Fathima

MY FATHIMA is a vessel of the latest generation of liveaboards in Maldives, commencing service November 2003. She has 8 cabins with 2 separate beds which can be used as triples also.The cabins are spacious, very well done, fully airconditioned all with attatched bathroom. The main deck consits of a large well done saloon for inside-meals topped by an even larger sundeck for outside-meals with bar and deckchairs, half open half covered.

While the vessel is new, the operators are not. They have almost 20years of experience in diving and cruising in Maldives. They know what can be found where.

The routing is mastertailord for best diving and concentrates therefore on the best atoll for diving:Ari. In a weekly tour you can expect mantas, greysharks and wonderfull Tilas, partly with perfect coral, with a bit of luck you see whalesharks. The by-weekly tour incorporates Felidu Atoll and Rasdhu, making whalesharks and hammerheads quite likely. Groups on exclusive charter may decide on schedule and routing. Joining us on FATHIMA you can be sure to get the best in diving on one of the finest vessels at European level of organization.
DON'T BE SATISFIED WITH LESS!

Technical data:
Built: 2003
Flag: Maldivian
Lenght: 30 m
Breadth: 9 m
Depth: 3 m
Tonnage: 90
Hull ans Superstructure: Wood
Engine: 380 HPS Cummins
Speed: 12 Knots
Generators: 22Kv sound proof
Water: desalination plant for 6 tons per day
Communications: radio, phone, e-mail.

Lower Deck:
8 cabins, 2 separate beds, triple occupancy possible, adjustable airconditioned, attached shower and toilet.

Main Deck:
saloon for dinimg and sitting. Video,TV. Kitchen, Coolroom, Laundry, Instructor room

Upper Deck:
huge Sundeck, half covered, half open. Bar, sunchairs, meals on this deck if weather permits.

Special features:
the FATHIMA has one upperdeck only. No additional weelhouse/cabins ontop as most Maldivian boats have. This provides a unique stabilty. Dramatically less rolling then other boats of this size. Very strong and seaworthy.

Route
In our dive-cruises, the program is not the cruising, but the diving only. In other words: We want to see the best what Maldives can offer, no matter where it is. Our clients want to see: sharks (grey and hammer,whitetip of course), Mantas and whalesharks. In between we offer dives at breathtaking reefs and wonderful coral-gardens (yes, Maldives has got also this, again).

Clearly the best atoll to meet these goals is Ari. Therefore, for no other reasons, we concentrate in the weekly cruises to this atoll only. Because we get there what we want.
The two-weeks-cruising are extended to Felidu and Rasdu. We offer inbetween some cruises to Baa and Raa, groups on exclusive-charter may define route and destination on their own.

This is the typical one-week cruise:
From the airport south to Guradu having one or two dives in Guradu channel if the current is right (East), otherwise we cruise directly to Southern Ari to see top Tilas with very good fish( Broken Rock,Kuda Rah Tila etc). We cruise different places in the very south of Ari for whalesharks (Dhiguraa-Mamingili). We move up to north along the west-side of Ari for mantas and superb corals (Rangali Mantas, Himandu Tila, Malos Tila, different Mantaspots). After having dived enough with Mantas we cross to east side of Ari, the home of schools of greysharks(Maya Tila,Fishhead,Bathala Sharkpoint) and then we return to Airport. See cruise map here.

What to expect:
· The best Tilas with good fish
· Some xcellent coral reefs
· Greysharks: 100%
· Mantas: 100%
· Whalesharks: good chances (50%).

The two-weeks-tours:
leads from South Male Atoll (Guradu Channel) to Felidu Atoll, where we have some good channels and the Hammerheads of Foteo. From there we move to southern Ari taking the same rout as at the weekly cruising. However: after the greysharks of Northern Ari we move to Rasdu where we have another chance for Hammerheads. In general, the two-weeks tour provides more time, to stay longer at certain places. For example we can repeat a certain dive at better conditions or, most important we can spend 2-3 days just on whalesharks, thus increasing chances tremendously. It depends much on the group on what fish to concentrate. See cruise map here.

What to expect:
·The best Tilas with good fish
· Some excellent coral reefs
· Greysharks: 100%
· Mantas: 100%
· Whalesharks: excellent chances 80%
· Hammerheads: excellent chances : 80%

Why Ari Atoll?
From First of September onwards all Maldives are open for cruising. Why do we hold on Ari Atoll?
1. Only weekly tours are Ari only, byweekly tours include Felidu and occasionally Baa.

2. From all what we know, Ari is the best for diving. Just look at our offer. Usually it takes 2 or 3 holidays, or even more, to see same.

3.One have to take a decision: you want to do much diving or cruising? Both at the same time does not work.

4.The next Atolls, Meem (Mulaku), Faaf (Nilandu Nord und Süd) are not worth the diesel. If you go beyond, see point 3

5. The alternative: boarding the vessel after an inland-flight to the far south or north. The problem start with the inland-flights which are hardly on time. What, if something goes wrong?

The experiences of Addu and Huvadu Atoll are rather desillusioning. These atolls have an advanced coral growth compared to central Maldives, however, they are overfished. Hardly any big fish, very few sharks, no reliable Mantaspots. The problem of overfishing seems to increase proportional with the distance from the ''old'' atolls. Neverthess: possibly an alternative, but not yet.

Diving
Basically, the diving we offer is non-limit, we do not count dives. However to get from one point to the other on a vessel takes time. Therefore thy typical day on FATHIMA provides 3 dives. One before breakfast, one after breakfast and one in the afternoon. Nightdives are possible, of course. On the cruising days in the beginning and at the end we may have only 2 dives.

We dive from a smaller boat called dhoni. All the divegear incl. compressor is on this boat. The divers usually leave also their personell gear on this dhoani and take only items like computers and cameras to the main vessel.

In the cruising price included are all dives, cylinder and weights only. All other equipments are available on rent. Equipments for rent should be requested upon booking, some items are limited.