Shark season in the Maldives

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Shark season in the Maldives

If it’s a thrilling shark experience you are after then a week onboard a scuba diving liveaboard dedicated to exploring the Maldives deep south will be right up your alley! January until March is shark season and a Maldives liveaboard trip during these months to the remote southern reaches of the archipelago is an experience akin to none. Often described as the pinnacle of diving experiences, being surrounded by a school of sharks is an experience not to be found in many places in the world. To see just one shark is impressive but imagine a large school swarming around you – it’s an adventure like no other! And in the Maldives, this dream can become a reality.

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Topping many a diver’s bucket list and home to a rich array of marine life, the Maldives waters provide one of the best diving holidays in the world and in the deep south sharks can be found in abundance during certain times of the year. 26 different shark species have been identified in the Maldivian archipelago with the most common species being the hammerhead, oceanic whitetip and tiger while sightings of blacktip, nurse and grey reef sharks are also a possibility.

Exploring southern Maldives

The routes to the southern Maldives are unique and totally unlike the more typical circuits performed by most dive liveaboards. Enjoy extraordinary dives in remote areas away from the crowds and not only will you see spectacular schools of sharks but you can also enjoy diving with a vast array of fish species, whale sharks, mola molas and mantas. The reefs and thilas are totally unspoiled while great wreck diving is also on the agenda for these liveaboard trips. 

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The Maldives is one of the world’s best locations for diving with hammerheads, particularly in the Rasdhoo Atoll which is accessible by specific liveaboard trips to the south. Here you can scuba with large schools of hammerheads as they swim through the channel and are often accompanied by other sharks while dolphins, turtles, and whale sharks are also often seen. 

The southern reaches of the Maldives are also known for their high concentration of grey reef sharks and a variety of fish species can only sighted in the south including the lime harlequin fish that lives in schools among corals.

At Foa Mulah a unique island with a great dive site awaits. Here you will enjoy sightings of large schools of jacks, mantas, humphead wrasse and more. Schools of pygmy killer whales, thresher sharks, tigers, hammerheads, marlins and humphead parrotfish are also often seen in this area.

You can also look forward to exploring deserted beaches and fishermen islands to see truly authentic Maldives islands far away from mass tourism. 

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Booking the best Maldives liveaboard

From December to May the seas are also at their calmest and warmest with amazing visibility, making this the best time of year to book a diving liveaboard trip but you need to get in early as spaces fill up quickly.These sharks are generally not aggressive but caution should be exercised and care given to respecting the animals space. Shark diving experiences are for experienced advanced divers only as strong currents and deep depths are often characteristics of these dive sites.

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Shark trips normally take place in January and February and are led by teams of expert guides. The sharks are generally not aggressive but caution should be exercised and care given to respecting the animals’ space. Shark diving experiences are for experienced advanced divers only as strong currents and extensive depths are often characteristics of these dive sites.

The liveaboards we work with at Planet Dive Holidays, are the best of the best and have been hand-picked by our team to offer a surpassed diving experience. You can expect amazing meals daily, expert guides and all dives are included in the price, as well as night dives on certain boats.

Contact us now to speak to a dive expert about your scuba holiday to the Maldives!

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