Felicidad II — a renovated Djibouti liveaboard built around whale-shark routes

Felicidad II suits divers who want Djibouti as the centre of the trip, with whale-shark routes and a boat that has been brought up to date without pretending to be new. The 2024 renovation matters here: it gives an older hull a more current base for a week of diving, while the layout remains that of a compact liveaboard rather than a floating resort. The choice is strongest for divers who value a local and international crew, full-board meals, night dives, and the option to bring non-divers or snorkellers. Step aboard looking for a practical platform for repeated dives, a shaded place to come back to, and a route that returns to the same Djibouti port.

Felicidad II carries the history of a 1991 vessel, but its 2024 renovation gives the boat a recent reset. From the dock, the useful impression is not luxury for its own sake but a liveaboard arranged around diving: a dedicated platform, shaded dive space, tenders ready to take divers out, and a terrace and observation deck for the hours between entries. The boat accommodates a maximum of 18 passengers, enough for a social trip without turning the group into a crowd. English, French, and Italian are spoken by the local and international crew. The character is straightforward: an older working boat with a newer interior and the equipment needed to spend the week on the water.

Felicidad II has a local and international crew speaking English, French, and Italian. The crew's role is visible in the practical parts of the trip: preparing the diving operation, supporting the tenders, keeping the cabins serviced, and maintaining meals and drinks through the day. The boat is also set up for mixed groups, with non-divers and snorkellers welcome rather than treated as passengers waiting for the divers to finish. Evenings can move between the indoor lounge and outdoor dinner, with the observation deck and terrace available when the group wants open air. The strongest reported impressions of this boat concern the crew and food, more than the vessel itself; that is a fair reason to choose Felicidad II if people and daily care matter more than a polished yacht finish.

Felicidad II runs routes that depart from and return to Djibouti. The Djibouti Whale Shark Cruise lasts 8 days and 7 nights, while Whale Sharks and Seven Brothers lasts 10 days and 9 nights; Whale Shark Express is the shorter 6-day, 5-night option. The Seven Brothers itinerary is the one to consider when the route itself is part of the attraction, while the shorter express trip fits a tighter travel window. No named dive-site descriptions or verified site depths are available for these itineraries, so the boat can be chosen for its Djibouti and whale-shark focus rather than for a promised list of walls, wrecks, pinnacles, or cleaning stations.

Whale sharks are the defining animal of Felicidad II's Djibouti routes: they are named in the Djibouti Whale Shark Cruise, Whale Sharks and Seven Brothers, and Whale Shark Express itineraries. A sighting remains a wildlife encounter, not a guarantee, and the available route information does not establish a season, site, or frequency. No broader marine-life record is available for these cruises, so this is not a page that should promise mantas, sharks, dolphins, or a catalogue of reef species. Choose the route for the chance to meet whale sharks in Djibouti, then let the underwater encounters decide how the trip's animal story unfolds.

Whale Shark →

Rhincodon typus

The crew speaks English, French, and Italian, making briefings accessible to a multilingual group. Oxygen, first-aid kits, fire alarms and extinguishers, rescue flares, life rafts, life jackets, radar, sonar, GPS, and VHF/DSC/SSB radio are carried aboard, with crew trained in first aid. The two tenders support the transfer between the boat and the dive sites. Group ratios, guide qualifications, course availability, minimum logged dives, recall procedures, and defibrillator provision are not described, so those details should be established before departure if they affect the choice of boat.

The dive operation is centred on a shaded dive area and a platform, with two tenders powered by Yamaha 40HP outboards taking divers to and from the sites. A separate rinse tank is provided for cameras, along with a separate camera-rinsing area, so imaging equipment does not have to share the main gear routine. DIN adapters are available. Sidemount is supported with one cylinder, and rental equipment can be arranged separately. Nitrox, tank material, tank volume, compressor details, SMB provision, and a hot-water shower on the dive deck are not described here, so divers with a specific setup should check those points before boarding. The boat includes night dives, which gives the deck a role well beyond the daytime schedule.

Between dives, the shaded dive area is the natural place to come back to before moving elsewhere. The terrace and observation deck offer open-air space, while the air-conditioned lounge gives a cooler retreat when the heat builds. A library, internet access, outdoor dining, fishing, and a dedicated relaxation area fill the quieter stretches without forcing everyone into the same routine. Non-divers and snorkellers are welcome, and a snorkelling guide is included. The arrangement favours a trip where the boat remains useful even when someone skips an entry: there is somewhere to sit, read, eat, watch the water, or simply wait for the next briefing.

A day aboard Felicidad II is organised around the dive package, meals, and the next departure from the platform or tender. Divers return to the shaded deck between entries, eat full-board meals, and use the terrace, lounge, or observation deck during the gaps. Night dives are included, extending the diving beyond daylight rather than leaving the evening entirely on shore-side habits. The boat's layout also makes room for snorkellers and non-divers, who can use the lounge, library, outdoor dining area, or deck while the dive groups are away. The exact number and timing of daytime dives are not given, so the reliable outline is the sequence: prepare, dive, return, eat, rest, and go again when the operation calls.

Meals are included as full board, with Western and local cooking, vegetarian and vegan options, snacks throughout the day, and non-alcoholic drinks, tea, and coffee. Dinner can be served outdoors, and the menu can be à la carte rather than a single fixed plate for everyone. Beer and wine are available separately. The food score is one of Felicidad II's strongest reported areas, with meals described as good, plentiful, healthy, and well seasoned. That matters on a diving boat: food is not decoration between excursions but the recovery point between repeated entries into the water.

The eight cabins are on the lower deck, with portholes, air conditioning, and private bathrooms. Hot-water showers, daily housekeeping, cabin towels, and a non-smoking cabin policy keep the practical side simple after several dives. A lower-deck porthole gives each cabin a direct connection to the sea, but this is not the place to choose for a large view from bed. The boat also has an air-conditioned indoor lounge, so sleeping space and daytime space are kept separate. For a trip built around diving, the important point is a private cabin to return to, a cool room after the heat of Djibouti, and a proper bathroom close at hand.

Felicidad II departs from and returns to Djibouti. Airport transfers are available separately rather than included by default. Arriving in Djibouti the night before is the sensible choice, leaving room for a delayed flight without putting embarkation at risk.