History of Master Liveaboards
The story of the Master fleet begins with a long-standing partnership between the liveaboard company Worldwide Dive and Snorkel, and the UK-based travel agency Blue O Two. WWDAS had already created the Siren Fleet in Southeast Asia and proved itself a step above the rest in building custom liveaboards. Combining WWDAS’s boat-building prowess with Blue O Two’s integrated travel offerings, the first Master yacht was created for the Galapagos in 2015. Six more liveaboards followed within the next four years.
Diving with the Master Liveaboards fleet
A Master liveaboard ensures that you get the most out of your dive vacation. The (up to) four dives per day are enhanced by dive staff who can help you find special critters and breathtaking scenes. The kitting-up space is very roomy for comfort and convenience, featuring personal storage areas for every passenger on a wide dive deck. Underwater photography is specifically catered to by the Master fleet; personal camera storage space is available both outdoors and indoors and outfitted with charging stations. Master fleet staff are specially trained to handle delicate gear, so you’ll never have to worry about a water-logged camera case or a scratched lens.
The Master liveaboard itineraries range from classic tours of the world’s best dive sites to skills- and interest-based voyages. If you’re keen on improving your underwater snapshots, consider a photography workshop. If you want to give back to the ocean, consider a conservation voyage; led by top marine scientists; these itineraries combine diving with meaningful data collection for shark and manta research. There are dedicated tech trips to wrecks in the Red Sea and Truk Lagoon for divers who seek to combine tech and liveaboard diving. Even recreational divers can spend their whole trip wreck diving on the Master fleet’s Solomon Islands non-tech wreck tour.
Life on a Master Liveaboard
Every Master liveaboard sports gorgeous interior decoration, with its unique color theme and ambience. From plushy couches to elegant cocktail seating, to streamlined sun loungers, the Master fleet creates the atmosphere of a high-class floating hotel. Fresh towels are provided after every dive, beds are often dressed with full duvets, and bathrooms (most of which are ensuite) are fully equipped. The cabins also enjoy the individual air conditioning. High-speed satellite internet can be booked. Food on the Master liveaboard fleet is buffet-style, with western and regional offerings. Beverages include herbal teas, fruit juice, coffee, and a full bar- plus an espresso machine. With advance notice, dietary restrictions can be catered to.
Vessels and destinations of the Master Liveaboards fleet
Galapagos Master
The Galapagos Master Liveaboard, the first vessel of the fleet, is a steel-hulled, eco-friendly ship with enough camera amenities to support a whole film and video charter! You’ll surely not miss any photo opportunities in this unparalleled destination. The Galapagos dive sites may host the most marine life of any dive location worldwide: plentiful hammerhead sharks, silky sharks, whale sharks, turtles, seals, and even endemic penguins and marine iguanas.
French Polynesia Master
The airy and luminous French Polynesia Master Liveaboard, whose interior is outfitted in blues and whites with redwood detailing, is the classiest way to explore this island-rich country. Cruising through the Tuamotus or zooming through the channels of Rangiroa atoll, you’ll be treated to many pelagics and blossoming coral reefs that teem with macro-critters. Shark lovers will find plenty to satisfy them in French Polynesia, a great place to see mantas and dolphins.
Solomon Master
The Solomon Master Liveaboard is the perfect Master fleet vessel for divers who want to get off the beaten path. The archipelago’s 992 islands (only 147 of which are inhabited) offer reefs without crowds- of people. The dive sites are crowded in terms of fish, from the very large (pilot whales, for example) to the very small (a vast array of seahorses, nudibranchs, and ghost pipefish). Papua New Guinea, the other destination of the Solomon Master Liveaboard, is equally thrilling. As part of the Coral Triangle biodiversity hotspot, PNG offers almost everything, with new species being discovered yearly.
Truk Master
The Truk Master Liveaboard is fully dedicated to exploring the Truk (Chuuk) lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia. Truk is the pinnacle of tropical wreck diving; no fewer than 60 wrecks lie submerged within its coral reef border. Many of the sunken vessels hail from the 1944 surprise attack of Allied forces on the Japanese warships stationed with the lagoon. Both technical and recreational divers can enjoy the wrecks, reefs, and pelagics of Truk Lagoon from the comfort of the Truk Master Liveaboard’s three decks, outfitted in a two-tone classy palette of dark brown and white.
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