Sharks, Mantas and a Night to Remember: Best of Maldives liveaboard on EcoPro Seascape, May 13-24, 2026
- Alexandra Brandt
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Some trips have one or two standout moments. This one had them almost every single day.
Over eleven days, the EcoPro Seascape worked her way through the atolls of South Male, Vaavu, Meemu and Ari on our Best of Maldives route, that mean dozens of dive sites and marine life that refused to play it safe. Here is what happened.
Eagle Rays, Nurse Sharks and an Aquarium Called Alimatha
The May ocean has a personality of its own, and our team knows how to read it.
When conditions on day one called for a change of plan, we headed to Kurumba House Reef instead, which turned out to be a good call. The macro life there was quietly impressive and set the right tone for what was ahead.
Then came Kandooma. Eastern currents, wall-to-wall sharks and whole schools of eagle rays sweeping through. It was, without question, the dive of the day and also one of the best of the entire trip.
Alimatha Jetty that evening felt like stepping into an aquarium. Blacktip reef sharks circled in the shallows, nurse sharks lounged on the sandy bottom, and three eagle rays stayed with us until the very end of the dive.
Dolphins, Marble Rays and One Very Famous Nudibranch
Miyaru Kandu treated us to a manta ray sighting on one pass and a string of marble rays on another. The channels in Vaavu delivered exactly what they always promise: current, action and a cast of characters that keeps changing. On the way back to the boat, a pod of dolphins showed up alongside us. It was one of those above-the-surface moments that catches you completely off guard.
At Nu Giri, the macro hunters had their great moment. Leaf scorpion fish tucked into the reef, nudibranchs scattered across the bottom and, believe it or not, a tiny Costasiella kuroshimae, better known as "Shawn the Sheep" looked with its funny face at our divers. If you have never seen this barely-3mm sea slug that looks almost exactly like the cartoon character, it is worth the trip to find one.
After the dives, we anchored near Dhangethi and went ashore. Souvenirs, local colour and a welcome change of scenery. And a good reminder of why we do what we do: these island communities and the reefs surrounding them are worth protecting.
The Night the Mantas Showed Up
If there was one evening that defined this trip, it was at Fesdhu.
The briefing was done, the lights were on, and before anyone even entered the water, the first manta appeared right behind the boat. When we finally went in, four of them were there. Not passing through. Staying. Circling, feeding, gliding through the lights in slow, unhurried loops that made time feel like it stopped.
It is the kind of dive you do not need to photograph (but of course you can), you just watch.
Earlier that same day at Vilamendhoo, even a giant oceanic manta gave us the pleasure of watching it at the very start of the dive. Eagle rays and snappers filled out the rest of the site. Then Hoholha Thila rounded things off with a colourful, relaxed third dive and more stonefishes hiding in plain sight than anyone could count.
100+ Sharks and the Best Thila of the Season
Bathala Thila delivered a show that even our Cruise Director Athi called it the best thila dive he had done all season. Over a hundred grey reef sharks in incoming eastern current, filling the water. Not a boat in sight for most of it, so we had that all exclusive.
That afternoon at Madivaru Corner, a big Napoleon wrasse came in close, genuinely curious, totally unbothered, and the sharks kept coming. A near-perfect way to close the underwater chapter of the trip.
Ready for Your Own Adventure?
The Maldives in May and June is unpredictable. It is also spectacular. If you are willing to let the currents lead and the crew do the planning, the ocean will take care of the rest.
Check our upcoming tour dates and secure your cabin aboard EcoPro Seascape or EcoPro Mariana. We would love to have you with us.
Your EcoProDivers Team
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