Maldives The Diving Paradise


Not only do you discover aspects of the planet denied to most people, but you make a lot of good friends as well!

The Maldives is famed for its rare underwater beauty. The profusion of psychedelic colours and the abundance and variety of life underwater have fascinated divers and snorkellers since Maldives was discovered as a diving destination.

The highest level of visibility that one could expect- sometimes exceeding 50 metres - and warm temperatures throughout the year makes diving in the Maldives a delight you would want to experience over and over again.

The Maldives has some of the best dive sites in the world and many visit the Maldives repeatedly for the sole purpose of diving.All resorts in the Maldives have professional dive schools with multi-lingual instructors and conduct courses for beginners as well as the advanced. Many of the resorts have excellent house reefs.

Just a short swim from the beach and snorkellers too can experience the same pleasures from the surface.
 

Diving in Maldives
 

Every resort in the Maldives caters for scuba divers and international certificates of all types are accepted. The dive schools are well equipped, and regulators, BCDs, computers, masks, snorkels and fins are available for hire. For those learning to dive resorts offer a variety of dive courses are conducted in several languages, with courses conducted in English, German, Italian, French and Japanese in most of the For those learning to dive all resorts conduct open water and advanced courses such as night diving, rescue diving, underwater photography. Courses such as naturalist and shark specialist courses have proved most popular due to the growing interest in the marine environment. At resorts, diving is conducted daily all year around and it is only rarely that diving has to be cancelled. Most resorts would have access to a protected reef on the leeward side of the island that enables them to dive even during times of rough seas and strong wind.

Dive Sites of Maldives

Lion Head- Lion's Head" is a protected marine park situated in a channel. Subject to strong currents, this deep wall reef boasts many exciting overhangs and forms the perfect environment for a large variety of fish, ranging from small basslets, red tooth triggers and fusiliers to the larger pelagic species such as tunas, napoleon wrasses, sharks and turtles. You will encounter beautiful nudibranchs on the underside of the overhangs, magnificent sponges and some very pretty hard and soft corals covering the reef.
 

Kuda Haa - " is a protected marine sanctuary shaped like a two-humped camel's back. Rising from 35 meters below the sea to six, this beautiful reef is covered in sponges and corals. The abundance of fish living here simply takes your breath away. Large schools of blue-striped snapper roam the deep; clouds of basslets, fusiliers and butterfly fish swim all over, while sharks hover in the shallow areas. You might also come across moray eels, cleaner shrimp and the rare scorpion and leaf fish. This is truly a dive you shouldn't miss when visiting the Maldives.

 

Girifushi Thila- Girifushi Thila" is one of the best known and most beautiful dive sites on this island nation. Sandwiched between two outer atoll islands, strong currents are a permanent feature making diving here very exciting, while providing plenty of nutrients for both corals and fish. This protected reef enjoys overhangs, caves and crevices rising from 30 meters below the sea to ten at the top.

Most of the reef is completely covered in yellow, blue and orange soft hanging corals, as well as stunning sea fans. The current attracts an astonishing variety of small reef fish and large pelagic species such as gray reef sharks, eagle rays, tunas and barracudas. To really enjoy this dive you will need to be a confident and experienced diver.

 

Middle Point-
"Middle Point" is situated in the middle of the Tamburudhu channel and offers a driftdive for the experienced and adventurous. It rises from 100 meters below the sea to ten. When commencing your dive you will jump into the deep blue of the ocean with nothing much around you until the current takes you to the front point of the reef, where you will observe a large school of gray reef, silver tip and white tip sharks circling the deeper waters. Looking up at the surface you will discover eagle rays dancing in the current accompanied by tunas and barracudas. After some time of underwater dreaming, you can let the current carry you along the reef and enjoy the other treasures it has to offer.

 

Nassimo Thila- This dive takes place in the spectacular Bodu Kalki channel. "Nassimo Thila" is a large reef with imposing reef pillars standing proudly at a height of 40 meters. You will wind in and out of this bizarre underwater landscape taking in its amazing beauty. The pillars are covered in blue, yellow, red and orange soft corals and large gorgonian fans. The large overhangs of the main reef also house hundreds of different coral species, colorful sponges and thousands of fish. Large tunas, barracudas and trevallies are often found chasing small reef fish like basslets, surgeon and butterfly fish, as well as entire schools of fusiliers. Turtles and friendly napoleon wrasses can be seen here regularly too.
 

