Indo Siren ... Maldives Siren ,,, Oriental Siren ... Palau Siren ... Philippine Siren To See Siren Specials click here >>>

THE BOATS This fleet of beautiful liveaboards has grown to 5 fine boats covering vastly different diving areas.  See a bit about the liveaboards immediately below and continue down the page for info about the diving. With the exception of the Oriental Siren, the boats are virtually identical in appearance, being traditional Indonesian ‘gaff-rigged Phinisi’ schooners, handcrafted from ironwood and teak and are custom-made with all luxury facilities for the modern diver.  To top it all off, they have been specially outfitted with the modern underwater photographer and videographer in mind.  The Oriental Siren is unique in the fleet, a lovely traditional junk style.  She offers trips in Thailand and the Andaman Islands and starting in 2012, in Timor Leste and in Layang, Layang in Malaysia.   BOAT FEATURES  (all Siren vessels except the Oriental Siren have the following features) 7 sails Large leisure deck area Spacious air-conditioned saloon & bar, large flat screen TV & computer server supporting the inter-cabin network Covered outdoor dining area Laundry Service, Massage Service, Boutique Nitrox is free for all certified Nitrox divers. (Or you can be certified on board) 2 high-powered Zodiacs Kayaks Destinations Komodo Malaysia Maldives Palau Philippines Raja Ampat Thailand, Burma, Andamans Timor Leste The SY Maldives Siren is 34 meters and takes 16 guests to ensure plenty of space for everyone.      - She has several Maldives itineraries and has facilities and ample room to host up to 18 guests on special charters.  The SY Philippine Siren, is 40 meters and takes 16 guests in incredibly spacious surroundings.     - Her territory includes the following Philippines regions: South Leyte, Bohol, South Visayas, Boracay & Coron The SY Palau Siren will launch in July 2012.       - The 40 metre S/Y Palau Siren will be the newest member of the fleet, when she launches in July 2012. She has the       same specifications as her sister yachts, the S/Y Philippine Siren and the S/ Y Indo Siren. The SY Indo Siren, is 40 meters and takes 16 guests, again in super spacious comfort, and sports a slightly different       look from her older sisters     - Her territory includes Komodo, as well as Raja Ampat & the Banda Sea in Indonesia, all depending on the       time of year.   The SY Oriental Siren, is a 34 meter traditional twin mast junk, rigged with traditional style sails that are both functional and beautiful.  She was built in Thailand in 2008 from the finest Asian teak and ironwood.  She accommodates very comfortably 14 guests, but has the facilities and ample room to host up to 16 guests on special charters     -  Her cruises include Best of Thailand trips and Andaman trips and now she's going to include Timor Leste and        Layang, Layang in Malaysia to her 2012 schedule.  To check for available spaces on all Siren liveaboards, see Availability  See Special Trips and current Siren Fleet Specials   Or contact us with questions. ACCOMMODATION 8 large air-conditioned cabins- in the Maldives Siren, Indo Siren, Philippine Siren and the Palau Siren, each cabin with its own personal computer, audio-visual entertainment system and en-suite bathrooms with hot water. All cabins can be twin or double and have extras including bathrobes, hair dryers, towels, individually controlled mood lighting and individual controls for your air-conditioning.  Each cabin is fitted with an individual computer and multiple power sources to facilitate the needs of digital photography. The computer features high-end specifications and 20” high-definition flat screen, which is integrated with the yacht's network server in the saloon Workstations for the preparation and maintenance of cameras including prep and storage areas. MEALS Delicious meals, plentiful snacks and fresh fruit to meet the requirements of all whether you are vegan, vegetarian or meat-lover. The delicious dishes range from European cuisine to south-east Asian delights which will satisfy desires of all on board. Photos of the islands, the turtle and the shrimps are courtesy of Frank van der Linde. PHOTOGRAPHY Specialized features for Underwater Photographers & Videographers include:  Each cabin fitted with an individual computer and multiple power sources for digital photography   Workstations for the preparation and maintenance of cameras including prep and storage areas Large rinsing tanks with fresh water changed three times daily. WHAT'S INCLUDED All meals, snacks, drinking water, tea, espresso coffee, fruit juice, soft drinks and beer are included All the boats offer up to four dives per day, free enriched air nitrox, free rental scuba equipment  BCD, regulator, consoles, bare foot fins, mask and 3mm shortie wetsuit. EXTRAS Our saloons have a cocktail bar where you can purchase wine, spirits and of course a choice of cocktails. Rental of dive computer and dive torch is 5 euro per item per day.  WHEN TO GO Clearly you have excellent choices year-round.  The boats are scheduled to be in each of their destinations at the prime time of the year for diving.  You have only to consult our Availability listings, or to contact us, to find out if and where there are available spaces when you want to go! DIVING & ITINERARIES The boats all offer up to four dives per day, free enriched air nitrox, free rental scuba equipment.  