We create experiences around bucket-list marine wildlife encounters; the kind of moments you’ll be proud of for the rest of your life.

OUR VALUES

• Ethical animal interactions

• Fair pay for staff and local suppliers.

• Professional Safety Procedures, and a safe staff/guest ratio.

• We give back. All expeditions involve an optional conservation activity, from coral planting to cleanups.

• Everything we do is legal, insured and permitted

• Transparency around inclusions, accommodation, facilities

OUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

• Dedicated 24h support on expedition

• Convenient, low risk and secure booking process

• Regular communication about your trip

• Professional, experienced facilitators who know how to deliver unforgettable moments. Your host won’t be just a content creator who cares more about his own photos than your experience or safety

Perhaps these things seem obvious.

However, we can confidently say that right now we are running the safest and most legitimate freediving retreat operation in the world.

How do we know? Constant research and feedback. We’re serious about being the best freediving operation on earth.

Daily Tiger Shark Encounters: Enjoy respectful and careful interactions with sharks while snorkelling or freediving.

Expert Safety and Guidance: We’ll be diving with some of the Maldives' most experienced shark safety divers. You’ll also be in the great hands of the Immersia Freediving founder, one of Australia’s most experienced freedive coaches. We are there to help you develop those freediving skills even further. Finally, you’ll have one of Australia’s top wildlife cameramen on hand as your pro photographer.

Luxury Stay: Unwind at the Ataraxis Grand and Spa hotel, a modern hotel which is the perfect blend of comfort and elegance with stunning ocean views.

Interactive Workshops: Engage in enriching shark biology workshops, meditation sessions, and photography & cinematography tips from renowned wildlife cinematographer, Ewan Donnachie

Fun and Games: We really, really, really care about creating a good group vibe. Expect a lot of silly activities to break the ice with your expedition mates. Think: Beach Olympics, Human Pyramids, and more.

Gourmet Dining: Indulge in three nourishing meals a day, including a special beach BBQ night. Most dietary requirements can be catered for.

Captured Moments: You’ll receive a photo package of a selection of shots from your trip, making your memories last a lifetime.

Giving Back to the Ocean: We’ll be organizing a beach cleanup to do some important giving back to this beautiful island.

Shared Twin Room:

• USD$3800pp (approx AUD$5.5k depending on exchange rate)

Private Room:

• USD$4000pp (approx AUD$5.8k depending on exchange rate)

Discount available for guests from previous international retreats. Please reach out to us for a code!

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

• Non refundable deposit of USD $750 secures your spot.

• 50% payments must be completed by 6 months before your expedition date.

• All final balances are due 3 months ahead of your expedition.

Payment Plans available!

When you book you can opt into a 7-instalment payment schedule.

Please make sure you read our Terms and Conditions before booking to avoid surprises or disappointment. Please note that deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE so think carefully before booking.

6 nights Accommodation

We'll be staying at a beautiful new hotel with a great top deck to enjoy the oceanic view and restaurant when we're not diving or workshopping.

Domestic Return Flights from Male - Fuvahmulah

We have an amazing booking agent on the island who can coordinate flight times so everyone arrives together

5 Days of Shark Freediving

Daily tiger shark dives, one pelagic expedition to find other shark species

Photography

A package of special memories that you can treasure your memories forever.

Breakfast, Dinner and 4 lunches

Nourishing, tasty meals served at our hotel, with a special Beach BBQ night. Most restrictions can be catered (enquire if you have complex requirements so we can confirm).

For one lunch we will change things up and eat at a local restaurant (self funded, mains between USD $7-15)

Freediving Training - Depth and Rescue techniques

Level up your freediving skills with line training and equalisation guidance. Training in the deep, warm blue is an unforgettable experience.

Workshops and Presentations

• The Science of Sharks with a Professional Shark Biologist

Other workshops may include:

• Ocean careers

• Freediving Equalisation Workshops

• Technical Workshops on Photography and Editing

• Photo Editing

• Cameras and Photography

Beach Cleanup

A voluntary activity organised in partnership with our dive partners. It’s our opportunity to give back to this amazing island.

Donation to PADI AWARE

We are in a privileged position to enjoy nature this way. We are serious about giving back and contributing to ongoing shark conservation globally.

NOT INCLUDED

• International Flights from your home country to Malé, Maldives

• Alcohol - is banned in Maldives. This also includes Malé, and other inhabited islands. That means alcohol will not be found anywhere and is not sold in supermarkets, grocery stores, etc.