Okobe Thila- The "Okobe" marine reserve is one of the most awe-inspiring dive sites in the Maldives, a small thila consisting of three large rock formations. A mooring line is attached to the front of your dhoni (Maldivian word for boat) for this dive. Once you reach the bottom of the line, you will be met by a friendly and curious napoleon wrasse welcoming you to his "home". Further down, it gets difficult to see the reef, as you are surrounded by hundreds of fish. If you believe you are in an aquarium, you will be forgiven. The reef is not large but requires more than one dive if you want to take in all the beautiful corals and fish. A "must see" dive in the North Male Atoll.
 

Rasfari - "Rasfari" is a spectacular outer reef in the North Male Atoll. Its large sloping wall falls from ten meters below the sea to 25, levels out and then ledges off again dropping down to 90 meters. You will follow the sloping wall some 30 meters down to the reef and marvel at gray reef sharks, silver tip and white tip reef sharks circling right in front of you, while a large family of eagle rays dances in the current. Completing this magnificent show of underwater magic are some giant barracudas, tunas and napoleon wrasses, as well as schools of fusiliers, blue-striped snappers and surgeonfish.
 

Sunlight Thila- Sunlight Thila" is a formation of two small reefs that attract giant manta rays between March and October, when the winds from the south carry a large amount of plankton to this area. Between the reefs lies a 70-meter long sand bottom boasting small coral formations with plenty of cleaner wrasses. During your dive you will kneel on the sand whilst watching these majestic mantas circling above you waiting for their turn to be cleaned. As it is not uncommon to see ten or more manta rays at a time, this dive has become a big attraction for both beginners and experienced divers.
 

Banana Reef - "Banana Reef" is a very well known dive site in the Maldives - one of the first, one of the best and one of the more treacherous due to strong currents. On the eastern side of the banana-shaped reef, some rocks have broken away and created a perfect habitat for a surprising variety of schooling reef fish and large pelagic. Amongst the large overhangs resides an enormous school of blue-striped snapper. As you carry on along this banana-shaped dive, you will discover a pristine reef wall bursting with life, from different species of moray eels to fascinating corals and fish.
 

Maldives Victory- The "Maldives Victory" is a 110-meter long cargo vessel that sank in February 1981. The dive takes you 12 meters down a rope to the ship's main deck, where you will be sheltered from the strong currents. Here you will be amazed by the colorful marine life that calls the Maldives Victory home, from large groupers and tunas to giant trevallies and schools of fusiliers. Come face to face with turtles guarding the bow of the vessel and its stunning corals, or step back in time and explore the ship's former accommodation quarters and bridge. On your ascent you will have a majestic bird's eye view of this beautiful vessel. This dive is best undertaken by experienced divers only.

Location : Western side of Hulhule Airport Island
Best time to dive : All year round. Due to strong currents, high or low tides are best

Maaya Thila

This northern dive site consists of some fantastic coral gardens with all manner of reef fish and turtles, it is an easy dive. It is also a good place to spot grey reef and white tip reef sharks.

Veligandu Kandu

This spot has a shallow 10 meter channel and sloping reef down to 25 meters or so, in the channel is an impressive coral garden. Mantas have been spotted cruising over the top of the channel on occasion.

Mushimasmigili

Also refered to as Fish Head this is one of the better Ari Atoll dive sites. It is a small reef but it attracts a lot of fish, plenty of big shoals of smaller species and some larger ones too including Napoleon wrasse, grey reef sharks, the southern side of the reef drops down to over 40 meters.

Fesdu Wreck

This wreck is a 30 meter fishing boat situated off the southwest coast of Fesdu Island. It is encrusted with soft corals and sponges and now plays home to myriad small fishes including anthias, lionfish, batfish and many more.

