The Whale and Dolphin Company | Whale & Dolphin Watching

Having visited some of the looking world’s cetacean hotspots I was really looking forward to going to the Maldives – I wasn’t disappointed. Our trip led by Chas Anderson comprised a leisurely 15 days travelling around the islands.
The boat was modern with ample indoor space, each cabin being en-suite and air conditioned. Outside there was so much space you could have played football on the top deck. The large saloon was normally only ever used for evening lectures. Meals were taken at an outdoor table at the stern, providing panoramic views.
The days took on a common pattern which worked well. We would rise early and head out of the anchorage soon after dusk having breakfast en-route – usually interrupted by Spinner Dolphins coming into the lagoon after nocturnal hunting. The morning would be spent searching for cetaceans – we would then stop somewhere for a snorkel and lunch. As well as providing respite from the hot sun this enabled us to be in the water when the light was at its best underwater and worst when above. After lunch we would carry on before anchoring up at an atoll in the late afternoon. Normally this gave time for another snorkel or a trip ashore. At worst the anchorages could be described as quiet - we once had a few other boats in sight. At best they were deserted giving us a tropical island all to ourselves. In the evenings Chas provided a series of highly entertaining and informative lectures on a variety of subjects – without ever having recourse to notes. Whilst mostly on cetaceans they also covered astronomy and the history and culture of the islands.
In total we saw 11 cetacean species including the Longman’s and Cuvier’s Beaked Whale. A pair of Cuvier’s swimming right under the bow of the boat providing superb views. For me though the highlight of the trip was a large herd of Fraser’s Dolphins. We spent several hours with these colourful acrobatic dolphins. Bird life is surprisingly limited but we had good views of several tern and shearwater species.
Although very much a novice, the snorkelling was superb. Even if you can’t swim you can enjoy the coral by standing in the shallower water. Judging by others pictures the diversity further out was much greater.
As the leading authority on marine life in the region Chas uses the trips for research purposes, recording all sightings which are presented in a comprehensive trip report.
A set of pictures from the trip can be found in flickr.com under Tim Stenton
Overall this trip is a must, highly recommended.

If you're looking for a perfect trip to the Maldives, Dr Chas Anderson is the man you want to guide you. This was my second trip with him, after travelling gorgeous Sri Lanka a couple years ago. Chas is incredibly knowledgeable and a wonderful person to spend time with. On our two-week cruise around the Southern half of the Maldives we saw many dolphin species, several beaked whale species, dwarf sperm whales, and pilot whales up close. The snorkelling was spectacular, surpassing everything I've seen before. Add to that a comfortable boat with a great crew, plus the beautiful scenery we all have dreamed of before. You simply can't miss with Chas.

This was my second trip with Chas, a world-renowned expert on cetaceans, in The Maldives. This trip was on the east side of the atolls as opposed to the previous one on the west side. Although this trip started off more quietly with spotted and spinner dolphins it REALLY picked up over the last half. Throughout the snorkelling was excellent, the myriad of different fish totally mind-blowing. At least this time I had more of a clue at what I was looking at and the highlights were definitely looking over my shoulder to see that I was being watched by a hawksbill turtle; spending a long time with a group of manta rays that came really close; and seeing lionfish.

But back to the whales and dolphins: mid-way through the trip the seas went glassy and we started to see an abundance of dwarf sperm whales, most of which allowed photos. The species came thick and fast. We has a beaked whale species that was too distant and too sneaky to allow identification before a pair of Blaineville's Beaked Whales surfaced in front of us! They were followed by Cuvier's Beaked Whales and Risso's Dolphins and Short-Finned Pilot Whales. The day culminated in Spotted Dolphins and Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins but the best was yet to come!

The next day we bagged TEN species of whales and dolphins, beating Chas' previous record. We started with the usual suspects - Dwarf Sperm Whales, Spotted and Spinner Dolphins. We then had Striped Dolphins again and then spotted some pilot whales. As we approached them we realised that there were three different species together - Short-Finned Pilot Whales, Common Bottlenose Dolphins and best of all Longman's Beaked Whales! And it got even better - Cuvier's Beaked Whales were followed by more Blaineville's Beaked Whales and the day ended with more Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins.

In addition to the wildlife the boat was great - lots of very tasty food, friendly crew, and the very knowledgeable Dr Anderson who gives interesting talks before dinner covering all aspects of the trip - cetaceans, astronomy, the formation of atolls, and the migration of birds and dragonflies from India to Africa.

I cannot recommend this trip highly enough! Thanks Chas!