Underwater photographers and videographers adore the facilities which boast plenty of charge points, preparation, storage areas and dedicated rinse tanks. You can find several photography workshops throughout the year PHILIPPINES South Visayas from Macatan to Apo Island  - June to November - 10 day/10 night trips Teeming with jacks, barracuda, sweetlips, bumphead wrasse, and turtles can all be seen, this region is also home to a clownfish city, frogfish, ornate ghost pipe fish as well as tons of other small critters. You'll also be treated to sightings of mantas and hammerheads and surrounded by flourishing corals in this Marine Sanctuary.  Southern Leyte around Bohol & including Cabilao - January to April - 10 day/10 night trips Exhilarating pelagic action here with white tip and black tip reef sharks, as well as thresher & hammerhead sharks, whale sharks and mantas.  Also Cabilao is known for some of the best diving in the Philippines, with its stunning walls covered with colorful hard & soft corals, gorgonian fans and black coral.  You can expect barracudas & tuna, frogfish, turtles, scorpion fish and pygmy seahorses.  On to top it all of, the overhangs and small caves that you will come across along the way add just an extra touch of excitement.   Borocay via Apo Reef to the wrecks of Coron -  November to February - 10 day/10 night trips Grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays and eagle rays, turtles, barracuda and shoals of snapper are all possible here, while the soft and hard corals and vast variety of fish life of all types is assured.  You'll see drop offs and overhangs.  Plus . . . . twelve wrecks have so far been located in diveable depths. Just a few hours short journey southwards from Manila, the ports of Batangas, on the south of Luzon Island is a world renowned muck diving area. It is while diving at Anilao that many new species, particularly nudibranchs, have been discovered. There are also several islands within the Calavite Passage that offer some fantastic diving - with strong currents possible and amazing underwater topography.   Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park - March to June - 7 day/7 night trips  A National Marine Park since 1988 and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993, due to the richness of its marine life, this area boasts stunning vertical walls and drop offs rising out of great depths. The shallow reef tops are teeming with local reef fish; in many places stingrays, spiny lobsters, immature Manta Rays, turtles, Leopard Sharks and Guitar Sharks are common. The walls are covered in huge barrel sponges, gorgonian sea fans, soft corals, hydroids, black corals. In deeper water shoals of angelfish, butterfly fish, pennant fish, rainbow runners, Moorish Idols, fusiliers, jacks, snappers and sweetlips follow you around. Large trevally, tuna and barracudas well as grey reef sharks and white tip sharks patrol the area. Giant manta rays and eagle rays fly overhead and turtles and groupers large and small including Napoleon wrasse pass by. Visit our Philippines page for more info       For more information about the Siren & Atmosphere Resort combo trip, click here     And see our Philippines Availability page by clicking here >>> KOMODO The Siren will be returning again to Komodo for a repeat of her highly successful ten night dive cruises to the rich, diverse and exciting waters of Komodo National Park. The water is not always warm and the seas are not always calm, in fact, you may encounter some very strong currents. But the abundance of pelagics & critters, the myriad of colors and diversity, make diving Komodo well worth the journey!  The corals in Komodo National Park are healthy and the animal life ranges from big animals such as turtles, dolphins, dugong, mantas, and sharks to the tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, frog fish, and scorpion leaf fish - with virtually everything in between. Some sites are make for slow, easy, wandering dives while others will set your heart on edge! Some cruise itineraries and seasons offer warmer waters than others, but all the sites introduce you to a marine environment sporting walls, pinnacles, sandy flat bottoms, underwater plateaus, slopes, caves, swim-throughs and channels.   The cruise departs at 3pm from Bima, a short 45 minute domestic flight from Bali. We recommend that you stay in Bali the night before and after the cruise and we can help you arrange hotels and land arrangements to suit all budgets. June thru Oct is the dry season, with air temps ranging anywhere from 25 to 33 degrees C. The currents can be very changeable but you are likely to encounter strong currents at some time during the 10 day trip.   Water temp: The Flores Sea (North Komodo) tends to have a water temp of 26-28 degrees C, so although a 3mm would suffice, some guests are more comfortable in a 5mm. The Sumba Sea in the South has an average temp of 24 degrees C, but in the Southern Winter (June thru Sep) temperatures can be a lot cooler than this in some places, so here a 5mm is best,  maybe with a vest or shorty over that.  