Another year, another liveaboard (this should be a life long rule I think). The destination for this liveaboard has been on my mind for a few years and I could finally made it happen: a liveaboard in the Maldives. In this blogpost I share my honest EcoPro Divers Maldives review, focusing on the Seascape liveaboard. I joined their Northern Atolls trip in October 2025. Here is everything you need to know about the boat, diving, food, and my personal highlights.
EcoPro Divers offers trips around the Maldives and Komodo, with two different boats operating in the Maldives. There are several itineraries to choose from: the Northern Atolls, Best of Maldives, Central Atolls and Deep South. The choice was difficult, as they all sounded good. However, we really wanted to see manta rays and therefore chose the Northern Atolls liveaboard trip, visiting the Baa, Raa and Lhaviyani Atolls, including Hanifaru Bay. EcoPro Divers is German-based, which reflects in their standards and overall organization. The guests on the liveaboard, however, were a great mix of different ages and nationalities.
Quick facts: EcoPro Divers Seascape Liveaboard
- Boat: Seascape
- Name of the trip: Northern Atolls
- Duration: 8 days
- Number of dives: 16 (3 dives per day)
- Departure and arrival point: Malé Airport
- Price: Starting from USD 2000
- Additional on board cost: soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, Hanifaru Bay fee (25 USD per visit), Green tax (12 USD per day), tips, rental equipment
- Accommodation: Single, double or twin rooms with en suite bathroom & air conditioning
- Water temperature: 27-30 °C
- Air temperature: 28-32 °C
- Other: reef hooks, dive computer and SMBs are mandatory on each dive (rental possible), camera friendly boat, depending on when you book you can get Nitrox for free
Arrival & departure point
The departure point of the Northern Atoll liveaboard trip was Malé Airport. For the first night, the boat was anchored at Hulhumale harbour. Two boat taxis collected arriving guests from the Velana International airport – one at midday, the other one in the afternoon. Technically, you can arrive in the Maldives on the same day your EcoPro Divers liveaboard begins. We decided to arrive a few days early to give us time to settle in and to explore Malé.
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About the EcoPro Divers Seascape
The Seascape boat is a very luxurious yacht, built in 2023. It hosts up to 26 divers and has 14 cabins across the lower, main, and upper decks. A highlight of the boat is definitely the jacuzzi and sunbeds on the top deck, which were perfect for relaxing between dives and watching sunsets.
What made this trip even more comfortable was the dedicated “dhoni”. The dhoni is a small boat where all the equipment is set up. It transports divers to the dive sites and picks them up from wherever they ascend. Tanks are refilled on the dhoni during surface intervals, away from the main boat, so you won’t have any noise disturbance. It really is a luxurious experience.
The boat also has a camera area on the main deck and a rinse tank on the dhoni. Overall, the Seascape is a very camera-friendly Maldives liveaboard, which made bringing my camera setup really easy.
Accommodation & food
Sleeping
The Seascape liveaboard Maldives has four decks: lower, main, upper, and sun deck.
- Lower deck: Single, double, and twin cabins along a spacious hallway. The rooms have small windows. Best for those who prefer to stay at the calmest part of the boat.
- Main deck: Two double-bed cabins close to dining, bar, charging stations, and the dhoni for diving.
- Upper deck: Double and twin cabins with large windows.
All rooms include an en suite bathroom, air conditioning, desk, cupboard, and hot shower. The rooms were cleaned every day. The AC could be controlled for each room individually and there was a fan as well.
Relaxation & common areas
The main deck featured a large seating and chillout area, both outside and indoors. What I loved was the dedicated camera and charging station! The main deck is also where the bar and where the buffet area are set up. The upper deck offers extra seating and drying racks for clothes and towels. The bridge and captain’s cabin are also on the upper deck.
The highlight and most comfortable area was definitely the sun deck. It features modern sunbeds and a jacuzzi. There was enough space for everyone to relax, both in the sun and shade. In general, I barely noticed there were 24 other divers onboard – it never felt crowded. During the surface intervals there was a lot of space to spread out and relax. The best way to end the day or a night dive was to sit in the 38°C jacuzzi.
Food & Dining
The dining area is setup outside the main deck, which gives lovely ocean views while having your meal. The food was so delicious!
