Each year, Carpe Diem Cruises, in partnership with Coral Reef CPR and Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme host a series of Dive with a Purpose marine expeditions.
On each Dive with A Purpose week, up to 20 recreational divers can join the marine expeditions and get involved in Crown of Thorns Sea Star removal and collect valuable data on the diverse reef fish communities and larger megafauna such as sharks, manta rays and turtles.
Divers must have an Advanced PADI qualification, excellent buoyancy control and ideally a minimum of 70 dives.
Working in buddy teams to remove the COTS from the reef, divers will be assisting Coral Reef CPR scientists in all aspects of research, including reef assessment surveys, collection of samples, and removal of crown of thorns starfish, cushion stars and coral eating snails. Across each of the one-week trips, divers will be trained in reef conservation methods and survey approaches, and learn about coral reefs and the vibrant and diverse life found on reefs through nightly workshops and discussions. Joining these “Rescue a Reef” expeditions will provide divers with an opportunity to be part of a team who are saving thousands of hectares of reef and preventing the potential for future outbreaks.
Great Megafauna Migration Expedition
The fourth and final Dive with a Purpose week entitled Great Megafauna Migration will track whale sharks, mantas and turtles across the Maldives.
There is a growing school of thought that the Maldivian ‘big three’; whale sharks, manta rays and turtles react to the changes in the monsoon seasons by moving to sites on the leeward side of the atolls. This May, Carpe Novo will become a research platform for biologists from the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme providing them and 20 lucky guests an unprecedented opportunity to explore this phenomenon. The goal of this particular Dive with a Purpose expedition is to begin the 2018 southwest season’s data collection, documenting the movements of these iconic yet enigmatic animals.
Click here for information on 2018 Expedition Dates.
