March 3rd - Towser
This will be the 10th time Maldives, and our 1st time liveaboard. What's also new is Towser, our new Maine Coon. We first had the idea of waiting until after the vacation. But Maja, alone for so long? And after the death of Loeki it was so quiet in the house. And then we found him in Eindhoven. That means that he is "alone" at home for 2 weeks, and he is still quite young. And that gives a double feeling when we go. Fortunately our cat nanny, Nathalie, is going to spoil them.
It is the last day of the winter, there was still snow in the morning. When we started driving, at 1:00 pm, everything was gone. Along the way the road is fine and after 2.5 hours we are at Frankfurt Airport. We check in already at 4 p.m. 4 hours before the flight. "Is that dive luggage?" "No clothes" "Should be 20kg max." Oh yeah? According to your website I was allowed to count everything together as long as it weighs no more than 32 kg / suitcase. The total is 52 kg, so 8 kg less than twice 20 kg regular, plus 20 kg extra purchased diving baggage. She puts the luggage on the belt. "Okay," she says, and there goes the luggage.
Unfortunately we are not sitting side by side, but in front of each other. The man behind us has three (!) Seats. Because his original seat cannot go back, he stays in the middle. Unfortunately. We are going to sleep.
March 4th - Kurumba
We sleep about 5 hours each, not bad. We land just before 10 am local time. Our suitcases are just about the last, so that was exciting. All in all we are on the speedboat to Kurumba at 11:00. The trip takes approximately 10 minutes. The island is different than we are used to, everything is built even closer together and much is paved instead of sand. Everything is spotless. Our room, # 125, does not really have a view, but it is at the top of the beach. From there the view is "Male" and you hear many planes.
The food is good, the wine tastes great. The weather is great. Time to enjoy.
Around 4 p.m. we arrive at one of the two Beach bars. Apparently the espresso is AI…. and is yummy! At 5 p.m. there is a wine tasting, ordinary drink (beer, wine, cocktails) next to the beach bar. Some tables in the water. There is also a ruffle, unfortunately we are not winners.
Then dinner and another espresso at the large bar. In the evening, the view of Male, with all those lights, is actually great.
We are very tired, time to go to sleep
March 5th - Black Tips
After a nice breakfast we go to the beach bar at cabin # 160. I have taken my snorkel gear with me and go out to investigate. The water is very shallow and the first route I take does not work. Back. Then I see a rope. Right! I follow the rope to the outer reef. No! What is that? A Blacktip Reef Shark. And no, no baby like in the lagoon, but a big one!
She turns around just past me and swims into the channel where I just come out. New babies coming soon ?! We saw a baby in the lagoon yesterday and talked about the fact that we had only seen big ones on Kuramathi and Raja Ampat. That was while diving. Hey, one more ?! Or would it be the same?
Back to Petra to report and grab an espresso or a cup of water. An hour later I go to the next snorkeling site so I can swim back to where I just got out. According to the map, that was the last exit. I am not yet on the outer reef and another BTR Shark. Make me crazy! I swim a few meters to the side. What! THREE BTR Sharks. They apparently live here. I see them cruising the entire route. Sometimes only a meter or 2 away from me. I see a blue wall of fusiliers approaching me. Three large Travalies are chasing them. Tomorrow I’ll return with the camera.
Time for lunch.
March 6th - Hot Hot Hot
Today is our 1st relaxing day. Everything was new yesterday, today it is already becoming a bit of a routine. As new is relative. It is the 10th time in the Maldives, and even though it is the 1st time in Kurumba, everything feels familiar. The climate, the food, the slow pace of the day, the sea, etc., etc.
After breakfast we trudge to the beach bar. Nice on the large sun bed. Not so nice is that the espresso machine is broken. Only Nescafé. No thanks. Only water then.
This time I brought my camera and go and see if the BTRs are still there. Oops! A snorkel boat. And another one. I don't expect to see anything. Yet immediately a hawksbill turtle swam towards me. A little further I see, to my astonishment, a baby Eagle Ray hanging in the depth beside the reef. I dive down to film him. Not so easy and the current is also fairly strong.