Before the first dive of the day, there was a light breakfast buffet (bread, spreads, granola). After the dive, you could order egg dishes (scrambled, omelette, poached, etc.) alongside sweet and savoury options. Lunch and dinner were a mix of Maldivian-inspired dishes, fresh fish, and Western meals like lasagna. It was a good variety, always accompanied by fresh salad. For lunch and dinner they would also serve dessert. After each dive we had some refreshing juice, and I guess the hot coconut chocolate after the night dive was everyone’s favourite.
The boat caters to vegetarians and vegans as well. They had almond milk onboard which I much appreciated having with my granola in the morning. If you are very strict with your plant-based diet you might want to check with EcoPro before booking. While the crew made a lot of effort to cater to different diets, you will be a little bit disadvantaged in the variety and selection of food, compared to non-vegans.
Diving Experience with EcoPro Divers Maldives
Dive sites & itinerary
The Northern Atolls liveaboard Maldives visits the Baa, Raa and Lhaviyani Atolls in the northern Maldives. The highlight is Hanifaru Bay, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve famous for the seasonal manta ray gatherings between July and October. You can watch them feeding and dancing! The visit to Hanifaru Bay doesn’t include a dive, only snorkelling is allowed. Find out more about it down below in the highlights.
The liveaboard included 16 dives over 7 days. There’s no diving on arrival and departure days. On the day before departure there is only one dive, which gives your gear enough time to dry properly. We usually did three dives per day which I really liked, as it wasn’t too intense on the body. I’ve previously only done liveaboards with four dives a day which can make you feel super exhausted. I could definitely tell that this liveaboard was much easier on my body and ears. We also did one night dive.
Each dive site we visited was unique in topography and marine life. The first half of the trip, we focused on manta rays at cleaning stations in the Baa and Raa Atolls. Towards the end we did channel dives in the Lhaviyani Atoll which were super fun. It’s like being at the ocean highway watching sharks, eagle rays and schools of fish passing by.
We’ve also had a few snorkellers on board and they really liked it too! The crew will make sure that you will visit shallower reefs and our groups also got to see turtles, mantas and sharks. The Seascape liveaboard is a great trip for both snorkellers and divers.
Dive groups
In total we were 24 split into 4 groups, each with 5 to 6 people and a guide. The groups were divided by experience and personal preference – in case you have a friend you really want to dive with for example. 6 people sounds like a lot, but it was super comfortable. Our air consumption was pretty much on one level. But even if you get low on air first, there’s the option to either change to a 15L tank or ascend earlier together with your buddy. This is also why having a SMB with you is mandatory.
Dive guides
Our dive guides were absolutely amazing. They are very experienced and knowledgeable, sharing a lot of information about the diving and giving very detailed briefings. It always amazes me how they can read the ocean and find dive sites where all I can see is the wide ocean. They adapted the dives to the dive groups and made sure we all had a safe and fun experience underwater. I want to say that the dive group and our guide Shakko were the most relaxing and comfortable group I’ve dived with on a liveaboard so far.
Daily schedule
This is what our daily schedule looked like – on some days it varied a little bit and the crew also ensured to give us the best experience, check conditions at dive sites on a daily basis and choose them accordingly. On two days we went to Hanifaru Bay during the day, on another we did a beach clean up and one evening we had dinner and bonfire on a remote island.
6 am – wake up call
6:30 am – briefing + dive 1
8:30 am – breakfast
10:30 am – briefing + dive 2
12:00 pm – lunch
2:30 pm – briefing + dive 3
4:30 pm – snacks
7:00 pm – dinner
Highlights of the trip
Hanifaru Bay
Hanifaru Bay is an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in the Baa Atoll. It’s a world-famous marine protected area known for seasonal gatherings of manta rays in the Maldives. The best time to visit is between May and November, as the water is plankton-rich during that time. Hanifaru Bay is protected and there are strict regulations when visiting: entry is only allowed with a licensed guide, no diving, the number of visitors per day is limited, and a fee of 25 USD per visit must be paid.
We visited Hanifaru Bay twice. In general with this trip, no encounter is ever guaranteed. On some days you might get lucky, on others less so. On our first visit, we saw two mantas cruising around, which was already great. The next day, the crew received a call about a large group of mantas sighted at Hanifaru Bay. 30 minutes later, we jumped into the water and snorkelled with over 30 mantas – or let’s rather put it this way, they were pacing and dancing around us, coming so close. It was very special.
Variety of dive sites and dive styles
I loved seeing the mantas from different perspectives. On some dives, we hovered next to cleaning stations, watching them doing their thing. On others, we saw them out in the blue, dancing around. We also discovered vibrant reefs and did a night dive. Towards the end of the trip, we focused mostly on channel dives, which were THE most fun. First, you hook yourself at around 25-30 metres, close to the channel, watching fish, sharks and rays passing by. It’s like standing at the side of an ocean highway. Once you unhook, you just drift along with the current – so exciting.
