cuttlefish, different species of shrimps and moray eels. After the dive the guests enjoyed a fresh a la carte dinner and a few drinks to celebrate Debby’s 150^th dive!

Friday
Our day began with a dive at Vilamendhoo Thila. An eagle ray, white tips, oriental sweetlips and napoleon wrasse were the main highlights of the dive with different species of triggerfish and colorful reef fish adding to an enjoyable dive! After this we moved further north to Lha Miyaru Gaa for the second dive. The dive was very enjoyable and there was a great amount of marine life with grey reef sharks and white tips being the main highlights!The third dive was at Fish Head - a small Thila with a lot of different marine life. Numerous turtles were some of the highlights, however there was also a great number of moray eels, colorful reef fish, schools of jack fish, fusilier, snapper and unicorn fish playing in the bubbles which added to the enjoyable dive. The last dive of the day was a night dive at Maaya Thila. This was a very exciting dusk dive where there was lots to be seen from start to finish!! We swam across the pinnacle to the edge where we hooked in to watch large grey reef sharks swimming around plus three large marble stingrays feeding! Guests also spotted white tips, turtles, a manta shrimp, jack fish, lionfish plus large schools of fusilier.

After the dive, the day was finished with a Maldivian themed evening with a fresh buffet prepared by our chef. The night was the perfect end to a great day.

Saturday
The last day of diving, the guests woke up ready to make the most of the last few dives! The first dive of the day was another dive at Maaya Thila. The dive was another stunning dive with large schools of fusiliers, large trevally, inquisitive unicorn fish, turtles and moray eels.The final dive of the trip was at Kan Thila and was a nice dive to end with. There was medium current, which meant we were able to hook in and watch reef sharks swimming. Turtles, batfish, moray eels, scorpion fish, lionfish and sweetlips were also spotted. The site gave the guests a nice dive to finish off the trip.
The night ended with a farewell party with snacks and drinks to celebrate the week. All the guests were really happy and enjoyed the atmosphere. During the party we celebrated the milestone dives for Debby and Bruce! A brilliant way to finish off the week!

Sunday
Our guests woke up early to ensure that everything was packed and ready, but before they left we had a pre-birthday celebration for Michelle to help celebrate her 40^th Birthday (which was the following day!).
The crew of Maldives Aggressor would like to thank our guests for coming to see us this week.
Written by Mary
Maldives Aggressor Crew