Freedive
Expedition Whale Shark
The Experience
Remoteness ● ◌ ◌ Comfort ● ● ● Physical challenge ● ◌ ◌
Explore the marine world of the eighth continent
Go from zero to hero on this adventurous yet laid back expedition where you’ll learn how to freedive along side marine experts. Explore stunning coral reefs, search for whale sharks and other megafauna with leading conservationists and move between isolated islands and secluded golden sandy beaches.
Where marine discovery and island living meet
This is a 10-day journey to the centre of Madagascar’s whale shark research. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from fresh, or develop further, free diving techniques which will allow you to make the most of this marine expedition.
Alongside expert marine biologists, you’ll search for marine mega fauna, including whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins and humpback whales. You’ll have the opportunity to swim with the largest fish in the ocean whilst contributing to critical tagging research.
In between you’ll explore a vast array of corals in these uniquely nutrient rich waters which has made northern Madagascar one of the world’s best marine hotspots. Stay on beautiful remote islands and rarely visited archipelagos in an exclusive boutique-style hotel accessible only by boat with golden sands and coral reefs at your doorstep.
No experience of the open ocean or snorkelling/freediving is required. Feeling nervous of the open sea? We can direct you to pre-departure short courses so you’re feeling more confident on arrival.
Itinerary
Immerse yourself in a marine hot spot
Day 01
Arrivals
You’ll arrive in Nosy-Be by air, check into your hotel and get settled among the hustle and bustle of a busy island. We’ll get together as a team for dinner in the evening where you’ll meet everyone and discuss the expedition and mission objectives for the next 10 days.
Airport transfers to your hotel will be provided and you will be able to check into your room by 2pm.
Day 02
Into the ocean
In the morning we’ll depart Nosy Be for a quiet island nearby. You’ll start your snorkelling and freedive training with a fully qualified team and learn the basic skills of handling snorkel equipment, how to duck dive and for those who want to, progressing to freediving on a line.
The objective is to give you the confidence to make the most of your time in the water, allowing you to feel fully immersed in this marine hotspot.
We’ll enjoy lunch on the water before transferring to our island getaway for the next few nights. Your hotel will provide you with all the expected comforts and amenities. You’ll have private bungalows with ensuite bathrooms and be provided with 3-course meals in a fully serviced restaurant. All with the ocean lapping golden sand beaches at our doorstep.
In the afternoon enjoy some downtime to rest, kayak or paddle board through secluded local bays or utilise your new advanced snorkelling skills in the coral reef directly in front of our accommodation.
Days 03-05
The search begins
In the morning we’ll meet a science team specialising in whale shark research at our hotel. We’ll discuss our objectives and get on the water to search for marine megafauna including humpback whales, manta rays, dolphins and of course whale sharks.
We’ll target ocean areas infrequently visited by other tourist groups with the aim of having intimate and meaningful encounters with these gentle marine giants. When given the opportunity you will be part of the team tagging any newly identified whale sharks, contributing to critical data collection on this declining species.
We’ll return each day to our secluded hotel where we’ll relax with sundowners and the slow pace of remote island life around us.
Day 06
Turtles by traditional pirogue
Today we’ll take a break from the open ocean and you’ll have the opportunity to explore the island by foot with a local guide and search for chameleons, visit resident groups of iconic lemurs, visit the nearby village or simply relax at your hotel.
We’ll also have the opportunity to join local guides on traditional pirogues as we paddle out to snorkel with endangered turtle species in a little known diverse coral just offshore our island.
Days 07-08
Exploring an isolated archipelago
Today we’ll move from our island to a much smaller and far more isolated series of islands towards the north of Nosy Be. On our journey we’ll explore rarely covered sections of the ocean in our mission to identify new to science whale shark individuals.
On arrival we’ll check into simple, but comfortable accommodation. All the basic amenities will be provided including private bathrooms and delicious regional meals. Surrounded by crystal clear water, we’ll have the opportunity to snorkel at rarely visited sites, explore the island’s unique bird life through local treks, and enjoy the tranquility of this island paradise. We do not expect to share this island space with any other groups making it exclusive to us.
Day 09
Beach sundowners
We’ll spend much of the day today travelling back towards the hustle and bustle of Nosy Be. On the way we’ll explore more rarely explored ocean in our mission to identify new individuals, as well as encounters with other megafauna like humpbacks whales, manta rays and dolphins with the goal of swimming with some of these giants of the ocean.
If time permits we’ll visit an area populated with green turtles, another gentle giant, and observe as they calmly graze on unique marine grass ecosystems along the shores of one of the many islands in northern Madagascar. In the late afternoon we’ll arrive at our hotel in Nosy Be and enjoy sundowners on the beach to celebrate an unforgettable experience.
Day 10
Farewells
After an adventure to remember, we’ll all depart for onward travel.
