Diving Seasons / Best Dive Sites

• January to April are considered the best months for diving
  
• May and June can have unstable weather, and storms and cloudy days are common until September


• October and November tend to have clearer weather, but visibility can be slightly reduced because of abundant plankton in the water.


• December can have rough, windy weather and rain

Some of the Best Dive Sites of Male' Atoll

Maldives Victory
Type of dive : Wreck dive, ascent & descent on a rope.
Depth Range : 16m - 30m
Photograph Wide angle lens (14mm-28mm) is recommended. Although some good opportunity for macro shots.

Special Feature: Sunk on Friday 13th 1981, a 110m steel cargo ship. All cargo rooms are all open for easy penetration. Teeming with fish; even some of the pelagic variety. Limited to experienced divers due to the great depth and strong currents sometimes found in the area. Good opportunity for Photographers.

Banana Reef
Type of dive : Drift dive
Depth Range : 5m - 25m
Photography Use a moderate wide angle to standard lens 20mm - 35mm for landscape and napoleon.

Special Feature Drift dive along a steep slope with overhangs and nice soft and hard coral. Napoleon wrasse and white tip reef sharks are sometimes seen in this area where the lobsters sleep between the rocks and the overhangs. The beautiful site is well suited for beginner and less experienced divers.

Maagiri Caves
Type of dive : Drift dive
Depth Range : 5m - 30m
Photography For the landscape and eagle rays the use of a wide angle lens (14mm-28mm) is recommended. Although with a 50mm-100mm lens you will get some good images of the honeycomb morays.

Special Feature A nice wall reef with a huge rock in front of it creates an impressive canyon, making it an exciting dive. Beautiful soft oral in greater depth with small caves up to 6m. Schooling yellow snapper, fusilier, giant and honeycomb moray eels as well as occasional eagle rays can be seen here.

Potato Reef
Type of dive : Anchor dive, descent and ascent on a rope.
Depth Range : 5m - 25m
Photography This is a place for macro photographs. Use a 50mm - 100mm for the moray eels, stonefish and gobies.

Special Feature Myriad of color glaze this beautiful reef where the marine life is abundant. Only about 100m in diameter, it provides excellent opportunities for keen uw-photographers. The reef is covered mainly in hard coral and crustacions. Massive moray eels are found here, as well as the extremely rare ghost moray. The dense lionfish population is really amazing and if you have good eyes, this is your chance to spot some stonefish. Surrounded by soft white sand, the reef is home to innumerable garden eels.

Lankan Caves
Type of dive : Driftdive
Depth Range : 8m - 30m
Photography Use of a wide angle lens 14mm - 28mm is advisable for landscape, fish school, tunas and turtles.

Special Feature An extension of Lankan Reef, this site contains remarkable caves starting at 30m going up to 10m. Beautiful hard and soft coral as well as huge gorgonians decorate the caves and makes the perfect place to watch tunas, jacks, with occasional appearances by napoloeons and turtles.

Colosseum
Type of dive : Driftdive
Depth Range : 10m - 30m
Photography Use a 14mm - 28mm for schooling snappers, sharks and pelagic fishes.

Special Feature On the outside is a crescent shaped cliff, a great place to watch pelagic fish swimming by. The reef here drops down very steeply and is covered with hard coral. Inside the channel, the reef turns into a slope with nice soft coral. The marine life here is rich with pelagic species, sharks, eagle rays and all sorts of reef dwelling fishes.

Aquarium
Type of dive : Driftdive
Depth Range : 10m - 30m
Photography Moderate wide angle - standard lens (20mm- .35mm) for turtles, sharks and napoleon wrasses.

Special Feature Drift dive along the outer reef of Lhohifushi Island . Once round the corner, a slope covered with corals goes down to 20m, curling an creating a bay of sorts. A massive coral block here is home to thousands of small fish and countless golden moray eels. Sharks, napoleons and big pelagic are to be encountered in the aquarium. At the sandy bottom, there are sting rays to see.

Embudhu Canyon
Type of dive : Driftdive
Depth Range : 8m - 30m
Photography : For the scenario and fish schools use a 14mm - 28mm wide angle lens.

Special Feature A huge rock in front of the reef creates an exciting canyon with lots of caves and overhangs. Colourful soft corals make this site a delight for photographers with schools of yellow snappers and oriental sweetlips unconsciously posing for the perfect picture. Chances are high that there will be encounters with eagle rays, napoleon and sharks.

Giravaru Caves
Type of dive : Driftdive
Depth Range : 7m - 30m
Photography Wide angle 14mm to standard lens 35mm rcommended for the caves and the snapper schools.

Special Feature : Drop-of with big overhangs and caves. The inside of some caves offer fantastic views of the blue sea from inside them. Big schools of midnight snappers swim among the hard and soft corals and the gorgonians. Pelagic fish and eagle rays are also common in this area.

