RESEARCH CRUISE

Would you like to be part and be involved in the field of scientific research and be part of a specialized research team?

You can try it with us with our themed cruises proposals to spend a week deepening your knowledge, curiosities and passions without neglecting the fun!

MANTA TRUST CRUISE

Mantas What a passion!

It is difficult to remain indifferent to the dance of these sea giants, who are however at risk of extinction for a number of reasons. Manta Trust has been studying their behaviors and their movements for years to try to preserve them. A project to which everyone can contribute by sending a simple photo taken during a cruise in the Maldives, the place where there is probably the highest concentration of these animals.

This scientific cruise / safari was planned to coincide with the currents determined by the moon phases and with specific monsoon winds that influence the migrations and the eating habits of the reef manta rays. 

The goal of the expedition is to use experts from the Manta Trust to find the main sites of
aggregation and offer guests the magical experience of immersing themselves in the midst of these magnificent marine giants.

Manta Trust is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 by biologist Guy Stevens. The goal is to coordinate and improve globally the conservation projects of manta rays and their habitats through scientific research, education, awareness and collaboration. The vision of the Manta Trust is that of a world in which manta rays can continue to exist and to grant unforgettable encounters to enthusiasts. To learn more about the association, visit www.mantatrust.org.

Manta rays are undoubtedly among the most fascinating and charismatic aquatic animals ever. It is no coincidence that they are always at the top of the list of "preferences" between divers and simple sea enthusiasts; the encounter with one of these enigmatic giants is an almost surreal and undoubtedly unforgettable experience!

Despite their peaceful nature and their intrinsic and undisputed beauty, these animals are now at risk of extinction.

Studying manta rays has never been more important than it is now! In order to successfully protect a species, it is essential to study and understand its biology.

One of the key research methods in the study of manta rays is photo identification. Each individual specimen, in fact, has a blotchy design on the ventral face which, like a fingerprint, allows identification. Thanks to this simple method, Manta Trust experts can estimate the size and structure of manta populations, clarify their movements and migrations, establish their reproductive rhythms and identify important aggregation sites.

More than ten years after its inception, the Maldivian Manta Ray Project (the parent project of the Manta Trust) has identified and cataloged over 4,500 manta rays and recorded a total of over 55,000 sightings in the Maldives archipelago alone, thus allowing to shed light on some hitherto mysterious aspects of their ecology!

Helping is very simple and during the cruise you will be involved in the research and study of these animals not only with the photo-identification of the specimens encountered during the week, every day scientific presentations are held by our marine biologist Manta Trust, always ready to answer all our curiosities and questions ... not only on manta rays!

There will be plenty of opportunities to meet many other species of animals such as gray sharks, mobules, dolphins, turtles and on the luckiest days even the whale shark.

The itinerary includes the atolls of the north of the Maldives in the period of September and October, although the climate in this period of the year is variable, the monsoon conditions that are created form the ideal conditions for observing manta rays.

We cannot guarantee you will certainly see these wonderful natural events, but we organize these cruises in such a way that maximizes the probability of being IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME!

DAN CRUISE

Explore new territories and experience an exciting week on the boat in the Maldives, participating in innovative DAN research projects.

During these special cruises of relaxation and scientific research, DAN supports divers for the entire week, offering interesting ideas to better understand some variables related to diving, such as: flight after diving, search for the best ascent profile , detection and analysis of circulating micro-bubbles, emergency management in remote locations, and more.

Divers have the opportunity to "dive down" in the role of protagonists of participatory research (citizen science), among other things by taking free courses for Research Operators and Research Technicians.

They can thus learn the techniques necessary to acquire dive profiles and Doppler signals, important data for scientific research, which allow to better understand diving pathologies.

Participants can also obtain useful and practical information for their diving activity, such as decompression risk analysis after each dive.

FLYING BUBBLES

The no-fly time, as every good diver knows, is the time that must elapse between the last dive and the air flight. The current guidelines, however, are based on still insufficient physiological calculations and findings.

The aim is therefore to continue to investigate the phenomenon, evaluating the formation of gas bubbles in the body of divers through cardiac ultrasound performed before, during and after the flight. This unique project has been awarded by the EUBS (European Underwater Baromedical Society, which brings together the gotha of international underwater medicine).

AVATAR

It stands for Advanced Virtually Augmented Telemedicine in Adverse Remoteness: a study created to manage technologically advanced medical emergencies in remote environments, overcoming the current limits of telemedicine.

During the Avatar cruises, which often lead to the most uncontaminated corners of the Maldivian archipelago, instruments and prototypes are used that allow to collect, transmit and manage data in isolated areas.

SkyScubaSpace
For an entire cruise (including flights) the state of hydration and dehydration that flight and immersion can determine will be studied. Furthermore, on board, real-time monitoring tests on divers can be carried out, with data transmission to the operations center in real time.

SCIENTIFIC CRUISE

A unique opportunity to combine the always fascinating dives in the seas of the Maldives with dives particularly dedicated to the study and understanding of tropical ecology.

The scientific cruise is an opportunity to observe the operational methodologies and closely follow, actively supporting them, the studies conducted for many years by underwater researchers associated with the International School for Scientific Diving (ISSD Onlus), by some members of the Center of Tropical Marine Ecology (CEMT) of CoNISMa and the International Academy of Underwater Sciences and Techniques and marine biologists of the Genoa Aquarium.

The study of the structure and functioning of the complex system of coral reefs that make the Maldives the fantastic Nation of the Atolls, is of fundamental importance both for the world of research and for a conscious and therefore non-invasive and respectful use of the environment.

In recent years, particular attention has been paid to checking the health of coral formations and monitoring their recovery over time following massive mortality events.

On board or on a beach, it will be a pleasure to deepen together with the researchers various themes, with absolutely informal meetings / lessons, and thus always learn new notions on the marine environment and discover closely all the complexity of the phenomena that characterize the dynamics of these environments.