And yes. A BTR Shark. And another one. I follow them to photograph and film them. That is with the current, so I am quickly at the last buoy. I'm going to hang on to look around. Man, how it flows. Nothing more to see, I'm going back to Petra.
The "expert" is still fiddling with the espresso machine without success. Then we better grab a nice espresso after lunch at the large bar.
Maldivian night. And that is always special. I walk past the buffet and immediately someone comes along to explain everything. That they are proud of their culture and food is evident when I ask at the Maldivian Fish Curry if they also have naan or chapati. “No, but I can make for you. Where are you sitting? ”Great. There was also Sri Lankan and Indian, hence the demand for naan.
10 minutes later a plate of fresh chapati is delivered to our table. Totally awesome. And now let’s dip up those curries.
March 7th - Resort with a View
Today the last full day at Kurumba. The day is already a bit of a routine, so little to report. After lunch I look over the sea. "Hey, our boat" And yes, there she lay. We are both very curious about it and nervous about it. Tomorrow the 2nd part of the holiday starts and that is far from routine for us. To be continued ...
// Resort Life was very nice and relaxed. We enjoyed it a lot. If we were to fly home now, the holiday would have been successful. Two weeks of Kurumba may be too long, but a four-day stopover is perfect.//
March 8th - No Wifi
The last morning on Kurumba is quickly over. Our AI ends at 12:00. Still we will have lunch. It takes a long time before we get on the boat and eat.
Back to the airport and wait at Coffee Club. At 15:30, the agreed time, I see the Dive Dhoni coming. Then it appears that the Spaniards next to us are also on the boat. Americans are also coming from everywhere. They also come along. What shall I say, a colorful group.
Briefing on the boat and then to the room. # 11 Great room. Petra is fiddling with her phone. "I don't find WiFi". I'm going to ask Marc. Unfortunately, WiFi is not yet installed. Quickly notify everyone at home by SMS.
March 9th - Dive!
1st Dive Day. Marc does the briefing. Then Marc and Marilen will disembark to renew their visas in Sri Lanka. If all goes well they are back halfway through the trip. (no video from Marc?) Marilen was very upset because there has been a lot going on in Sri Lanka for a few days.
Our guide is Ayya and we dive with Spain. Spot is "The Fish Factory". Very barren under water. Visibility very good. Many Moray Eels and Stingrays (one marble and many ordinary). Petra has trouble clearing and it takes a long time before she is down. Halfway through the dive, she indicates that she is dizzy. Oops. Return for breakfast. Petra gets her 1st oatmeal. Now she is in bed. Her ears are bothering her.
2nd dive is a channel dive. Not so much current. A big Eagle Ray and a few Gray Reef Sharks. The other 8 divers, who went into the water before us, fell on a group of 10-11 Eagle Rays. Too bad, we would have liked to see that. But yeah.
2nd dive is a channel dive. Not so much current. A big Eagle Ray and a few Gray Reef Sharks. The other 8 divers, who went into the water before us, fell on a group of 10-11 Eagle Rays. Too bad, we would have liked to see that. But yeah.
Back on the boat, Petra is not doing well. Seasick? Or something else? After lunch, take some tablets and sleep.
3rd Dive. Petra doubts whether she will go. But this is the famous night dive and she doesn't want to miss it. We have arrived in the Vaavu Atoll. The night dive starts hectically. Many divers in the water and a lot of current. As soon as we see the Nurse Sharks it doesn't matter anymore. Man, how big they are! And many! Oh, there are also the Stingrays. We even see a Blacktip passing by. At the end I am far through my air.
Back on the boat I see a "Sharky Smile" on Petra's face. She is happy that she went.
Dinner and sleep!