• One lunch - as above

• Specific snacks or food items you’d like to bring

• Freediving and camera equipment (weights are available for rental on the island)

• Private/personal photoshoots - Pictures are of a general nature, focused on the wildlife. We don’t guarantee any specific photos of each guest, due to the number of factors influencing a ‘good’ photo. If you would like to purchase a personal photo package please email us!

• Travel Insurance – This is mandatory and self-funded. All guests must have coverage in the event of travel disruptions or injuries/sickness. We are affiliated with DiveAssure and suggest checking them out for comprehensive dive and travel insurance designed for divers.

YOUR EXPERIENCE:

- You DON’T need to be a deep freediver.
- You DO need to be CONFIDENT in deep water and around large animals.

We recommend trying a freediving course before the trip to make the most of your time with us!

YOUR VIBE:

You’re seeking extraordinary experiences and deep friendships.

You value the safety + wellbeing of the group AND the wildlife.

You’re fun, playful, and can roll with Mother Nature’s surprises.

There are so many freediving retreat options out there. Let's make sure we are a good fit!

• We’re a value-led company and everything we do reflects these values; please check them out!

• We won’t force animal interactions for photos.

• We rise early, dive a lot, and go to bed pretty early. Also, alcohol is banned on this island. It's probably not the one if you want to party hard.

• The majority of guests are in the 27-45 age range, but we host all ages 18+, so please expect variety!

• We’re LGBTQIA+ friendly.

• We love respectful, tolerant, drama-free people!

• The atmosphere is often playful and silly - dancing, games, human pyramids… If this isn’t your vibe, there may be a better fit for you

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, supportive, and super friendly place. Our guests are all treated equally. However, if you feel you may need additional levels of personal support, please contact us first for an honest discussion about how we can facilitate this.

Day 1

Meet your retreat group and catch a domestic flight from Male to Fuvahmulah. Enjoy an afternoon exploring our beautiful hotel, relaxing, and getting to know your retreat buddies over a welcome dinner.

Tonight, we have a workshop to learn all about interacting with sharks and shark conservation issues.

Prep your camera gear with the support of award-winning natural history cinematographer Ewan Donnachie

Day 2

Wake up early for breakfast and a morning with the Tigers! We will spend the morning freediving with Tiger Sharks, getting comfortable with them and letting them get comfortable with us.

After a delicious lunch at our hotel, we will participate in a beach cleanup to remove fishing gear and other trash from the beautiful beach.

In the evening, we’ll take a moment before dinner for meditation and a slow movement flow. After a filling dinner, everyone will be ready for a big sleep.

Day 3

Another morning freediving with the Tiger Sharks!

This afternoon, we’re heading out into deeper water for some freediving depth training. Polish those rusty freediving skills and enjoy the deep, clear blue.

Days 4-6

After spending the morning freediving with the Tiger Sharks, we’ll be taking a trip out into the blue to see what we can find. If we are very lucky we might find dolphins, mantas and more!

On one of our evenings, we’ll be treated to a relaxed beach BBQ near our hotel. There may be beach games. You’ll find out… It’s a great time to unwind and reflect on the week!

Day 7

Departure day!

Enjoy a group goodbye breakfast, pack up your room nice and slowly, and enjoy a chilled day of exploring the island. Flights depart late afternoon back to Male.

We understand that life is unpredictable. Here is our policy if something happens or you change your mind.

Full payment is due no less than 3 months before the trip start date, and late payment may result in the cancellation of your spot and loss of deposit.

• Deposit: Non-Refundable.

• Cancellation of trip up to 6 months (26 weeks) before the start date: Refund or Credit less Deposit.

• Cancellation within 3 - 6 months (13-26 weeks) of the start date: Credit of 50% less Deposit to be used within 1 year.

• Cancellation within 3 months (13 weeks) of the start date: No Refunds or Credits. Name change may be available.

Please read our Terms and Conditions here. All guests are required to have comprehensive travel insurance to cover them in the event that they are sick or unable to attend with late notice.

Please think carefully before booking as we cannot make exceptions to this policy. We run small group adventures with a high level of personalised service, so late cancellations have a significant impact!

At Immersia we are proud to embrace diversity and we treat our guests with respect no matter what.

Whilst there may be medical conditions that influence a guest’s ability to participate safely in diving, we will never discriminate based on:

• Age

• Size/Body

• Gender or Sexual Orientation

• Religious Beliefs

• Disability (so long as the guest is safe to dive).

During our application process we are looking for an alignment on values and experience. This is a safe space.