Solitude Gaia Madlvies: Deep South

Boarding for Solitude Gaia Maldives begins promptly at 1400 and concludes no later than 1000 on Day 2.

Upon arrival in Malé, you will be met by our friendly ground team before being transferred to Solitude Gaia Maldives. Once onboard, the crew will welcome you and guide you to your cabin, giving you time to settle in and familiarise yourself with your home for the next eleven nights.

Later, we will conduct orientation, safety briefings, and diver registration. Atoll and marine park fees will be collected at this time, so please have your certification cards and/or logbooks ready.

Enjoy dinner as the vessel remains at anchor for the evening, preparing for the southbound crossing ahead.

Dinner is included in your package. Refer to Know-Before-You-Go for travel and fee details.

Gives the opportunity for 2 to 3 dives.

Choice of regions and sites: British Loyalty Wreck / Addu Manta Point / Gan Inside Reef

Your southern exploration begins in Addu Atoll, a unique region where WWII history and thriving coral ecosystems intertwine. The day’s highlight is often the British Loyalty Wreck, a large tanker resting in calm waters and adorned with soft corals, batfish, and an assortment of macro subjects.

Further dives may include manta cleaning stations and inner-reef slopes where trevally, reef sharks, and turtles frequently cruise. Addu’s sheltered structure provides ideal conditions to adjust to southern diving before venturing into more exposed atolls.

Gives the opportunity for up to 3 dives

Choice of regions and sites: Tiger Shark Zone (protocol-led) / Bluewater Edge / Fuvahmulah Ridge

Today brings you to Fuvahmulah, an isolated island rising steeply from deep water and renowned for its tiger sharks. The encounters here follow strict, briefing-led protocols designed to ensure both safety and respect for the animals.

Beyond the shark zone, the island’s deep blue offers encounters with pelagic species such as thresher sharks, oceanic mantas, and large tunas. Fuvahmulah’s atmosphere — raw, powerful, and undeniably wild — makes it a defining moment of the expedition.

Gives the opportunity for 3 to 4 dives each day.

Choice of regions and sites: Villingili Kandu / Nilandhoo Channel / Dhaandhoo Corner / Gemanafushi Ridge

Across three full days, you will explore the vast expanse of Gaafu, where wide kandus and sweeping reef structures create some of the most exhilarating drift diving in the Maldives.

Incoming currents at channels like Villingili Kandu or Nilandhoo Channel bring grey reef sharks, silvertips, barracuda, and tuna into view, while corners and ridges such as Dhaandhoo and Gemanafushi reveal hard-coral gardens, sea fans, and dense schools of reef fish.

The diversity of this region — from high-energy drifts to calm coral plateaus — provides a richly varied diving experience unique to the deep south.

Gives the opportunity for up to 3 dives.

Choice of regions and sites: Fushi Kandu / Maabaidhoo Wall / Gan Corner

Heading north, reach Laamu Atoll, where well-formed channels and coral walls create engaging and scenic dives. Eagle rays, reef sharks, and turtles are commonly seen gliding along the reefs, while schooling fusiliers and snapper add colour and movement.

Dives here blend moderate currents with broad coral formations, creating a welcome contrast between the intensity of Gaafu and the gentler flow of the central atolls.

Gives the opportunity for up to 3 dives.

Choice of regions and sites: Veymandoo Kandu / Guraidhoo Corner (Thaa region) / Olhugiri Thila

In Thaa Atoll, nutrient-rich currents sweep through channels and across thilas, attracting trevally, snapper, and occasional manta rays. Sites like Veymandoo Kandu offer wide-angle opportunities along coral ridges and walls, while Olhugiri Thila provides intricate coral textures and varied marine life.

This region bridges the transition between the raw southern atolls and the more familiar central Maldives, offering both energy and calm in equal measure.

Gives the opportunity for 3 to 4 dives.

Choice of regions and sites: Muli Kandu / Veyvah Kandu / Medhufushi Reef

Arriving in Meemu, you’ll find wide channels, long coral slopes, and a relaxed rhythm ideal for multiple dives. Muli Kandu and Veyvah Kandu often deliver steady drifts past bommies and ridge systems where reef sharks, stingrays, and abundant reef fish circulate.

A fourth dive may take place in a sheltered location such as Medhufushi Reef, allowing you to explore coral blocks, look for macro subjects, or simply enjoy a slower-paced dive among vibrant reefs.

Gives the opportunity for 3 to 4 dives, including a night dive.

Choice of regions and sites: Fotteyo Kandu / Miyaru Kandu / Alimatha Jetty (night dive)

In Vaavu Atoll, the combination of dramatic channel diving and the Maldives’ most iconic night encounter makes for an unforgettable day.

Daytime dives may include the legendary Fotteyo Kandu, known for soft corals and sharky overhangs, or Miyaru Kandu, where currents attract reef sharks and schooling fish.

After sunset, if conditions permit, prepare for the famous Alimatha Jetty Night Dive, where nurse sharks, stingrays, and jacks swirl in illuminated water — an experience that lingers long after you surface.

Gives the opportunity for 2 to 3 dives.

Choice of regions and sites: Kandooma Thila / Guraidhoo Corner / Cocoa Thila

Your final diving day unfolds within South Malé Atoll, home to classic sites where schooling fish, turtles, and reef sharks weave through overhangs, ridges, and soft-coral formations.

These dives provide a gentle, balanced close to your southern adventure, allowing you to savour the Maldives’ signature colours and marine life before your upcoming no-dive interval.

No diving today.

After breakfast, disembark Solitude Gaia Maldives and transfer to the airport or your onward accommodation. Our team will assist with luggage and farewells as you conclude your journey through the southern atolls — a voyage of pelagic encounters, channel drifts, quiet reef moments, and the shifting blue of the deep Maldives.

Please Note:
All itineraries are subject to weather, currents, and marine-life activity. The Cruise Director may adjust the route to ensure safe and optimal conditions. Wildlife sightings such as mantas and whale sharks are natural encounters and cannot be guaranteed.