Jos 60 [min] / 29.3 [m] | Petra 59 [min] / 28.4 [m]
Jos 56 [min] / 35.4 [m] | Petra 56 [min] / 28.4 [m]
Jos 55 [min] / 19.2 [m] | Petra 55 [min] / 19.2 [m]
March 10th - Canceled the Dive
1st Dive Miyura Kandu. At 6 o'clock in the water at 7 o'clock. Again a famous dive site that we don't want to miss. Petra seems to be doing better again. She is definitely coming along. She doesn’t seem to have issues clearing her ears this time. We are a bit behind the group and no way that we can swim to Ayya. I try, but I am always pushed back and up. I look around and see Petra hanging on her reef hook on the reef. I turn around to hook up next to her. Here we can nicely watch the Grey Reef Sharks, the tuna and the jacks hunt on the fusiliers. When I look around I see Spain hooked up next to us. Pooh, what a current. Our deco time is ticking away. We are gesturing Ayya. We drifted into the channel. Nothing would be visible there, but the view is fantastic, which makes it very beautiful. The Eagle Ray naturally helps. Time for breakfast.
2nd Dive. A nice reef dive. Not so much to tell about it.
3rd Dive. Well. Channel dive. Lots of current. Very deep. Yes, lots of sharks. But neither of us is really relaxed. When our deco time was up and we were sucked through the canal, Petra thought it was enough. X cancel the dive! Ayya told us to go up together. Okay. Bye. I was actually happy, because I was not feeling well either. Not enough rest. Was this what we wanted? Will all dives be like that? Petra will talk to Iris again, now it's time to rest.
Jos 45 [min] / 31.4 [m] | Petra 45 [min] / 30.5 [m]
Jos 61 [min] / 27.7 [m] | Petra 61 [min] / 25.6 [m]
Jos 40 [min] / 32.3 [m] | Petra 40 [min] / 30.8 [m]
March 11th - Manta Manta
1st dive in the morning: Manta Spot. We are the only boat in the area and immediately when we are in the water we already see a manta. He is gone for a moment. A moment later there are two. The show is over after 50 minutes. Time for the safety stop. Wait. Manta. And one more, and one more ... In the end there are six. Yet we have to go at some point. The dive takes 80 minutes.
Breakfast with delicious Maldivian Fish Curry and chapati. Yummy.
2nd Dive is the same again, but unfortunately not so cool this time. First almost 20 minutes struggling against the current through the sand to get there (why?). Poor visibility and only one manta. To make matters worse, two more groups from a nearby resort are joining. An older man lets himself drift to the manta, and therefore the cleaning station. What! Now he is actually lying on top of the cleaning station! Our guides are gesturing. Because he does not respond, they pluck him off. A lot of sand and the manta is gone. End of the dive.
Nice lunch. Petra is fine with this and wants to rest for the rest of the day. Her ear needs it. Until we arrive at the Thaa Atoll. The islands are picture perfect, the sea is blue and super clear. "Mmmm," she says, "I will go anyway".
3rd Dive. This should be a nice shark dive, but it was a bit weird. We would go with Iris, but I don't get in touch with her on the boat. (Later she says "where were you all of a sudden?") Ayya says "Jump," so we go along. The dive was completely different than in the briefing. Something they normally explain on the boat is our experience. Ayya not (on the other side it apparently was explained, according to Iris later). After 25 minutes we are sucked into the canal. No "Sandy Road with Eagle Rays and Turtles"? (Ayya later says, "Nothing to see there, so I didn't go there") One of the reasons that Petra went along with this dive. After the dive I tried to explain everything to Ayya. Petra went to talk to Iris again. Let's see how tomorrow goes.
We skip the night dive. Enough for today. We are both very tired. Dinner is late because we have to wait for the rest (everyone except Christina, Miquel and we). Quickly in bed after dinner, get up early tomorrow!
Jos 80 [min] / 15.2 [m] | Petra 80 [min] / 15.5 [m]
Jos 48 [min] / 15.5 [m] | Petra 48 [min] / 15.3 [m]
Jos 38 [min] / 32.6 [m] | Petra 38 [min] / 29.9 [m]
March 12th ?? (All's well ends well) ??
5:30 wake up. We were already awake from the rain an hour before that. We're going to look for hammerhead sharks today. Small breakfast. Briefing. On the Dohni, Sailing a long way. Very many dolphins along the way. So it's already 7:10 am when we're in the water. We are going with Iris this time. It goes wrong immediately. If we go in, Petra immediately goes down, while the rest stays up because someone has an issue. I go after her and we join our old team in blue. Moments later Iris is there too and we follow her. As we actually expected, after half an hour of staring into the blue we haven't seen anything yet. These dives are often like this: Hammerhead sharks often don't show themselves. It's not a zoo.
