For many divers, the Maldives represents the pinnacle of an Indian Ocean diving adventure. To explore its famed atolls in comfort and style, the Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard presents an option that balances spaciousness with the operational know-how of a renowned fleet. At 41 metres, this modern steel-hulled vessel is one of the larger liveaboards cruising these waters, and it moves at a relaxed 9 knots, allowing for steady passage between the dive sites that have made this destination legendary.
You will be one of a maximum of 22 guests, and your dedicated 18-metre diving dhoni is where the day's diving truly begins. This support vessel is your mobile dive deck, complete with individual gear lockers, tank refills for air and nitrox, and ample room to move. The dive deck flows out to a large platform for easy entries and exits, and there are freshwater showers and a bathroom for post-dive comfort. Between dives, the dhoni provides a dedicated camera table with charging stations and separate rinse tanks, so your equipment stays organised. Back on the main boat, an additional indoor photo area offers further space to process images and tend to gear.
Accommodation onboard the Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard is spread across 3 cabin classes, all with en-suite bathrooms, individual climate control, entertainment systems, and personal safes. The main deck Suite stands out for its panoramic windows that frame the shifting seascapes of turquoise water and distant palm-fringed islands. It is a simple pleasure to wake and watch the Maldives pass by from the comfort of your cabin.
When the day's diving is complete, the liveaboard offers distinct spaces to unwind. The partially shaded sundeck is the place to be for 360-degree views, with sun loungers, a barbecue area, a bar, and a Jacuzzi to soak in the equatorial light. If you prefer to escape the sun, the Maldives Aggressor's air-conditioned main saloon provides a cooler retreat with an entertainment system, books, and games. The atmosphere is relaxed, designed for guests to socialise or find their own quiet corner after a day on the water.
A crew of 16 looks after the daily rhythm of the cruise. Meals are substantial and sociable, from buffet breakfasts that set you up for the first dive to plated, table-served dinners. Complimentary wine and beer are poured at mealtimes, adding to the convivial feel of the trip. The crew’s role extends to guiding dives and ensuring logistics run smoothly, so you can focus entirely on the underwater world. It is this combination of attentive service and a well-planned vessel that gives divers confidence in the Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard, whether on a 7 or 10-night expedition through the atolls.
There are 11 staterooms onboard the Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard. The Suite stateroom is located on the main deck with panoramic windows across the bow and has a queen bed. The upper deck includes the 4 Deluxe staterooms, 2 have a double bed and 2 feature twin beds. All Deluxe staterooms have picture windows. 6 Twin staterooms are on the lower deck, each with portholes. They all have twin beds, with 2 staterooms being able to covert to king beds. All staterooms have private bathrooms and entertainment systems.
All the staterooms have:
- Individual controlled air-conditioning
- Sea-view windows or portholes
- Toilet and hot water shower, hand basin, bathrobes, hairdryer, and towels
- TV and DVD player
- 2-pin mains outlet 220 volts - 24 hours per day
- Cabinet, drawers, mirror and reading lights
- Bedding & space for luggage
- Safety box
No. of bathrooms / showers - 11 / 11 - hot water
Maldives Central & Southern Atolls (Express) (11 Days / 10 Nights - 27 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, manta rays, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: North Male, South Male, Ari, Felidhoo, Meemu and Rasdhoo atolls
Day 1
Your Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard experience begins when you are met at Male International Airport for a short transfer to the yacht in Hulhumale Lagoon. Following a welcome briefing and safety orientation, you will settle into your cabin. The liveaboard then casts off for its first anchorage, allowing you time to enjoy an elegant 3-course dinner and meet your fellow divers over complimentary beer or wine.
Core Days
The Maldives Central and Southern Atolls dive safari maximises opportunities for high-adrenaline, big-fish encounters. The experienced cruise leader tailors the dive plan daily to account for currents and weather, aiming to provide the best possible conditions for encounters with the Maldives' impressive array of megafauna.
In the northern reaches, the Central Atolls diving starts with North and South Male, where divers explore exhilarating submarine topography. These sites are characterised by dramatic wall dives and submerged pinnacles (thilas) rich with vibrant soft corals. Look for frequent sightings of reef sharks and large schools of snappers, while artificial reefs created by wrecks are home to groupers and schooling fusiliers. A visit to Rasdhoo Atoll offers early morning deep water dives at sites such as Rasdhoo Madivaru, providing a valuable chance to see patrolling hammerhead sharks.