Halaveli Wreck

Sunk by a local dive school in 1991 off the coast of Halaveli Island this wreck now lies in 28 meters of water and is home to morays, batfish, groupers and stingrays.

Broken Rock

This south Ari Atoll dive site is one of the better ones, it consists of a reef which is split in two. The walls have a number of canyons, cracks and crevaces for marine life to make shelter. Plenty of soft coral and sponges here and a huge abundance of fish.

Kudah Rah Thila

A marine protected area with many overhangs and a stunning coral covered archway where large numbers of fusiliers, snappers and anthias congregate.
 

 North Male Atoll is considered to be the tourism center of the Maldives, with over 40 top end resorts it provides luxury accommodation and tourism facilities. Much of the diving in the Maldives is done around North male Atoll due to the proximity to dive sites and the abundance of coral and marine life. There are several dive sites around the atoll, most of them being reef, drop offs and caves. Currents can be very strong so always check with local operators before heading out.

Lion's Head

This top dive is located at the southern end of the atoll, the 3 meter deep reef slopes away to around 40m then off into the abyssal depths. It is named after an overhang in the shape of a lion's head and offers several more overhangs, caves, cracks and crevaces where marine life can hide. Hard coral formations here are healthy as the area is part of a protected marine park. Plenty of pelagics can be seen in the depths including eagle rays, tuna and even grey reef sharks if you are lucky. Hawksbill turtles are also common here.

Banana Reef

Located on the southeastern side of the atoll this banana shaped reef offers a more relaxing dive down to a sandy slope at 30 meters. Plenty of overhangs, caves and crevaces along the reef playing home to a multitude of marine inhabitants including morays, stonefish and lobsters. Napoleon and humphead wrasse also live around the reef which makes a nice drift dive.

Old Shark Point

This dive site is located in the channel between north and south male atolls hence strong currents are usually present. As we know these currents attract big feeders such as jacks, tuna, marlin and of course sharks. Descent is made on a mooring line, this dive is not for weak swimmers!

The Victory

Sunk on Friday 13th Feb 1981 this 110 meter cargo ship lies in 35 meters of water and has become encrusted with coral. Penetration to the cargo holds is still possible and a number of small objects can still be seen around the wreck including bottles and cigarettes. Many fish now congregate around the upright hulk including batfish, snappers and fusiliers.

There are many other dive sites around North Male Atoll including Wattaru Kandu - good rock formations, The Aquarium - rich marine life and variety of reef fish, Sunlight Thila - attracts mantas from March to October, Vilingili Corner - schools of reef sharks often spotted and The Steps - an infrequently visited dive site that attracts big pelagics. In addition to these are Kuda Haa with its camel shaped bommies, Lankan Reef and Caves, Maagiri Caves, Mayaa Thila and Rasfari - an outer reef will good walls and drift diving. Different dive operators tend to stick to dive sites in their area.

There are literally hundreds of small thilas (reefs) around north and south Ari Atoll. Some of the better ones include Bodu Thin Thila with its anemone gardens and cleaning stations, Kandholhudhoo Thila a small secret reef where stonefish and scorpion fish are abundant, Aah Thila has many overhangs where juvenile sharks can sometimes be seen, also interesting topography here, Ellaidhoo Thila a terrace formation reef in the middle of the channel with plenty of gorgonians, a manta cleaning station at Hukuruelhi Faru and Moofushi Faru with its whip corals and abundant marine life. 
 

South Male Atoll is not as developed as its northern sister in terms of tourism but it does have an equally good share of dive sites. Also named South Kaafu Atoll this coral reef paradise is dotted with marine havens in crystal clear ocean.

Vaadhoo Caves

Located on the northern tip of the atoll this dive site offers a good drift dive over pristine reef with multiple overhangs and caves. All manner of reef fish are present and you'll often spot bigger visitors such as whitetip sharks, tuna and turtles. There is an impressive house reef at Vaadhoo where thousands of smaller fish can be seen.

Cocoa Thila

This spot attracts the pelagics when the current is flowing, you can expect to see trevally, tuna and eagle rays here. Three large coral bommies attract a lot of activity when currents are eddying around them, rock cod, sweetlips, fusiliers and many other fish congregate here. There are also a number of caves and overhangs along the reef face.