When Iris goes out, I look at Petra. She indicates that we will stay for a while. I assume Iris understands. Apparently not. Moments later she comes back down to check why we are staying down? We come up with Carlos, Maite and Ayya.
On the boat I tell Iris what happened. She talks about signals and "when I make this sign you stop diving." Well, I totally missed that signal?! Anyway. Time for breakfast. Rose expected more coral. Well, wrong itinerary. After more than 2 hours of sailing across a bumpy sea, we arrive at the Laamu Atoll. More than an hour or 2 later than planned. It’s passed noon and we are still sailing. Apparently we go straight to the south of Laamu. Another hour according to Carlos. There is a weather alarm, so we are not allowed to sail tonight. Only tomorrow at 4 AM or so. And it is 9 hours sailing I can remember, so I will in sleep late tomorrow morning.
2nd Dive. We are going with Iris again. And yes, that wasn't such a good plan. Where the other 2 groups were on the Channel edge fairly quickly and saw so much - including a tiger shark! - We were dropped on the other side, and far too far from the Channel edge.
25 minutes at a depth of 25 meters swimming against the current, following Iris. Once we were in the canal and saw something of action, we stopped. Our group hooked up way too deep and saw nothing. They went after a few minutes. Then the other 2 groups, who had been there for a while, went. Petra and I were alone now. When it was time we went together and were picked up by the boat. No problem.
Everyone in our group complained and Iris was nowhere to be seen, not even during lunch.
3rd Dive. Back to Ayya and Spain. A wonderful and beautiful dive. The day ends positively. We skip the night dive, which is scheduled because we can only do 2 dives tomorrow. Dinner at 9 p.m. Oops! That is late.
Still weather alarm. We can't sail tonight. Tomorrow morning first Manta’s, then breakfast and then 9 - 11 am sailing, with another dive at the end of the day.
What a day. We will not soon forget this holiday.
Jos 62 [min] / 27.4 [m] | Petra 62 [min] / 28.4 [m]
Jos 46 [min] / 28.4 [m] | Petra 46 [min] / 27.1 [m]
Jos 49 [min] / 29.9 [m] | Petra 49 [min] / 27.7 [m]
March 13th - Anchor Issues
We wake up early. Slept well. The sea is very smooth. A few clouds and a beautiful sunrise. It will be a nice day. Christina is also outside to take pictures. "They changed the plan, we stay here" I'll take a look below deck in the lounge. Three dives in Laamu. Iris comes in and explains that something is wrong with the anchor and that they cannot lift it. Ah. That is why they were all messing around on the boat last night. This also means no manta rays this morning, because that is way too far away for the Dohni.
1st dive. Reef dive. Relaxed, but not really beautiful. Lots of dead coral. Breakfast is delicious again. Sri Lankan Cocos Dahl with Chapati. Yummy.
2nd Dive. Fushi kandu. The same dive as yesterday, but with Ayya and Spain. We are now dropped correctly on the south side. Nice dive with some sharks and stuff. When we are blown into the canal at the end of the dive we hear dolphins. Unfortunately we don't see them. The last group, with Iris, is the farthest in the channel. They see the dolphins at the safety stop. We knew they were there because they could be seen from the boat as we sailed to the dive site.
I was completely empty (needle completely at 10 bar or so, or would that be 20 bar for me?). Petra still had 30 bar, so can be right. I always use more than her when it's shallow.
We skip the afternoon dive. Snorkeling on Kuda Giri, no thanks. We prefer to rest before we go to the beach this afternoon. We both need it.
The beach and the sunset were wonderful. It made us realize even more that a boat is not our thing. We thought it was less hassle than diving from a resort, but it doesn't matter. And worse, the time in between you can only hang on and wait.
The beach walk was a relief. “Never again! Remember if I want to be on a boat somewhere!” Dinner. Not on the beach ?! Someone is afraid of sand or something strange.