This is my third time joining Dr. Chas Anderson for cetacean watching and my second time joining his Maldives tour (the other one was Sri Lanka). Every time, I brought home with lots of unforgettable experiences. Chas works very hard in finding us as many cetaceans and other wildlife as possible. He is very careful in approaching whales and dolphins and always put their well being first. With his professional knowledge and experience, we even managed to see three different types of beaked whales (Blainville’s, Cuvier’s and Longman’s) in a 7 days trip (within two days to be exact)! What’s more touching is that, he never gives up searching with a light heart even if the wind was not on our side.

He is also a very knowledgeable, friendly and humorous person. He knows almost everything in the Indian Ocean, from a tiny insect to the universe.

It is really a very enjoyable experience joining Chas’ tours. And I am so happy to have three new species encounters and many jumping dolphin encounters in the Maldives!

I have been fortunate enough to travel with Dr Chas Anderson on two trips now. Once to the Maldives on a live aboard boat and more recently to Sri Lanka in search of Blue Whales. Both trips were fantastic! The Maldives trip is a great experience to sail around the islands with the highlights being swimming with Mantarays and Whales Sharks and the overall amazing snorkelling. Chas knows this area so well he is able to predict where the animals will be to give you the best chance of seeing them. Our more recent trip to Sri Lanka was breath taking. Even with the migration of Blue Whales up the coast being slightly late we were still given 'out of this world' sightings thanks to Chas' experience to get us in the right place at the right time. As a tour guide and leading expert on whales and dolphins you could want know better guide if you wish to visit these places.

I have always found that when it comes to guided tours, be they trekking, birdwatching or whale watching, the difference between a good trip and an excellent one is the quality of the tour leader. When it comes to Cetaceans in the Indian Ocean Chas Anderson must be the best there is. A man who has part discovered a new species of beaked whale, who has written umpteen books on reef fish and who has discovered the secrets of dragonfly migration has to know what he is talking about. What Chas doesn't know about marine life in this part of the world probably isn't worth knowing. And he imparts this knowledge in such a wonderfully entertaining way that it is a pleasure to spend a week in his company amongst the reefs and coral islands of the beautiful Maldives. The boat used is comfortable and stable with spacious cabins, with an excellent crew who see to your every need. The nights when you anchor next to a tiny, uninhabited spit of sand are magical. We snorkelled morning and evening over some wonderful reefs abundant with fish, manta rays and turtles. We had mostly distant sightings of beaked whales but saw large numbers of a variety of dolphins. At night Chas gave us his famous illustrated talks. Travelling with a working marine biologist who is such a world expert means that you get to experience the best of everything, travel to remote atolls and have just about the best time it is possible to have looking at Cetaceans. I highly recommend this Maldives trip and we'd go again tomorrow.

This is a fantastic trip with an amazing variety of marine life to see - especially if you want a live-aboard holiday that combines days out at sea whale and dolphin watching with some of the best snorkelling in the world to start and end the day. Chas is excellent and the crew really look after you and feed you well. The boat is comfortable with plenty of space to spread out and shaded areas so you can keep watching and stay out of the sun. Chas has been doing research in this part of the Indian Ocean for 20 years and shares his knowledge with you during the trip. On each of the 3 trips I've been on we saw Spinner, Risso's, Bottlenose, Striped and Spotted dolphins, and on one trip also saw Fraser's and Rough-tooth. Whales are a bit more elusive but just as varied, with a Blue whale, Cuvier's beaked whales, a pod of Orcas, Dwarf Sperm whales and Pilot whales during my trips. The snorkelling has also given me some of the best memories, especially the whale shark and manta rays this year, as well as turtles, rays, reef sharks, moray eels and more colourful reef fish than I can remember by the time I look in the guide books on board! A magical holiday that could easily tempt you back more than once!

Chas is the world expert on reef fishes, whales and dolphins around the Maldives. This is a luxury liveaboard boat. The best way to see these beautiful islands, much nicer than staying in a resort. Some of the best snorkelling in the world over reefs every morning and evening. The days are spent cruising and looking for whales. There are plenty of opportunites to see the acrobatic spinner dolphins, and pilot whales, and the opportunity to spot blue whales and several rare beaked whales too if you are lucky. Chas is fantastic company, the crew and cooks are great, the food is amazing. The boat only takes about 20 people. OK, this trip is not guaranteed to be full of whales like the Baja trip, but you will see whales and dolphins, you will love the snorkelling, you will see some of the most beautiful islands in the world and you will have a lovely holiday.