RAJA AMPAT Raja Ampat is well known amongst divers for its awesome scenery & habitat as well as for its underwater diversity . . . spectacular hard corals, soft corals and sea fans. mangroves, shallow reefs, drop offs, caves, black sand, white sand. And the fish life is pretty well uncountable in terms of the number of species - from the tiniest species, such as pygmy seahorses to massive predators.  The reefs in Raja Ampat are alive with Manta Rays, Wobbegong Sharks and Epaulette Sharks and all the critters your mind can conjure up. 50,000 sq km, with hundreds of islands and an astounding diversity of habitats, means you will experience vastly diving experiences from pelagic drift dives to magic muck dives and even some habitats that are special to Raja Ampat such as clear water mangroves with corals growing right next to them! 10 day trips will take in the very best of Raja Amapt and you can also chose 6 day North or South itineraries offering up something different on each. In addition you can do a bit of land exploration.  There's a bird watching hike on Gam Island through scenic forests, past fragile orchids growing from cracks in the stone, and finally the unforgettable experience of witnessing male birds of paradise doing their elaborate courtship dances to attract females. And if you choose, there are caving expeditions which give you an exciting look into a hidden world through a breath-taking underground experience. Keep an eye out for exotic historical artefacts and interesting remnants from World War II, such as crumbling forts and sunken bomber planes. Raja Ampat has mystery and excitement enough for a lifetime! TIMOR LESTE  Venture to this remote island southeast of Indonesia, for some world class diving. Bounded by the Timor and Banda Seas, Timor-Leste offers divers diverse topography and marine life. Pristine corals, sandy muck diving slopes and off shore pinnacles await the adventurous diver. Siren fleet offers 10 night liveaboard cruises between August and November. The wondrous seacow - Dugong- can be sighted along the northern coast, the steep walls of Atauro island bring sharks and rays, Jako island is a rush of currents, and the sheltered bays provide havens for many tiny species from seahorses and octopus to frogfish and rhinopia.   Some of the best diving includes: The Church - On the Northwest coast of Atauro Island the steep walls rise up from depths of 50m+. Covered with hard and soft corals this site attracts passing pelagics & a closer look at the wall reveals a startling diversity of crustaceans and molluscs. Tasi Tolu - The sandy slope descends gradually & delights divers with thorny seahorses, rhinopias, mimic octopus, pipefish, frog fish and a range of nudibranchs as well as grazing dugongs or hunting sea snakes. Jako Island Near the small island of Jako, currents pass through bringing nutrients that support large marine animals such as mobula rays, grey and white tip reef sharks and schooling trevally and snappers. K41 - The coral garden of K41 attracts schools of midnight snappers, huge batfish and yellow-fin bass. Dolphins are heard & occasionally seen during the dives and whale sharks often make an appearance. Hiding underneath the coral bommies, whiptail rays can be found, and the shallow waters are home to ghost pipefish and saw-blade shrimps. LAYANG, LAYANG, MALAYSIA Starting in May 2012 the SY Oriental Siren will be offering 10 night trips to Layang Layang and the Spratly Islands. The first day of diving around the wrecks of Labuan before making the 15 hour crossing to Layang Layang. Hammerhead sharks are known visitors to the reefs here and there are plenty of large pelagic species patroling the waters. Expect to see nurse, reef and leopard sharks, eagle and marble rays and schools of tuna and barracuda all attracted to the beautiful corals that can be found here. Sea fans grow huge in size and the steep walls are covered with soft corals and whips. Macro lovers will delight in the numerous crustaceans and molluscs that can be seen in the shallow lagoon and along the reef walls. Purple squat lobsters, pygmy sea horses, pipefish and more! Each trip will depart from and return to Labuan which can be reached via Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur with either Malaysian Airlines or Air Asia. You can also choose to extend your stay in Malaysia with one of the many tours Worldwide Dive and Sail has set up. We can make all of these arrangements in one easy package. THAILAND, BURMA & THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS ANDAMANS Frank, part owner of the Siren, has probably greater experience diving these islands than any other captain and has run numerous trips through the archipelago, bringing his guests to classic dive sites dotted through the island chain, such as Fish Rock at Passage Island with its swirling schools of Barracuda, surgeonfish, snappers and fusiliers, with occasional visits form schools of rays. The volcanic Narcondam and Barren Islands, separate from the main island chain, are surrounded by thousands of feet of clear blue water, with steep slopes amassed with huge barrel sponges, gorgonia and soft corals, and a million tropical fish.    Topside, the Andamans offer miles of deserted shoreline, abundant wildlife, and vast tracts of virgin rainforest.  