Maldives Marine Escape - 5 Days

Once you have arrived at Male International Airport, your Tour Leader is on hand to meet you and help with the onward speedboat transfer to the local island of Kamadhoo in Baa Atoll. Public speedboats run every day, and the crossing takes around 2 hours across the Indian Ocean. It is a scenic ride, with plenty of Maldivian islands slipping past along the way and a good chance of spotting dolphins, so keep your eyes on the water.Once we have settled in, it is time for our first underwater encounter on the island house reef. Our Tour Leader runs a briefing on responsible snorkelling and is there to help anyone less confident or new to it, checking equipment and making sure everyone feels comfortable in the water. Coral reefs are fragile ecosystems, and learning to snorkel responsibly helps limit our impact and protect the delicate balance of marine life.The Maldives is rich in marine life, though much of it is under threat from human activity. Over a coffee, our Tour Leader talks through the practices tipping the ecosystem out of balance, the coral reef rehabilitation work led by local NGO Save the Beach, and the small changes we can all make to lessen our impact.

Please note: Please ensure that you arrive before 9:30 AM at Velana International Airport. There are no ferry transfers on Fridays and public holidays. The Maldives is a Muslim country, so alcohol is unavailable on local islands. Bikinis are not permitted on local beaches but can be worn in private guesthouse areas such as gardens, balconies, or designated tourist beaches. We strongly recommend you bring your own mask and snorkel on this tour, both for hygiene reasons and to ensure a proper fit.

Today we head to the Atoll Marine Centre, a locally owned conservation centre based in Naifaru and dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating injured sea turtles, restoring coral and educating the community. The team works alongside marine biologists, veterinarians, local interns and residents to protect the reefs and marine life of the Maldives.During the visit we are introduced to the centre's conservation work, meet the current turtle patients and hear about the challenges facing sea turtles and coral reefs. A guided walk around the facility follows, where we may see turtles at different stages of rehabilitation and learn how they are cared for before being released back into the ocean. The visit also helps support the centre's ongoing conservation work and community-led environmental projects.Back on Kamadhoo, we spend time exploring the island with our Tour Leader for a glimpse of daily life as it unfolds. We pass the island's key buildings, the mosque, school, medical centre and police station, each central to a Maldivian island community, and wander the narrow maze of sandy lanes lined with local fruit trees. The walk finishes at a local cafe to try traditional hedika, the savoury and sweet Maldivian short eats served with black tea.

After breakfast we set out by speedboat to snorkel in search of turtles. The reefs here are thick with the soft corals turtles love, so there is a good chance of finding them feeding. When we do, we follow the code of conduct for a respectful, responsible encounter and take identification photographs to share with the Olive Ridley Project. Be sure to pack your underwater camera.This afternoon there is another chance to explore the house reef with our Tour Leader. We may come across large shoals of reef fish, from blue stripe snapper and red tooth triggerfish to banner fish and butterfly fish. Keep an eye out too for parrotfish, goatfish, sweetlips and the elusive moray eels darting between the corals, and do not be surprised if a curious turtle glides past.In the evening, our Tour Leader introduces the work of the Manta Trust, with an insight into their environmental monitoring, manta ray research and how to make any encounter a positive one.

After breakfast we take another morning out on the reefs, which teem with fish and marine life. Sightings are never guaranteed, but we may be lucky enough to come across the manta rays that are often seen in the atoll. Before we get into the water, our Tour Leader runs through the manta snorkelling code of conduct so the experience is a good one for both snorkeller and manta.In the afternoon, after a final snorkel on the house reef, we give something back to the community that has welcomed us by joining an island clean. It is a simple but powerful act of environmental stewardship, and the reward is a refreshing swim in the ocean afterwards.

After breakfast, you transfer by public speedboat back to Velana International Airport, where your tour comes to an end.