In Focus: Maldives with Saeed Rashid

EXCLUSIVE LIVEABOARD PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS hosted by Saeed Rashid

QUALIFICATION NEEDED: PADI Open water or equivalent - although no minimum number of logged dives required, it is recommended that divers are aware that this itinerary is likely to encounter some diving in currents.

ROUTE: North Male - South Male - Ari

We are very happy that Saeed Rashid of 'Focus Visuals' has joined the team to run our exclusive 'In Focus' photography workshops.

Saeed shares our commitment to education, quality of service and respect for our oceans. A seasoned diver and an award winning, published photographer, both above and below the water, he is an energetic and enthusiastic teacher who is committed to helping you get the most out of your camera and pass on some 'tricks of the trade'.

A lecturer at Bournemouth University, editorial consultant for Diver magazine and popular speaker at UK dive shows, Saeed will guide you through the underwater photography process from start to finish. He will not only help you to develop your skills to spot and frame your subject to its full potential underwater, but also show you how to polish your images using a variety of simple post-production techniques when back onboard.

"My aim is to make learning fun, promoting confidence and participation. You can relax and enjoy a memorable holiday, whilst enhancing your underwater photography skills and who knows maybe teach me a top tip of your own!" Saeed Rashid.

Over the course of the liveaboard week, there is plenty of time to learn new skills and the warm, clear waters of the Maldives provide the perfect environment to practice!

The itinerary will follow the North Male - Ari - South Male itinerary, allowing divers the opportunity to capture a wide variety of subjects, including reefs, corals and a huge variety of marine species on a macro and micro scale.

Why join this itinerary?

This trip is a must for anyone wanting to improve their underwater photography at the same time as experiencing some of the most fantastic diving the Maldives has to offer. The expertise of the trip host coupled with blue o two's experience in delivering fantastic liveaboard holidays is the perfect combination for photographic workshops that will really help you progress.

Sample itinerary:

**PLEASE NOTE** the itinerary below is just an example of the route taken and the order and dive sites are not guaranteed. All dives sites are subject to weather conditions and local seasonal knowledge and the final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.

Day 1 - North Male atoll or Back Faru.

Day 2 - Bodu Hithi Thila (North Male), Rasfari Corner (North Male), Rasdhoo Madivaru (Rasdhoo)

Day 3 - Rasdhoo Kandu (Rasdhoo), Kan Thila or Fish Head (North Ari), Maaya Thila night dive (North Ari)

Day 4 - Hafsa Thila (Ari), Himendhoo Thila or Dhonkalo (Ari), Radhigaa or Rehi Thila (Ari)

Day 5 - Miyaru Thila or Rangali Madivaru (South Ari), Rangali Madivaru or Maamingili Beyru (South Ari), Holiday Beyru

Day 6 - Kuda Rah Thila or Marcha Fushi wreck (South Ari), Coco Corner or Kandooma Thila (South Male), Villivaru Giri sunset or night dive (South Male)

Day 7 - Guraidhoo Corner or Kandooma Caves

Itinerary highlights:

Rasdhoo Madivaru

Rasdhoo-Madivaru is located in the corner of the channel into the atoll. It has one of the most spectacular and confusing reef formations found in Ari Atoll. Divers get an opportunity to encounter hammerhead sharks, dolphins, white tip reef sharks, pelagics, trevallys, little tunas, jacks, ribbon eels, fish leaves tunas, napoleon wrasse and barracudas. Experience the thrilling scuba diving adventure amongst fine coral formations with highest underwater visibility.

Fish Head

Fish Head also known as Shark Point or Mushimasmingili Thila, fits the classic definition of a Thila - a large isolated flat top reef rising sharply from the inner atoll floor at 40 to 50 meters to around 10 meters from the surface. It is one of the best sites for seeing sharks. Featuring a series of caves and overhangs in between where you can see thousands of blueline snappers against a backdrop of black coral bushes and large gorgonians.

Rangali Madivaru

Madi means "ray" in Dhivehi. In the north east season this is a superb manta ray cleaning station. As with many good manta points, the reef slopes down gently from its top at 8m (25ft) to the atoll floor at 30m (100ft). Although there are many cleaning stations along this 1km reef, the area where the mantas are most active is midway along the northern side. A deep basin, almost 100m (110yd) across has formed in the coral and as the currents flow out of the atoll, the waters eddy in the basin. This attracts the mantas, which hover gracefully in the current.

Maamigili Beyru

The sloping outside reef of Maamigili this is an excellent site to observe pelagics and schooling fish. Divers often find large schools of eagle rays or mantas along with white tip reef sharks, tuna and barracuda. This dive site is also one of the best in Maldives to encounter the biggest fish in the world: the whale shark!

Kandooma Caves

The Kandooma Caves on the reef corner near Kandooma Island are some of the best and biggest caves in the Maldives and great to dive. Just 50 meters from the corner are two huge caves close to one another, one is at 20meters; the other is 16 meters. There are many groupers and squirrel fish to be found in the caves and along the reef such as clown triggerfish, napoleon, sweetlips, angelfish and most impressive - the big green turtles. Kandooma Caves has to be in every diver's logbook.