Kandooma Point

A great dive site when the current is going inwards, big groupers, tuna and sharks enjoy the fast flowing waters here. There are a number of cracks and crevices along the reef plateau for marine life to hide.

Maaya Thila

This aquatic highway is called the Emboodhoo Express, it is the name of the channel entering South Male Atoll towards Emboodhoo Island Resort. This is a big fish dive with sharks being the highlight, grey reef and whitetip are the most common but you may also glimpse hammerheads in the depths.

South Male Atoll has far too many dive sites to mention here however a few of the better ones are Vaagali Thila, an isolated spot off Vaagali Island where sharks and mantas are often spotted. A small vessel has been sunk off Dhigufinolhu Island to provide an easy wreck dive site that attracts morays and batfish. Good drift diving can be experienced around Maafushi where eagle rays and turtles are often spotted on the sandy bottom. Gulhi Kandu, Lhosfushi Kandu, Medhu Faru, Embudhu Canyon, Bolifushi Thila and Velassaru Faru are some of the other good dive sites around South Male Atoll. 


Baa Atoll

Until a few years ago, this atoll had only one resort servicing it, but nowadays there are five resorts spread out over the fifty islands. Those not inhabited are deserted and very rarely visited. The reefs here are in pristine condition and one of the big attractions is the number of whale sharks and manta rays that visit the area between May and July.

Three reef dives are worthy of mention - Maavaru Kandu, Manta Point and Muthafushi Tila. The former is a great drift dive in the strong currents and you can expect to find coral in great condition and a good selection of marine life including turtles, stingray, lionfish, pufferfish and morays. As its name suggests, the second site is the place to encounter manta rays. Currents can be quite strong, but there are rocks to hold onto whilst you wait and hopefully see one of these amazing creatures. The third dive has stunning, multi-coloured coral and plentiful marine life especially morays, octopus and trevallies.

North Nilandhe Atoll

Situated approximately 60 km south of Ari Atoll, the area here is still mostly untouched and in great condition. Two dives are worth mentioning, The Cathedral and M&M Reef. At the former, you'll see plenty of hard and sort coral and encounter a good variety of fish life, including lionfish, fusiliers and soldierfish. At the latter, the coral is particularly spectacular with marine life abundant
 

Dive Equipments

Resorts and live-aboards in the Maldives provide high quality and often the latest in diving equipment. All resort dive schools and live-aboard diving dhonis are equipped with compressors, tanks, regulators with octopus, BCDs, masks, fins and snorkels and other equipment such as dive computers, wetsuits, weights and weight belts. The equipment is well maintained and stringent safety checks are regularly made. You may bring your own mask, fins and snorkel. If you wish to bring your own wetsuit a 3 mm full-length wetsuit or lycra suit is perfect for any time of the year. However some prefer a 5 mm wetsuit when doing more than one dive a day. Ocean temperatures rarely vary beyond 27 - 30 degrees Celsius. During hot periods water temperatures inside the lagoon increase measurably, and most divers are comfortable without a wetsuit during this period.
Note that under Maldivian diving laws all divers must have octopus regulators. Carry some spares just in case of a breakdown or shortage.


Dive Safety in Maldives

To enhance the enjoyment and safety of a dive, consideration of the direction and strength of currents is extremely important, wherever you are diving; whether it is in the ‘kandu’, a pass between the atoll reefs or ‘thila’ a shoal, inside the atolls. The success of a dive almost always depends on these variables. The Maldivian archipelago is swept by ceaseless currents caused by the monsoons; generally east to west during the northeast monsoon, from December to April and west to east during the southwest monsoon, from May to November. However this is not a hard and fast rule, as changes in wind directions and tides can offset the influence of the oceanic currents - especially so during the transitional period between the two seasons.Further, the location of islands reefs and ‘thilas’ cause great irregularity in the flow of current streams inside atoll passes. Many local boat captains show great skill in telling the direction of the current by observing tiny ripples or wave patterns on the surface. However, the dive guide often jumps into the water to determine the exact strength and direction.