“We are very sorry. The part to fix the anchor is stuck in Male. We will stay another day. ”
So we have already lost 2 days in the south. And we, and most of the people on the boat, had actually come for that part of the trip. Hopefully they get the boat working tomorrow, but I have my doubts.
Jos 63 [min] / 26.5 [m] | Petra 65 [min] / 25.0 [m]
Jos 57 [min] / 30.2 [m] | Petra 57 [min] / 28.7 [m]
March 14th - Hotel California
The sun rises red behind the palm trees of the island next to us. It is reminiscent of…. The cover of "Hotel California". "You can check in at any time, but you can never leave" And that's how it feels. Today at lunch we know more, first the same dive twice.
1st Dive one Kandu, 2nd dive the other Kandu. They are beautiful, but we can now dream them. During lunch we see a lot happening on the boat, but no announcement. We will see. As Carlos said: "Tomorrow we leave, yes or yes". Either they fix it or we leave the anchor here.
We have also looked at the plan for the rest of the trip. Two days at Gaafu Alif Atoll. Saturday Fuvahmuhla. Sunday Addu. As far as we are concerned, that is fine, but that means that we are missing the last two Atolls. Carlos does not agree, because he does not want to miss Fuvahmuhla. Well ... To be continued. (skipped afternoon - Giri - dive).
Miracles still do exist. We sail! No idea whether I am happy, relieved or both. It's good news anyway. Before dinner, Mark, from Canada, suddenly says: "I wonder how they will compensate us for that?" He and Woody suggest, similar tp Christina earlier that day, to not pay the $150 nitrox fee nor the $350 reef fee. If they do not offer this, we will counter as one block with this proposal. Fine.
The plan, two days Gaafu Alif Atoll, remains the plan. Spain agrees. Pfew.
Jos 53 [min] / 29.0 [m] | Petra 54 [min] / 28.1 [m]
Jos 55 [min] / 31.1 [m] | Petra 55 [min] / 31.1 [m]
// Coming back from the dive, we skipped, Christina said: "The first song we heard was on the Dohni was “Hotel California" remembering Petra's words from this morning. What a coincidence.//
March 15th - Gaafu Alifu Atoll
Two days as planned. So even though we are two days late, it's back to "Normal Operations"
1st dive is a kandu dive. This place is known for the hundreds of sharks and eagle rays. Let’s see. Well. Then the circumstances must be good. And it is outgoing instead of incoming current, so unfortunately there is none of that to be seen.
2nd Dive. Same kandu. Iris postpones the dive for half an hour so that "the monkey boat" as she called it does not jump between us with 30 divers. The current had turned. We see many (10-20) Gray Reef Sharks, but the view is still mwah. So half a success. After half an hour we are through our deco time and we are sucked into the canal. Nothing to see there. After nearly 45 minutes we are back on the Dohni. The bottles are almost half full. What a pity.
We look over the water after lunch. At least eight safari boats here and they are all standing still. No dhoni sails. I always thought that the advantage of a liveaboard was that you were not tied to a schedule, just like at a resort where the dive times are fixed because of breakfast, lunch and dinner times. But here too there is a fairly fixed and rigid schedule. Okay, we started the 2nd dive 30 minutes later to avoid another group. But now, now the current is probably good and the visibility better, there is nobody in the water?! I also thought that choosing the dive spots and route would be much more flexible. At a resort they can easily change the plan of the dive site due to the conditions. But it appears. There is no alternative, because they know no other spots. And the route seems to be fairly fixed. Or is that because Marc and Marilen are not here now?! We still have 4 at most 5 dives to go, and there is still a lot to change if we want to be positive about diving. Let's hope for a little miracle.
3rd Dive: Another Fish Factory Circus. This time we go diving at a Fish Factory where they throw all the waste into the sea from their boat. Despite being pelagic, it attracts Oceanic Black Tip Sharks. Beautiful sharks. But actually this is not what you want. Once, and then never again. And what a mess, as if you are swimming through pounds of vomit. Bah. No wonder our dive guide put on a hat. All that mess in your hair.
We skip the night dive, so it is a long wait before we get food. It is a pity that this will not be resolved otherwise.
