The Maldives - Cetacean & Seabird Cruise 2026

08 Nov 2026 - 19 Nov 2026 (12 days)

From USD4,990 SPACES AVAILABLE

(**Prices can vary depending upon the cabin of choice and time of booking**)

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Tour Leader: Expedition Leader

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Tour Price (Per person): USD4,990 (GBP3,793 * EUR4,328 * AUD7,203)

Pricing notes : Does not include: government green tax (US$12 pp per night, payable on board) or use of Wifi on board (currently US$3 per day). Upper deck surcharge: US$400 per cabin Itinerary is subject to change.

The Maldives - Cetacean & Seabird Cruise 2027

21 Oct 2027 - 03 Nov 2027 (14 days)

From USD5,390 SPACES AVAILABLE

(**Prices can vary depending upon the cabin of choice and time of booking**)

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Tour Leader: Expedition Leader

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Tour Price (Per person): USD5,390 (GBP4,098 * EUR4,675 * AUD7,781)

Single Supplement: USD2,690 (GBP2,045 * EUR2,333 * AUD3,883)

Pricing notes : Does not include: government green tax (US$12 pp per night, payable on board) or use of Wifi on board (currently US$3 per day). Upper deck surcharge: US$400 per cabin Itinerary is subject to change.

The Maldives - Cetacean & Seabird Cruise 2028

19 Oct 2028 - 01 Nov 2028 (14 days)

From USD5,700 SPACES AVAILABLE

(**Prices can vary depending upon the cabin of choice and time of booking**)

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Tour Leader: Expedition Leader

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Tour Price (Per person): USD5,700 (GBP4,333 * EUR4,944 * AUD8,228)

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change* Does not include: government green tax (US$12 pp per night, payable on board) or use of Wifi on board (currently US$3 per day). Upper deck surcharge: US$400 per cabin Itinerary is subject to change.

Our 11-day birding and wildlife tour in the fabulous Maldives will be spent on a comfortable, live-aboard safari cruise vessel. She has a full-time crew of 6 Maldivians, including an experienced captain and a dedicated cook. All cabins are en suite and air-conditioned and although not luxurious, are perfect for our requirements on this birding and wildlife cruise. On your days with us you can expect some of the finest cetacean viewing on the planet; in the last two seasons our lead guide, Dr Charles Anderson, a long time Maldivian resident and well-known authority on cetaceans, has seen an astounding 18 different species! While tropicbirds sail overhead we will scan the waters for such delights as Spinner and Risso’s Dolphins, Sperm Whale, Indo-pacific Beaked Whale and the gargantuan Blue Whale, the largest animal ever to have lived on our planet! On most trips, 10 to 12 species are observed and more often than not these aren’t just distant glimpses; many species bowride and can be seen in their entirety at close range! We expect 50 and 90 separate cetacean sightings on our trip, totalling a staggering 2-3000 animals!

This wealth of cetaceans is well complimented by tropical pelagic birds and we will spend our days on the deck scanning for Black-naped Tern, Bulwer’s and Jouanin’s Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater and White-bellied Storm Petrel to name just a few. Only 180 species have been recorded from the islands and, as the area is under-birded, many more species (particularly migrants) undoubtedly await discovery. As this tour takes place during the northern spring, Palaearctic migrants are still around so there is a real possibility of getting a first record for the islands!

These prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.

2022 Prices are an estimate, dates are not confirmed and may change.

Top Birds

Black-naped, White-cheeked, Roseate, Bridled, Saunders's & Sooty Tern, Streaked & Tropical Shearwater, Lesser Frigatebird, Lesser & Brown Noddy, White-breasted Waterhen

Top Mammals

Dolphins: Spinner, Bottlenose, Indo-pacific Bottlenose, Risso’s, Spotted, Striped, Fraser's, Rough-toothed Whales: Blue, Bryde's, Sperm, False Killer, Pygmy Killer, Killer, Melon-headed, Shortfin Pilot, Dense-beaked, Longman's beaked, Dwarf Sperm, Cuvier’s Beaked.

Habitats Covered

tropical oceanic waters, lagoons, sandy beaches and shorelines, forest

Expected Climate

warm to hot

Max Group Size

10 with 1 Expedition leader

Tour Pace & Walking

very relaxed pace, little walking, optional snorkeling

Accommodation

comfortable, live-aboard safari vessel

Ease of Birding

easy

Other Attractions

paradise islands, incredible coral reef snorkeling, Manta Rays, star-gazing

Photographic Opportunities

excellent

What our clients say about us

Quinton Paul Josop
SA, Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game (Small Group) 2026

Paul brought in his wealth of experience. He worked well with Ashoka to make sure nothing was lost in translation. One member sustained an injury on day 1, probably because he declined the extra help offered on a slightly slippery walk. Paul and Ashoka took charge of the situation immediately, made sure the rest of the group was comfortable while getting help. It was incredible that the injured person managed to complete the trip with a walker. Ashoka is a highly experienced local guide. He went out of the way to accommodate our birding and non-birding (request to try local food) requests. Both Paul and Ashoka were always calm and very pleasant, paying individual attention to every person and ensured we had a memorable experience.

Lev Frid
JM, Guyana - Birds & Wildlife II 2025

Despite the heat and humidity, Guyana is a magical place with gorgeous rainforests and savannahs and lots of beautiful birds and the wonderful giant anteater. Lev Frid was a wonderful guide full of great enthusiasm. I especially appreciated his patience in helping everyone get a good view of the birds. He is a joy to travel with. Our local guide was also great and a lot of fun to be around and so helpful as well in identifying the different birds. Also a special shout out to Leroy, who helped us on the last full day of birding; he was great. The drivers Renford and Devon were awesome as well.

Robert Williams
EW, Guyana - Birds & Wildlife (Relaxed) 2026

What a great experience! Everything was as you told us in the pre-departure literature, so we were well-prepared. Rob was an excellent tour leader. His vast experience in conservation, core knowledge of birds and bird behavior, and his enthusiasm was generously shared with the group. He modeled proper trail behavior and made sure that everyone “saw the bird”. The local guides were top-notch and took good care of the group. I also learned so much from the better birders in the group. Highly recommended!

Glen Valentine
TS, India - Northern: Birds & Tigers (Small Group) 2026

Glen ran an excellent tour for northern India and the Assam extension. He knows his birds and keeps guests informed about sightings as well as distinguishing bird features. His calming influence during times of stress helps the support staff and guests. We loved his enthusiasm and energy.

André Bernon
RA, Thailand - Asian Birding at its Best II 2025

Both Andre and Uthai were remarkably tireless and effective in finding and identifying birds, including some of the most elusive species in Thailand. They also did a great job of organizing the logistics of the trip. Our meals were already prepared when we arrived at restaurants and all of the hotel arrangements were handled smoothly. We probably will not consider going on another standard Rockjumper trip. Birding steadily from dawn to after dark was a bit much, especially for 22 uninterrupted days. This pace is appropriate for most serious birders so I don’t fault the guides, but we plan to shift to a style of traveling in which we can set our own schedule. We might consider one of Rockjumper's relaxed tours, but we're not concerned about long hikes and muddy trails as long as the schedule allows for a little down time to read, reflect and recover.

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