Eco focus
What stood out was the eco-conscious approach of EcoPro Divers. During dive briefings, we were always reminded to behave respectfully underwater. For some, this is completely normal and really we shouldn’t have to be mentioned, but I’ve been to many liveaboards where certain things hadn’t been mentioned and some people behaved very poorly underwater. I like to think that we are guests of the ocean and should behave like that too.
Onboard, the Seascape uses reef-friendly shampoo, encourages water refills, and didn’t have any single-use plastic on board. On one afternoon, we went to a remote island to pick up plastic waste, which felt like a nice contribution. Small actions like this, just one afternoon, can make areal impact when multiplied across trips. Maybe this is your personal reminder, to check if your sunscreen is reef-friendly!
Beach BBQ
Another unexpected highlight was a sunset beach BBQ. We went to a remote island, the crew set up a barbecue and formed tables and chairs from sand. We watched the sunset, listened to some music and then had a 2 course dinner followed by a bonfire. It was nice to be on solid ground, watching the sunset with sand between our toes. Leave nothing but footprints was also correct for the beach BBQ.
Visit to Malé
On the final diving day, after our last morning dive, we cruised back to Hulhumale port for about six hours. The crew organised an afternoon trip to Malé, the capital of the Maldives. This should really be part of anyone’s trip to the Maldives! Visiting Malé provides insight into local life and culture, a side of the Maldives many travellers might miss. It was another unexpected highlight I truly enjoyed.
Tips for Booking an EcoPro Divers Maldives Liveaboard
Booking a Maldives liveaboard with EcoProDivers is pretty straight forward, as the team is very helpful concerning all questions. However there is a few things I’d like to share with you, which might make your time a little bit easier.
Buy a SIM card
The boat doesn’t offer Wi-Fi, so it’s best to buy a local Maldives SIM card to stay in touch with family and friends. The connection is really good, except when crossing atolls. SIM cards cost around 40 USD for 20 GB, but work really well.
Bring electrolyte powder
As we spend most of our time diving in Thailand, we’re used to adding electrolytes to our water to support hydration. Most of the water available in Asia lacks minerals. To me, having electrolytes makes a massive difference for my overall well-being. There is no electrolytes provided on board, so I recommend to bring your own, if that’s something you like to have.
Advanced Diving Certification, Nitrox & Experience
For this liveaboard it’s required to have a certification up to 30 metres. I also highly recommend have a Nitrox certification or complete the course on board. It makes the dives so much more comfortable and some trips even include free Nitrox! I also think it’s best to have previous diving experience, maybe 30-40 dives. The channel dives can be quite challenging. Just for reference: I’m a divemaster with over 500 dives.
Read more about how I became a dive master without ever planning to dive!
Dive Insurance
Dive insurance is mandatory for this trip! I can recommend to either get the DAN diving insurance or Dive Assure. Dive Assure has a dive+travel plan, which is specifically designed for liveaboards, covering missed departures, lost diving days and scenarios like lost or damaged diving equipment.
Timings
When planning your journey to the Maldives, this might be helpful. You can arrive on the first day of the liveaboard as there is a pick up from the airport at around midday and noon. On the final day, you could leave with a flight from Malé airport, ideally after 11 am. We were dropped at the airport at around 7.30 am.
If you have time (and money), you could add some extra days in a resort at the end. You could also stay in Malé or Hulhumale, but I wouldn’t recommend that. You do get to experience the local life, but it’s not the Maldives you might picture. The local religion is Islam, hence wearing beachwear is not the best idea. There is also restrictions when it comes to bathing in a bikini, and it’s only allowed in dedicated areas.
Final Thoughts: My EcoPro Divers Maldives Review
Overall, I loved my liveaboard experience with EcoPro Divers Maldives. I was very close to jump on the following on right away! The Seascape liveaboard made me feel at home, with excellent food, plenty of space to relax, and an amazing crew. Even with 24 other divers, it never felt crowded. The crew was exceptional and very friendly, being there for us whenever we needed them. I am definitely keen on returning to a liveaboard with EcoPro, either in the Maldives or Komodo, as they truly stand out as a top Maldivian liveaboard operator.
Do you have questions? Just drop me a message on Instagram and I’ll get back to you!
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