Jos 50 [min] / 29.9 [m] | Petra 50 [min] / 29.3 [m]
Jos 44 [min] / 33.5 [m] | Petra 44 [min] / 30.2 [m]
Jos 57 [min] / 21.0 [m] | Petra 57 [min] / 17.4 [m]
The next morning we chatted with Woody about the compensation. Apparently they had already discussed this with Iris, Marc will make a proposal, Saturday when he is back on the boat, in Addu. I’m curious.
March 16th - Last Day Diving
1st dive wrong next to The Residence Resort. And yes, now I understand why we have often looked at this resort (and are disappointed that it is so expensive). Even though the current is wrong, it will be the best dive so far. The view is great, the reef is very beautiful. At a certain moment we arrive at an elongated block that is full of fish. Petra bangs: Grey Reef Sharks. They hang with their mouths open to be cleaned. And when they start swimming they come very close. Among us, large groupers are shooting from under the reef and back. There is also a huge Green Turtle. In the meantime, a few White Tip Reef Sharks look at it all. Ayya continues to swim on, Spain follows. Far too beautiful here, we stay. Another half an hour to enjoy and the dive is over.
Time for breakfast. Delicious fish curry with chapati. Yummy! Unfortunately we sail further south. It should be even better there. Later Ayya says: "If the current is good, we see more there, but the corals are better here". Yes, if if if. Unfortunately, the current is wrong and there is nothing to see. Also no Sting Ray or Eagle Ray can be seen in the Sandy Ally and all coral is dead. What a waste land. Pity.
Carlos is very surprised. He was here three years ago and then the coral was beautiful and full of life. Really a zoo. Well, the story that you hear everywhere: the coral is dead. And then we will do our 3rd dive, our last one, also there. This time the current is a bit better and we see some Grey Reef Sharks. But they are far away. And then, plop again into sucked into a barren channel. What an end in minor. But apparently that was not the intention, and Petra's 550th dive should be celebrated. We had already heard them underwater and seen them daily from the boat - but never under water. And yes, there they were. More than 2 minutes of unforgettable pleasure. A whole group of dolphins. This is a nice ending to a dive trip that we should never have made (but well, we knew that there was a risk of that), and so we will not do a night dive anymore.
28 dives, 6 of which we have skipped, so 22 each.
28 dives, 6 of which we have skipped, so 22 each.
Jos 55 [min] / 23.2 [m] | Petra 55 [min] / 22.9 [m]
Jos 55 [min] / 31.1 [m] | Petra 55 [min] / 30.2 [m]
Jos 57 [min] / 34.1 [m] | Petra 57 [min] / 31.1 [m]
Due to the bad luck with the anchor we miss a lot: 1) The Manta dive in Laamu, 2) Fuvahmulah, 3) Addu. So about 25% of the trip, and especially the southernmost part, we have not seen. Curious how Aggressor Fleet will compensate for this.
// In the evening it appears that the crew has already put all our stuff - except wetsuits - on the deck to dry. If blow up Petra’s BCD, to let out the water that is always in it, it appears that they have also washed everything thoroughly. My mouth full of soap. Bah. But a very nice service indeed! //
March 17th - Shark Zoo and Addu
Iris has been explaining the "Shark Zoo" for two evenings / days. Because almost everyone flies in the morning (or 5:35 am like us, or 8:00 am) no one will have 24 hours "No Flight Time" if they join. Or as Iris says: "It is at your own risk". Still it feels like promoting. Or compensation for the parts missed, than better join now despite knowing it is not what you’re supposed to do when flying so soon afterwards. We already decided yesterday not to join. When Frank and Rose hear the plan (wake up at 5:45 am. 1st shallow dive at Fuvahmulah [15 meters max, so yes probably nothing to see, Tresher ssharks are normally deeper], breakfast on the Dohni, 9:00 am Shark Zoo to see the Tiger Sharks If you skip the 1st dive the dingy will bring you to the Dohni for the 2nd one), they also decide to stop. Not in the dingy. Steve and Cathy do, but only understand that it works that way in the morning. They thought the Dohni was coming to pick them up.