Transfers to the airport will be provided for you.
Dates & Pricing
Enjoy a small group experience of no more than 8 guests
£3,450 per person
5-14 November 2027
17-26 November 2027
Payment in other currencies available at checkout.
If you would prefer to adjust the payment plan option please be in touch - we can amend this to suit you.
Please note our payment platform charges a service fee of 1.5% for paying by card. To avoid this charge select payment by ‘Bank Account’.
The price excludes flights, travel insurance, personal expenses, tips for staff and any costs outside the expedition dates.
Minimum number of guests: 4, max 8.
FAQS
If you have any further questions, please contact us
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Your chances of seeing a whale shark are high, and your chances of swimming alongside one are good.
Whale shark populations are declining globally with the northern coastline of Madagascar one of the few remaining ‘hot spots’.
We are committed to safe and ethical swims with all the species we may encounter. This may mean our science team choose not to swim with a whale shark if there are many tourist boats at the same location. We will travel to areas infrequently visited by other operators to avoid this, but this cannot always be guaranteed.
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Very comfortable. Your hotels on both Nosy Be and our first island stop are equipped with all the amenities you would expect at a quality hotel. You will have a private bungalow with an ensuite and be provided with daily delicious meals with fish often caught by locals that same day.
During our archipelago stay, the accommodation will be basic, but comfortable. You will still have the privacy of a room with an ensuite.
All our boats will comfortably accommodate the group and provide plenty of shade throughout the day.
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You can take a look at the full expedition kit list here.
We’re always happy to provide further advice and recommendations.
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Food will be provided by local chefs for the duration of the expedition. They will cook a mixture of delicious Madagascan, East African, and Western dishes. Veggies and vegans catered for, however, fish is an essential part of Madagascan cuisine. If you are a flexible veggie or vegan, we recommend you take this approach to make the most of the food on offer. Vegans in particular can expect a lack of variety throughout.
Nonetheless, whatever your preferences, you’ll be well fed!
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Many of our guests travel with us solo and often find they meet wonderful like-minded people on our expeditions.
Individual bookers will have their own room in Nosy Be and our first island location. During our stay at the archipelago you may need to share space with a fellow traveller. This will depend on the makeup of the group, although this is only likely if we have 8 individual travellers and no couples, which is rare.
If we have 8 individual travellers, we may need to accommodate you in separate hotels to ensure everyone has their own room, but again this is unlikely and you will be informed before the expedition begins.
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We have included some guidance on what photography equipment you might want to bring on our kit list. You can find that here.
You're free to bring a drone on our expedition, however we tend not to allow individuals to fly directly from our boat as landings are very challenging and can be dangerous.
You are free to fly drones from land.
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You should arrive in Nosy Be (airport code: NOS) on Day 01. You are free to arrive anytime and an airport transfer will be arranged for you. You will be able to check into your hotel by around 2pm. Early check-ins and additional nights will be at the expense of the guest and arranged directly with the hotel.
You can book flights departing Nosy Be on Day 10 of the expedition at anytime. Airport transfers will be provided for you.
Travelling from Europe, there are generally two route options:
1- Ethiopian via Ethiopia
2- BA to South Africa followed by AirLink directly to Nosy Be -
You are required to have travel insurance covering you for the duration of the expedition and for all the activities you will be undertaking. This includes trekking/hiking at sea level, snorkelling and freediving. It is advisable to have helicopter medical evacuation as medical facilities on Nosy Be are poorly stocked.
Freediving is a specialist insurance and you may find it cheaper and easier to source this separately from your main travel insurance.
You will be asked to provide your insurance information closer to departure.
We strongly recommend that you take out cancellation and curtailment insurance as part of your cover as soon as you have booked one of our expeditions to protect against cancellations.
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Tips for local staff are completely at your discretion. All our staff are paid fairly for their work. Tips are welcomed in either Malagasy Ariary or Euros, with a preference for Ariary.
Giving tips at the end of your trip is a wonderful way of showing your gratitude for their hard work. If you plan to give tips, we can provide guidance on this, just get in touch.
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You don’t need to be super fit to join this expedition. You will need to be fit enough to climb in and out the back of a boat without the aid of a ladder. You can see an image of what this might look like in the itinerary section of this webpage.
You do not need to freedive on this expedition if you would prefer to simply snorkel.
As this expedition is fairly remote and in a country with poor health care, we are unable to accommodate people with existing conditions requiring regular medical attention.
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You will have internet at your hotel in Nosy Be and at your hotel on the first island we’ll visit, although it might be slow. You can download an eSIM before departure if you’d prefer to stay online for the duration of the expedition.
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Most passports require a visa before entering Madagascar. These are easy to obtain on the official visa site here.
It is advisable to print all related documents as this can speed up the otherwise chaotic process on arrival.