GTS Trips are amazing. This is my second (first was Egypt 24), and I was so excited to meet up with three of the girls from the first trip. I love that there is that sense of community and friendship that lasts beyond the trip (and into another). The group of women were wonderful. As with any group, you had people that grouped together, but generally, every one socialized and mixed with each other. I am excited to see some of these same women in future GTS trips in January and February! This was Amy's first time hosting, and she did a wonderful job. For expectation management, the GTS host is not a camp counselor or social worker, but rather in charge of making sure the group as a whole has the best experience it can. And while there were some issues on the trip, Amy did a great job handling them and minimizing the impact to the group so that we could focus on our vacation! There were opportunities to be super social, to rest and relax, to read a book, or spend time recharging by yourself. The options were endless! Amy even organized guest speakers from the Manta Trust to teach us about the Maldives manta rays! The White Pearl itself was an incredible luxury boat, with everything that you could possibly need. It had gorgeous bedrooms with stunning full windows and comfortable beds; spacious bathrooms with large windows again. Numerous decks were available to enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, this was monsoon season, and we had some wet weather for most of the trip. This impacted our use of the facilities, water visibility, dive conditions, and travel route. Despite these difficulties, the crew made sure that we all had an incredible time. They adjusted and adapted plans to give us the best experience possible. The dive guides were wonderful. Despite having to guide us multiple times a day, they still (somehow) wanted to socialize with us in the evenings and share their expertise and knowledge. The White Pearl sent out a questionnaire in advance to gauge dive experience, and they grouped us according to that initially. Our groups got shifted around as needed, but generally, they got it right the first time. Each guide had their own specialty, own area of expertise, and if they knew you wanted to see something, they tried to make sure they (or one of the other guides) found it for you. It's a giant ocean out there, but they still knew each of the dive sites well enough to take advantage of the conditions. You know something is a big deal when the "old timer" dive guides get excited, and that's exactly what happened when we had three nights in Baa Atoll with whale sharks hanging out behind our boat. We had the same two sharks for all three nights, and on the last night, magically, a third whale shark joined us. The guides were screaming in excitement, and most of the staff were out taking photos. Getting to snorkel and freedive next to these amazing creatures was something I'll never forget. Dolphins vocalizing and swooping in for a fish occasionally, massive schools of sardines (that got into your swimsuit! eww), and even nurse sharks joined the snorkeling to make for three magical evenings. Hanifaru Bay was also magical. Seeing these huge chains of feeding mantas, having them come so incredibly close to you, was insane. But even more incredible was getting to see mantas at a cleaning station during a dive, to hover just beside or underneath them, as still as can be, and watch them just glide by... And let's not forget the wall of spinner sharks! Just outside of Male's airport is an area called Shark Tank where the local canneries dump their waste, and it attracts loads of sharks. While chumming isn't permitted, it still happens, but NOT by the White Pearl. From the moment we got in the water, we were greeted by giant schools of rays going by, only to swim on and be completely surrounded by spinner sharks in the hundreds. The first time a tiger goes by, your heartbeat increases. Then there's the silky sharks, lemon sharks, and even a great hammerhead. Seriously, such an incredible shark diving experience. The guides made sure that we were all safe, never felt in danger, and were all accounted for at all times. While I understand some individuals may have had ethical issues with diving in this location, I personally did not. The White Pearl doesn't bait the waters, but rather local industry does. The Maldives has limited options when it comes to economic growth, job opportunities, etc., given that it's a low-lying island chain, and eco-tourism is one of its biggest attractions. It would be impractical for the dive boats not to take advantage of the shark congregations. The dive boats cannot stop the canneries and fisheries from doing what they do, and it is a very privileged position to expect the dive boats to ignore a tourism draw like Shark Tank. Additionally, "chumming" could have also applied to our use of lights at night to draw in whale sharks (via the plankton attracted to the light). Several of the whale sharks had scars presumably from boat props. Our desensitization and acclimation of the whale sharks to human and boat presence likely increases their chances of a boat strike. I would expect individuals to have more ethical issues with this practice than Shark Tank to be honest. That being said, all of us on the boat, without exception, took photos and videos of the whale sharks and shared them on social media. I still cannot believe what a great trip this was and am so sad I'm not still there. I would book on any of the Pearl fleet in the future! I think GTS trips are amazing. They're fun. They're safe. And the diving is incredible. If you go into the trip with a positive attitude and managing your expectations (no one controls the weather, wild animals, etc.), then you're going to have a great time. Don't hesitate to book!

I recently had the incredible opportunity to join a Girls That Scuba trip to the Maldives. It was my 3rd Liveaboard & my second GTS Trip (1st was Red Sea 2019 GTS/Insider Divers). From start to finish, the trip was thoughtfully organized, and every detail felt intentional—from the seamless logistics to the warm, welcoming atmosphere fostered by the GTS host (Amy! 🫶) and the White Pearl team. We spent 2 weeks aboard the White Pearl Maldives, and it lived up to its reputation as a luxury vessel. The boat had - comfortable cabins - beautiful & functional spaces that encouraged guests/divers to also have social interactions - a masseuse was on board, plus more. The WP-Maldives is a larger Liveaboard with multiple decks. I’ve been on other Liveaboards where there were only 3 options for above the waves alone time and you had no guarantee the spot would be empty & free when you wanted it. I found the size and configuration of the WP space, great for finding a quiet place to read or spaces like the pool to relax post dive & share fish stories. What stood out even more than the boat and its amenities, was the phenomenal crew, especially those that went the extra mile for guests - the crew took time to find snorkel locations near the dive site du jour so, a guest recovering from DCS (it can happen even if you do everything right) and other interested guests could snorkel. No matter their department—admin staff. dive guides, kitchen staff, engineering, housekeeping, or deck crew—every single person made us feel safe, cared for and able to unlink from our jobs and/or other responsibilities at home. While we did experience some sloshy, dreary, wet weather at times during the trip (100% be expected/it is the wet monsoon season that brings large numbers of mantas and whale sharks to the area) staff and the other guests that I spoke with (it’s a global community, sometimes guests don’t have a shared language in common), the mood on the ship was always upbeat, positive and a little cheeky (in the best possible way). That’s a testament not only to the amazing group of women on the trip, but also to the energy and positivity brought by our GTS host and WP Maldives crew. Collectively, they created a supportive & empowering environment. It resulted in a trip that was about more then diving. The trip was about community and connected with women from other countries and cultures. The diving was great, saw all the things+. My goals were see whale sharks again, see my 1st Manta, jump in the warm ocean and spend quality time w a friend/dive buddy that I don’t see as much since leaving Cleveland the Sequel. GTS and WP delivered. It was a cross between how I experienced single sex education and a summer camp. If you’re a female scuba diver, I highly recommend joining a future Girls That Scuba trip. I have already booked my GTS trip for 2027, I’m waitlisted for a 2026 trip, and I’m throwing big hints to GTS for a 2026 freedive training and retreat. A repeat customer is the best review.