Northern Highlights

Ari Atoll

Ari Atoll (also called Alif or Alufu Atoll) is one of natural atolls of the Maldives. It is one of the biggest atolls and is located in the west of the archipelago. The almost rectangular alignment spreads the islands over an area of about 89x30 kilometres. It has been divided in two sections for administrative purposes, Northern Ari Atoll and Southern Ari Atoll.

Here are some possible sites you may visit:

• Bathala Maga Kan Thila -

  BMK thila is a long finger shaped thila located in the Bathala channel in north east Ari atoll. The thila which is joined the the main reef south corner stretches across the channel to the north. Due to the thila being north south it makes a great dive on an incoming or an outgoing current. Grey reef sharks, eagle rays can be seen patrolling up and down the reef while hunting tuna and trevally are also common place.  

  
  

• Bathala Thila -

  The small thila just off Bathala island can offer shelter from the Maldivian currents and is a perfect spot look for macro, healthy hard and soft corals play home to frogfish, ghostpipe fish, leaf fish and many more. The shallow top allows divers with less experience an easy dive wher they can find clown fish, moray and if lucky a resting reef shark

  
  

North Male Atoll

North Male Atoll has at least 20 resort islands operating in the area with some excellent diving spots with beautiful pinnacles.

Here are some possible sites you may visit:

• Finger Point Reef -

  The reef earns its name due to its finger like shape and is located in North of North Male atoll and can be an action-packed dive. With a medium plus current divers hook in and watch the show, schooling eagle rays and grey tip reef sharks are common sightings while large schools of fusiliers all over the reef being hunted by tuna and giant trevally.

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Kandu Oiy Giri (Fish Factory) -

  Fish factory is exactly what it says, this dive is conducted just outside a local Yellow fin tuna processing plant in north male atoll. Whilst the corals here are not the best the marine life more than make up for it, attracted here to feed on the waste tuna parts the reef if full of life all concentrated just next to the factory waste disposal. Schooling stingrays, banner fish and fusiliers are always present, and you can find almost every kind of moray in the Maldives here, all of which are very well fed and so a little larger than the norm. For lucky divers, the sight of a Guitar shark really tops of what is a fantastic dive than is full of surprises.

  
  

• Kurumba -

  Kurumba is the house reef of the first ever resort in the Maldives, it is located close to Hulhumale and perfect for a check dive. The long sloping reef which turns to a wall in certain sections is a popular choice for the first dive of the trip. The currents can vary but generally is an easy drift dive if the current in medium or more. Black tip reef sharks are seen in the shallows while tuna and trevally patrol up and down the reef. All manner of reef fish, morays and sting rays can be found as divers make their way along the reef.

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Lankan Manta Point -

  Lankan manta point is the most famous manta point in north male atoll, and a great location to see mantas cleaning. The long gently sloping reef offers a wide variety of marine life from turtles amp; octopus to black and white tip reef sharks. But it is mantas that steal the show, they can be seen at the cleaning station on this reef every day during from the middle of the rainy season through to the end of the year.

• Nassimo Thila -

  Nassimo is a large gently sloping thila in north Male atoll, beautiful soft corals cover the reef and the large thila allows divers to explore. Ideally dived with a gentle current, divers get a chance to search for macro life as well as enjoy the large schools of fusiliers. Blue line snappers can be found here whilst dog tooth tuna and trevally patrol the sight looking for opportunities to hunt.

  
  

Rasdhoo Atoll

The small atoll of Rasdhoo lies off the northeastern corner of Ari Atoll proper. The atoll's main island, also called Rasdhoo, is the administrative capital of North Ari Atoll, despite not being within the natural atoll itself. Good chance to see mantas on various dive sites throughout the year.Here are some possible sites you may visit:

• Kuramathi Channel -

  Kuramathi is a very large channel mouth and is dived by crossing the channel on an incoming current, the channel mouth is deep and means the dive can be mid water crossing from block to block as you go. Grey reef sharks in the channel mouth and a chance of manta rays are the highlights of the dive. Divers should be experienced as the current and deep water has to be monitored well to allow a comfortable dive.

