The Maldives is well known for its incredible diving and with over a thousand individual islands with surrounding reefs it’s no wonder that this is a diver’s paradise. Choosing where to go in the Maldives is the trickiest part of planning your dive holiday.
Here are just 5 of the best dive spots to explore on your Maldives dive holiday:
South Ari Atoll
Maaya Thila
Maaya Thila is well known as one the best dive sites in the Maldives. This site has an incredible pinnacle that starts at about six metres and can go as far down as 30 metres. This pinnacle is frequented by quite a few whitetip reef sharks, stingrays, giant trevally and nurse sharks. For a truly remarkable experience, try a night dive at the pinnacle. The sharks and larger fish species partake in a feeding frenzy at night that is an experience not to be missed.
Sun Island
When you think about diving Maldives the first thing to come to mind is whale sharks and one of the best places to find these incredible animals is Sun Island. On the southern side of the island the shore opens up to the Indian Ocean where there is a large plateau of 5-10 metres that make it very easy to spot any whale sharks that may be cruising by. The best chance for seeing whale sharks around Sun Island is just before a full moon.
Broken Rock
At this dive spot there is a deep canyon that breaks the reef into two separate parts. Swimming through the canyon is an incredible experience, however being proficient in buoyancy is very necessary. Soft corals cover the canyon walls and are home to many different reef species such as morays, butterfly fish, angel fish and wrasse. There is a strong current that moves through the canyon, divers will then find a spot at the top of the reef to hold onto in order to watch the incredible schools of fish cruise by.
North Ari Atoll
Ukulhas Thila
This magnificent reef is one of the largest in the North Ari Atoll. There is an incredible pinnacle in this spot that is roughly 300 metres in length that slopes down about 30 metres. The flat top of the pinnacle is used by mantas as a feeding station between December and April. It will be very useful during this season to use a reef hook as the currents can be quite strong. With such strong currents in this spot it is not recommended for beginners. To best view to see the cruising mantas is to just grab onto a rock and wait for these incredible creatures to swim close by.
Fish Head
This small pinnacle is one of the best spots to dive with sharks in the Maldives. The pinnacle is right in the mid-eastern part of the atoll. This pinnacle goes as deep down as 35 metres and has a few caves and fantastic overhangs. Traditionally sharks had been fed in that area, however that is no longer allowed, this is the reason for the large shark numbers that visit the area. Divers exploring this area will be able to see plenty of grey reef sharks that frequent the area.
Contact us now for more information about dive holidays to the Maldives and Maldives liveaboards and see some of these great dive sites for yourself!