Back on the boat: 1st dive, nothing seen. Carlos furious. Dropped incorrectly and a lot of bla bla, says Carlos. The Tiger Shark circus had been good.
After a few hours of sailing we reach Addu and we are going to land with a few guests. Not picturesque, but so wonderfully quiet. And no sound from the engines or a generator. No, a boat is really not our thing.
When we get back on the boat, there is still no Marc, the Cruise Director. He would eventually come on the boat in Addu. A good hour later we see the Dohni coming again, with Marc.
To our astonishment, we no longer see him thereafter. Later I see Carlos and Maite talking to Marilen, Marc's wife, upstairs. In Spanish. But it is clear that Carlos has to get rid of his frustration, especially about the last dive. Christina and Miquel join. They make it clear that they are very disappointed and will not pay a cent more. We, Petra, has now joined us, agree.
Moments later, Christina comes up from the lounge with steam coming out of her ears. “Do you know what he said?! "I hope you had a good trip." "I turned around and left" she says. The bell is ringing. Time to eat. Marc is sitting in a corner behind the PC (printing bills?), and still doesn’t talk nor interact with the group. During dinner the surprise and frustration increases. It seems as if the entire incident with the anchor, as a result of which we have missed a large, perhaps the most interesting, part of the trip, is being ignored. Woody, opposite me at the table, is far above the boiling point.
We decide to watch the film Woody made en route. Wow, what a fantastic job (and I now also want a GoPro6).
Then Marc takes the floor. Bla bla bla ... thanks to the crew ... bla bla bla, as if nothing ever happened. When he than suggests to take a nice group photo, all hell breaks loose. We don't feel like taking a photo and stay put.
Then Marc takes the floor. Bla bla bla ... thanks to the crew ... bla bla bla, as if nothing ever happened. When he than suggests to take a nice group photo, all hell breaks loose. We don't feel like taking a photo and stay put.
Woody takes the floor and tells Marc, in very clear language, how disappointed he is. Especially with Marc, who did not show any leadership at the time, nor take his customers seriously. Marc talks about Sri Lanka, the owners of the boat, how he was on the phone day and night, and, and, and. So instead of listening to our problems, and taking them seriously, he is only concerned with his own problems. Woody explodes. At that moment, Marilen, Marc's wife, snaps and starts screaming and shouting, and then leaves below deck. Marc's reply is "I am not the owner of the boat" he says he is disappointed in Aggressor Fleet. That he is just an employee. He is not the boss. We watched in total shock, never seen such unprofessional behavior. Mark (Canada) repeats calmly and politely towards Marc (Cruise Director) what the issue is. But Marc does not want to receive, only to send ... his problems. Petra was already done with it. Me too now. The fact that it is casually reported that the extras are not being charged (as if we were going to pay that), and further claims had to be made with Aggressor Fleet, also does not help anymore. Carlos tries to explain that this message should have been given much earlier, at the latest immediately upon arrival, to de-escalate. It doesn’t land. Marc sees it differently.
When I come down a little later to get some water and hand over the staff’s tip, Marc is still talking about his problems and his efforts. Marilen has meanwhile cooled down and is talking to Carlos and Maite.
Tomorrow at 2:45 am we have to get up. Time to sleep a little.
March 18th - Going Home
2:30 Hour, Iris awakens us. "The flight has changed, it's earlier now" This is impossible anywhere else in the world, except for the Maldives. The flight is now at 5:00 AM instead of 5:35 AM. Mark, Rosa and Frank are also on this flight. Megan is already awake and quickly arranges some fruit for us, such a darling. Marc also walks around, helps with loading the Dohni, but doesn't say a word. Iris and Rippon are jining us to the airport together with the Dohni crew.
After a stopover (hence the half-hour earlier departure, because this flight was originally direct) we land in Male on time. We walk from the Domestic Terminal to the International Terminal. We can check in two hours later. We are sitting side by side this time. After a good breakfast at the Coffee Club (stir fry chicken with basil and pad thai) it's time to board.
We leave with a delay of more than an hour. Going home. To Maja and Towser.
“Don't worry Maldives, we'll be back…. But not on a boat ”
[Fish Factory - Liveaboard - Yes we Kandu]
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