Continuing the voyage south, the Maldives Aggressor II focuses on the famed Ari Atoll, a crucial area for encountering whale sharks and accessing established manta ray cleaning stations. For experienced divers keen on after-dark action, a night dive at Maaya Thila is a possibility, celebrated for its activity once the sun sets. The exploration deepens in Felidhoo and Meemu atolls, where the true highlight is the exhilarating channel diving. Strong currents here attract significant pelagic life, including grey reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna, and jacks. A unique experience in Felidhoo is the unforgettable night dive at Alimatha, where dozens of nurse sharks and rays gather under the boat lights. The Maldives Aggressor II provides the ideal, professional platform to safely access and enjoy these iconic Maldivian diving hotspots.
Please note that on the final full day of diving, only 2 morning dives are scheduled to allow for sufficient off-gassing before your flight home.
Day 11
After a final breakfast aboard, guests disembark the Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard. A complimentary transfer is provided to take you back to Male airport.
Maldives Central Atolls (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: North Male, South Male, Ari, Felidhoo and Rasdhoo atolls
Day 1
Your Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard adventure begins at Male International Airport. After a welcome briefing and settling into your cabin, the yacht sets sail early evening, allowing you to enjoy a 3-course dinner and meet your fellow divers as you head toward the first night's anchorage.
Core Days
Diving from the Maldives Aggressor II focuses on the diverse habitats of the Central Atolls, where nutrient-rich currents draw in an impressive array of pelagics. In North and South Male, you will explore submerged pinnacles and dramatic walls covered in soft corals, with frequent sightings of reef sharks and large schools of snappers. A notable highlight in this region is the chance to dive productive wrecks that have become thriving artificial reefs for groupers and schooling fusiliers.
The Maldives Aggressor II route continues to Ari Atoll, a world-class dive location for encountering whale sharks and manta rays at established cleaning stations. You might also visit sites like Maaya Thila for a vibrant night dive or Rasdhoo Madivaru, where early morning dives often reveal hammerhead sharks patrolling the drop-offs. Each day is planned to maximise your time with these charismatic species based on the prevailing sea conditions and seasonal movements.
Further south in Felidhoo Atoll, the diving takes on a more adventurous character with deep channels that attract grey reef sharks and eagle rays. One of the most famous experiences here is the night dive at Alimatha, where dozens of nurse sharks and large stingrays congregate under the boat lights. Throughout the week, the Maldives Aggressor II provides a stable and professional base for exploring these iconic atolls, ensuring a high-quality experience for all certified divers
.
Please note that on the final full day of the cruise, there are only 2 morning dives scheduled to allow for sufficient off-gassing before your flight home.
Day 8
After a final breakfast and fond farewells to the crew, you will disembark the Maldives Aggressor II. A complimentary transfer is provided to take you back to Male International Airport for your onward travel.
Maldives Northern Atolls (11 Days / 10 Nights - 27 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: North Male, Baa Atoll: Hanifaru Bay, Raa, Noonu and Lhaviyani atolls
Day 1
This Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard expedition to the Northern Atolls begins near Male International Airport. Following a comprehensive safety briefing and cabin orientation, the vessel departs for its overnight anchorage. The evening culminates with a 3-course dinner, providing a welcoming opportunity to meet fellow divers and toast the start of your scuba adventure.
Core Days
The Core Days are dedicated to exploring the less-visited Northern Atolls of the Maldives, where nutrient-rich waters sustain vast marine biomass. The experienced dive team constantly evaluates weather and currents, selecting the optimal sites daily to maximise the potential for thrilling pelagic encounters. The trip begins by exploring the channels and thilas of North Male, serving as a familiarisation and check-dive area before the extended transit north.
The safari’s primary focus is the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll. The Maldives Aggressor II includes a special excursion to the world-famous Hanifaru Bay, offering divers an unparalleled snorkelling. During the appropriate season, you may observe hundreds of majestic reef manta rays gathering here to feed on plankton, a truly remarkable natural spectacle. Pushing further into the remote Raa and Noonu atolls, the diving shifts to navigating high-action channel crossings and exploring submerged pinnacles.