The wealth of history, culture and nature make this idyllic and off the beaten track destination something quite unique in our busy modern world. BURMA One of the last untouched places for diving. With more than 800 islands, the Mergui Archipelago lies approximately 180 km northwest of the Similan Islands. In the Archipelago, there are 3 different types of diving environments - shallow, inshore fringing island reefs - offshore fringing reefs - and banks which rise up from depths of over 300 metres. You'll encounter schools of snappers, tiger tail sea horses, ghost pipefish, nurse sharks and black tip reef sharks, pharoah cuttlefish and many types of angel and damsel fishes. With several islands and out-croppings being so far off shore, the dive sites selected will be based on the weather conditions. You can expect to dive the Three Islets, Black Rock to the far north and more in between. There are a vast number of sites to choose from and many new ones yet to be discovered. THAILAND Diving in Thailand is as popular as ever and these 10 night dive safaris take you the best of the west coast of Thailand and into Burma. Dive sites range from sloping reefs and rocky outcroppings, huge granite boulders covered with soft corals and shallow coral gardens. It is this variety that attracts the abundant marine life that make diving in Thailand so appealing. Several species of shark can be found patrolling the waters of Phi Phi and the Similans, and manta rays are a common sight, whilst whale sharks make an occasional appearance. There are plenty of smaller creatures too and divers will discover several types of anemone fish on each dive, different species of ghost pipefish and seahorses as well as a fantastic array of molluscs. Although most of the diving locations in the region are now well known there are plenty of new dive sites waiting to be discovered! MALDIVES For most divers, the Maldives conjures up images of swimming & flirting with swarms of great Manta Rays. But diving in the Maldives is definitely more than that.  For starters, rising from the atoll floor, usually in the middle of channels, are ‘thilas’ or submerged reefs, which can be as shallow as 8-10 meters below the surface. Thilas make great dive sites as they are often small enough to swim around during one dive and have their own compact ecosystems, such as caves, overhangs, steep walls or cracks and crevices. Many are pinnacle formations.   You'll experience gentle dives & strong currents and even a couple of very good wreck dives.  The Maldives has diving for everyone from the beginner to the advanced diver and is a destination ideal for divers and snorklers alike. Central Route April to December - 10 nights Our Central intinerary brings you Rasdhoo, Ari, Nilhande, Thaa and Laamu atolls. We dive a variety of kandus and thilas for sightings of scallopped hammerheads, grey reef sharks and white tips. Manta and eagle rays are likely around the Nilhande atoll and whalesharks may also be seen here. Schools of fish are the norm with daily sightings of Napoleon wrasse, groupers, snappers, trevally and barracuda. As we cross to Laamu atoll you have the opportunity to see pods of bottlenose dolphin and the occasional Blue whale! Central and Southern Route January to April - 10 nights Our central/southern itinerary takes you from Male to the atolls of Felidhe, Mulaku, Thaa and Huvadhoo. There are numerous deep channels or Kandus to dive all offering divers the opportunity to observe large pelagics such as hammerhead, white tip and grey reef sharks. Along with schools of giant trevally, jacks and tuna, whilst eagle rays are commonly sighted. We visit a variety of walls and coral gardens and there are also plenty of opportunities for macro critter hunting. Northern Route August and September -  10 nights A far shorter season the Northern Itinerary brings divers to Rasdhoo, Baa, Lahviyani, Noonu and Shaviyani atolls. However it is the area of Hanifaru Huraa that is worthy of special attention. This small island in the Baa Atoll has an annual plankton bloom that attracts manta rays in their hundreds and whalesharks also come here to feed on the bounty. Also note worthy are the reefs of Komandhoo that have recently been opened to tourism and are only accessible by liveaboard. Southern Route January to March -  10 nights The Southern Itinerary spends 10 days exploring the Huvadhoo atoll in depth. These unspoiled reefs teem with fish life and large pelagics can be seen in the channels as the current passes through. Eagle rays are frequent visitors to many of our sites. However you will also dive some of the shallower lagoons full of a wonderful array of colourful reef fish and some unusual creatures. You can read much more about Maldives diving by clicking here >>> And see our Maldives Availability page by clicking here >>> PALAU Divers travelling to Palau can expect to see a variety of reef sharks, huge schools of jacks and barracuda, manta and eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse and batfish coupled with many critters and impressive corals. Drift dives are the norm and there are plenty of wrecks to visit and of course no trip would be complete without a visit to the now-famous "jelly fish lake". Launch of the Palau Siren is scheduled for July 2012 and we'll bring you more information before that time.  To read more immediately about diving Palau, visit our Micronesia section. Contact us for additional details or to book spaces.