Dive Review of Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita in
Maldives/central atolls

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Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita: "Diving is not worth the cost or time", Feb, 2017, by Gail M King, FL, US ( Sr. Contributor 28 reports with 24 Helpful votes). Report 9523 has 4 Helpful votes.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	We went in the prime diving time of year--Feb & March to have the best conditions so paid full price.We had rough,windy conditions the first 4 days of our 10 nite trip with slowly improving conditions for the remainder of the trip.But the weather was not the real problem in the Maldives...all types of hard corals were 90% dead on all reefs we dove for the entire trip which included North & South Male,Vaavu,Meemu,South & North Ari & Rasdhoo Atolls for a total of 34 dives.I think the dead corals have vastly depleted the tropical fish population.Every dive was the same...we went down to 90+ feet & hooked in to watch a few white tip & grey reef sharks swim back & forth...got boring very quickly.We felt lucky to see a squad of Eagle Rays pass high above us once.We also saw the mantas at South Ari.I did see 1 honeycomb moray which was the highlight of my trip...other morays were seen more often as were octopus.We were divided into 3 groups each led by a guide to the hook in spot...there just wasn't much variety of life to observe on most dives.The dive boat was large & comfy,drops were good,& diving was safe in current conditions.Our liveaboard was a floating hotel...our standard cabin was huge by liveaboard standards,salon was large & comfy as was the upper sun/shade deck.I wish Carpe Vita was in a different location.All meals were outside buffet.There was plenty of food just the same thing over & over for lunch & dinner...jack fish was awful...ice cream was the lunch delight.I expected to be impressed by the diving from all I had researched but the word had not gotten out as to the reef conditions that happened last year which really sent the reefs into a death spiral.Bottom line...don't go.Palau is much more alive for hook in current diving & Raja Ampat has great variety & water/reef conditions.
Websites	Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Indonesia, Palau, Fiji, Philippines, Australia, Galapagos, Socorro, Hawaii, Bahamas, Caribbean
Closest Airport	Male,Maldives	Getting There	Emirates from Orlando,FL thru Dubai to Male
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, choppy, currents, no currents
Water Temp	81-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	30-80 Ft/ 9-24 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	buddy diving only & depth of 99 ft which was ignored
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	> 2
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	rinse tanks for cameras & plenty of table room.crew was careful with cameras

Report currently has 4 Helpful votes

Subscriber's Comments

By wendy durr in CA, US at Mar 29, 2017 00:10 EST

March sister boat, ditto- disappointing diving, boat and crew were great. Food similar for all meals, agree.

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Dive Review of Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita in Maldives/central atolls

Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita: "Diving is not worth the cost or time", Feb, 2017,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Explorer Ventures Carpe Vita in
Maldives/central atolls