Raa Atoll, being less frequently dived, often rewards explorers with pristine visibility and healthy, extensive hard coral formations. Noonu’s kandus (channels) are renowned magnets for larger marine life, providing excellent opportunities to observe grey reef sharks, leopard sharks, and eagle rays holding position against the currents. Finally, Lhaviyani Atoll rounds out the adventure, famous for its powerful channel diving, where you can experience exhilarating drifts that pull in schooling grey reef sharks. Lhaviyani is also home to a unique dual-wreck site, providing rich artificial reefs teeming with macro life and large schools of snapper.
The Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard provides the stability and expert guidance required to explore these rewarding dive locations. Please note that on the final full day of the tour, only 2 morning dives are scheduled.
Day 11
The final morning starts with an early breakfast, followed by fond farewells to the crew and your fellow guests. Disembark from the Maldives Aggressor II, with a transfer provided back to Male International Airport.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
A week aboard the Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard is defined by a rhythm that every diver comes to love: wake, dive, eat, sleep, and repeat. But the experience is far from monotonous. It’s a careful balance of exhilarating underwater exploration, and onboard comfort and entertainment, where the quality of the food and the flow of the day are central to the adventure.
Your day typically begins before the sun is high. At 7 am, the aroma of fresh coffee and a light continental breakfast encourages you to start moving. This is followed by the first dive briefing of the day, setting the stage for the 8 am early morning dive. Returning to the liveaboard yacht, you’ll be met not just by the camaraderie of fellow divers, but often by the scent of something freshly baked, a prelude to a hearty buffet breakfast that fuels you for the second dive of the morning. The surface intervals are a pleasure in themselves.
After a dive, you might find the Maldives Aggressor crew passing around mid-morning snacks like still-warm muffins, slices of bruschetta, or wedges of homemade pizza. It’s a small, welcome touch. You can spend your time between dives updating your logbook in the shaded saloon, stretching out on a sun lounger, or soaking in the Jacuzzi hot tub on the sundeck.
Lunch is a relaxed, buffet-style affair, blending Western favourites with local Maldivian flavours. One day you might be helping yourself to creamy pumpkin soup and penne carbonara, alongside baked fish, chicken satay, and a vibrant fresh fruit cocktail. On another, the Aggressor crew might lay on a dedicated Sri Lankan-style lunch, offering a deeper taste of the region's cuisine. The afternoons follow a similar, satisfying pattern. The third dive of the day is completed, with snacks like fried fish cutlets or a revisit of that popular homemade pizza appearing in between. By the time the day’s diving is finished, the conversation naturally turns to dinner.
And dinner is an event with the Maldives Aggressor II liveaboard. It’s a chef-prepared, sit-down meal that showcases a real variety. Looking at a sample week gives you a genuine flavour of what to expect: one evening might feature a grilled steak with ratatouille sauce, followed by another where the main event is lobster al natural, or grilled tiger prawns served with a tomato risotto and mango salsa. Desserts are homemade and comforting, from brownies with chocolate ice cream to strawberry cheesecake and baked sweet red wine pear.
A highlight of each trip is the 'sundowners' cocktail party on the second-last evening. At 5 pm, the Aggressor crew hosts a gathering on deck as the sun dips below the Indian Ocean. Shortly after, you’ll head ashore as a group to experience a traditional Maldivian buffet, a wonderful opportunity to sample local delicacies in a true island setting.
The crew are attentive to dietary needs. If you have specific requirements, it’s best to note them well in advance, and once onboard, a conversation with the chef will ensure they can cater for you as much as possible given the remote location.
"
I was extremely satisfied with almost everything. The staff were the best part, and the food was really good! The upstairs seating area was not really used because it is not well designed or particularly inviting. I most likely would not have used the hot tub, but it didn't work. Although that did not impact my trip it is a sign that the general maintenance of the boat is a bit lacking.
What I noticed from both the boat and the dhoni was leaking oil, a slow steady stream the whole time. It is evident in many of the pictures that we took.
Ibrahim - great director. Chef and the dining room workers were excellent. Service on the dhoni was so good, all the guys were very helpful. But hhy no women?" -
Jacquie Brost, Canada, 17 January 2025 ...
"
This boat is by far one of the best boat I had been on. Shaker and his team has excellent customer service and made our trip as comfortable as they could possible make it. Well done to the whole team!
The Dive The World chat box is the best as it allows customer to clarify first hand their doubts." -
Lim Chee Eng James, Singapore, 23 September 2024 ...
"
Great staff. The choice of dive sites was excellent." -
Altaf Tambe, India, 14 March 2023 ...