Some of the Best Dive Sites of Ari Atoll

Manta Point A fantastic dive spot at the north west side of Ari Atoll.
You will see Manta Rays, Napoleons and other big fish here.

Maga Thila A breath taking coral garden starts at 3m. At the north side, the reef is one big overhang with lots of small canyons going through the reef. If you are lucky you can meet deep-sea fish, like the deep sea White Tip Shark, Sailfish and Dolphins. Recommended for beginners.

Maaya Thila A small dive-spot, just 25 min away from the island with lots of fish and black corals. Here you can see Grey Reef Sharks, White Tip Reef Sharks, Batfish, Barracudas and Eagle Rays. Also you will find turtles and Sepias.
It is an easy dive spot. Recommended for beginners. The reef top is at 7m.

Fish Head (Mushimasmingili Thila) A must for all divers as this is the most famous dive spot in the Maldives . Grey Reef Shark, big Napoleon fish and lot of small swarm fish will be seen here. It is a very small Thila and you can swim around in one dive.
The reef top starts at 10m and it falls down to 35m in a 75 degree angle with lots of caves and overhangs. Recommended for beginners.

Bodu Thin Thila: In a channel between two Farus in the south of Bathala there are three Thilas. This is the largest of these three Thilas. The corals, the Anemone garden, the cleaning station and also the formation and the great overhangs here makes the divers enthusiastic. Recommended for beginners.

Kandholhudhoo Thila This reef is top secret. Diving instructors call this "Surprise Thila" This is a small reef with colorful soft corals and sponges. Stone Fish and Scorpion fish are more in number than corals. If you are lucky, a Manta or Dolphins will guide you under water. Turtle and Black-Coral-Trees are seen here.
The reef top starts at 3m. Therefore you could relax at a safety spot after the dive and view the scenery. Recommended for beginners.

Ellaidhoo Thila A wonderful reef in the middle of the channel, in front of Ellaidhoo. The formation of the reef is like a terrace, which falls down from 8m to 40m, with lots of overhangs and beautiful Gorgonias.

Sleeping Nurse Shark, Frogfish, Grey Reef Shark and Batfish are the attractions here. Recommended for beginners.

Bathala Maga KanThila From the reef Bathala Maga Faru, comes out this Thila, long and narrow. Here you can see Napoleon, White Tip Shark, Eagle Ray, Grouper, lots of coral fish and if you are lucky even Mantas and Mobulas.

Malhos Thila The reef starts at 12m with big overhangs that fall down at 35m grown over with white blue soft corals. You will get the impression of being in an ice cave. Swarms of blue strip Snappers and Sweet Lips will make your dive unforgettable. Recommended only for experienced divers, as there might be strong current sometime.

Himandhoo Thila A big Thila in a channel, at the West Side of Ari Atoll. Large overhangs with colorful soft corals. Unbelievable swarms of wimp fish, Sweet Lip and big fish are found here. During the winter season from December to April it becomes a Manta point. This Thila is one of the best dives spots at the West Side . Recommended for experienced divers due to strong current, sometimes.

Medhu Thin Thila This is middle sized three Thilas and the formation of this surprises the divers. The reef top starts at 5m and falls down very steep to some caves where it is possible to dive through.

Napoleon fish, Shark and Eagle Ray are not rare here. Also Electric Rays and Groupers are often seen. And sometimes Nurse Sharks too. Recommended for beginners.

Zauber Wreck In 1984 a small, 13m Trawler was sunk. This wreck is of soft corals, especially the screw. The wreck is down at the sand bottom in 29m. Swarms of Batfish live in this wreck. And Sand Eels live around the wreck. It is easy to dive here therefore recommended for beginners.

Kuda Thin Thila A wonderful dive spot formed by small 3 Thilas. The reef top starts at 5m and falls down very steep. Turtles, Napoleon fishes and Sharks are often met here. This reef is so small you can swim around 2-3 times in one dive. Recommended for beginners.

Kari Beiru Thila This long reef is situated directly at the outside reef. One can dive only in the southern part. It promises always a fantastic dive with lots of fish and scenery. Napoleon fish and a tame Titan Triggers Fish as well as Sharks and swarms fish are seen here. Recommended for beginners.

Rochen Wreck This is a 33m freighter sunk near Halaveli. It is lying at 28m on the sand bottom. In the middle there are two open doors through which you can dive inside the wreck. Stingrays are seen here and the divers could touch them. Murray and Groupers will make your dive unforgettable. Recommended for beginners.

Malhos Thila The reef starts at 12m with big overhangs that fall down at 35m grown over with white blue soft corals. You will get the impression of being in an ice cave. Swarms of blue strip Snappers and Sweet Lips will make your dive unforgettable. Recommended only for experienced divers, as there might be strong current sometime.