• Rasdhoo Madivaru -

  Rasdhoo Madivaru located in Rasdhoo atoll and has a huge variety of marine life, along with a number of different ways to dive the site. An early morning dive in the blue allows a chance of hammerhead sharks for the very lucky diver. The main reef is best on an incoming current but can also be dived with an out going current. Grey reef sharks and schooling eagle rays are common sightings, marbled stingrays and Napoleon wrasse can also be sighted. For those divers with a keen eye then leaf scorpion fish and juvenile razor wrasses can be a highlight of the macro lovers. Bat fish and schooling fusiliers are common and the hunting tuna can caused some frenzied action.

  
  

Baa Atoll

Baa Atoll was designated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in June 2011. It harbours globally significant biodiversity in its numerous reefs and demonstrates a long history of human interaction with the environment. Covering approximately 139,700 ha of coastal/marine areas, the site is representative of the Maldives' high diversity of reef animals, with stony and soft corals, reef associated fish species, marine turtles, manta rays and whale sharks.

Here are some possible sites you may visit:

• Hanifaru Bay -

  Hanifaru Bay
  

  The famous Hanifaru Bay, which is known locally as Vandhumaafaru Adi, is thought to be one the few places in the world where whale sharks congregate in to mate, although recent research suggests otherwise with the vast majority of the whale sharks seen there being young males. The bay also regularly sees some of the largest gatherings of Manta rays worldwide with up to one hundred individuals in the small inlet when the tide pushes plankton into the bay.

• Nelivaru Thila -

  A popular cleaning station for Manta during the southwest monsoon but still holds great diving conditions and interesting life all year round, including stingrays, ghost pipefish and many other species. This thila (pinnacle) has a sandy slope to the north side, a vertical wall to the south, overhangs to the west with coral blocks at the bottom of both the west and east and a reef top. It is possible to dive all around the pinnacle, but the most interesting parts are the west, east and south sides.

  
  

• Dhigu Thila -

  Lying in the middle of the channel this long thila can be exposed to strong currents sometimes causing a funnel effect which attracts manta to feed, other visitors may include; sharks, including grey reef sharks, whitetips and nurse sharks, as well as barracuda, tuna, eagle rays, napoleons, schools of fusiliers, jacks, moray eels and many other reef fishes can be seen.Dhigu Thila

  
  

Lhaviyani Atoll

Lhaviyani (or Faadhippolhu) Atoll is situated 120km north of Male and is relatively undeveloped with just 5 of its 58 islands dedicated to resorts. The diving here is famed for its thrilling channels, walls and reefs teeming with a myriad of marine life.

Here are some possible sites you may visit:

• Kuredu Express -

  This famous dive site gets its name from the strong currents that flow through the channel here. Reef terraces provide shelter to watch the grey reef sharks, tuna, eagle rays, sting rays, napoleons, schools of jack fish and barracuda that come to swim in the currents. Large bays in the outreef are scattered with soft corals, schools of humpback snappers and collared butterfly fish.

  
  

• Kuredu Caves -

  Famed for its overhangs starting at 8 metres and dropping down to 20 metres, this site is also known locally as 'Turtle Airport' due to the large numbers of resident green sea turtles. Soft corals covered in soldier fish coat the ceilings of the overhangs which are also home to lion fish, porcupine fish, leaf fish, scorpion fish and moray eels to name a few! The deeper ledges give an opportunity to hang with sting rays and huge napoleons.

  
  

• Fushivaru Thila -

  Fushivaru is described as one of the best diving areas in the Lhaviyani Atoll for its abundance and diversity, such as a manta cleaning station, grey reef shark sightings, interesting small cave formations and colourful unspoilt reefs. Fushivaru Thila is a protected area and a channel where you can find a large plateau covered by blocks of corals, which hosts a Manta rays cleaning station. In the central part of the pinnacle at around 15 meters, Mantas often swim by the blocks and you will have more chances to spot them during the outgoing current.

  
  

Male Airport