The profusion of psychedelic colours and the abundance and variety of life underwater have fascinated divers and snorkellers since Maldives was first discovered as a diving destination. There are 25 Protected Marine Areas in the Maldives where fishing is not permitted and the magnificent coral and marine life remains untouched.

Most dives in the Maldives are drift dives which is an effortless way of watching this dazzling spectacle underwater. The currents come into the atolls bringing in fresh, clear water providing for good visibility upto 50 metres underwater. Drift dives can be dangerous since there is a possibility of getting drifted away from the atolls and into the open seas. The Dive master from your resort island must assess the waters and brief guests before embarking on a diving expedition. According to Maldivian Diving Regulations, the maximum depth for diving is 30 metres and dive time is usually limited to 60 minutes.

Safety is paramount when diving in the Maldives and it is recommended that you choose an island resort where the in-house dive centre is run by diving professionals with much experience and knowledge regarding the diving conditions and dive sites in the Maldives.

Although all of the island resorts in the Maldives offer scuba diving and snorkelling, some are far better geared for these activities than others. Most island resorts have in-house dive centres that conducts PADI-certified dive courses for beginners to 'Dive Master' level. The more comprehensive diving resorts have fully equipped dive centres with recompression chamber and medical team on hand. The island location, underwater visibility, house reef all are important factors when selecting your diving destination in the Maldives.

Eriyadu is a remote island resort that is value for money and is located on its own oval shaped island at the tip of North Malé Atoll. Located close to the edge of the Atoll, the reef here is extensive and ideal for snorkelling which can be done right around the island. Marine turtles and dolphins can easily be spotted close to the reef. Diving is a key focus here and the dive centre conducts PADI-certified courses for beginners as well as the more advanced. [More]

Bandos, located on Bodubados island, has a state of the art diving centre with a well staffed medical centre and offers safe diving excursion as well as PADI-certified diving courses. [More]

Angsana Ihuru is an eco-friendly holiday retreat located on a small circular coral island that is blessed with a wonderful house reef known amongst divers to be the best in the Maldives. Over 140 species of reef fish and multi-coloured coral gardens can be seen here. [More]

South Malé Atoll:

Biyadhoo Island Resort has a house reef that consists of much coral growth and is teeming with fish, making it one of the best house reefs for snorkelling. Famous dive sites such as Kandooma Thila, Kandooma Caves and the protected marine area of Guraidhu Kandu are all nearby, making Biyadhoo popular for scuba diving. The PADI-certified dive centre here conducts dive courses, snorkelling and diving adventures. [More]

Adaraan Club Rannalhi is a mid-range resort that is popular for snorkelling and diving and has a good PADI-certified dive school and a dive shop. [More]

Holiday Inn Kandooma The famous diving sites such as Kandooma Thila, Kandooma Caves and the protected marine area of Guraidhu Kandu are all nearby, making Holiday Inn Kandooma popular with scuba divers. [ More]

Adaraan Prestige Vadoo is a five-star luxury hotel situated on Vadoo island which is one of the smallest islands in the Maldives and situated close to six famous dive sites within ten minutes of Vadoo. The dive centre here offers PADI-certified dive courses and diving excursions. [More]

Ari Atoll:

Chaaya Reef Elliadhoo is a value-for-money island resort that is well known as one of the best diving destinations in the Maldives. The resort is set on a coral reef that has a long wall with caves which is inhabited by sea fans, whip corals, schools of exotic fish, sting rays and moray eels and is popular for night diving. There is also a ship wreck just 15 minutes off the island and three Protected Marine Areas nearby which makes for fascinating under water exploration. The dive school here conducts PADI-certified dive courses and diving excursions. [More]

Velidhoo is a mid-range resort that is popular with keen divers. The Euro-Divers diving centre here offers comprehensive PADI-certified diving courses for beginners and advanced divers as well as snorkelling and diving excursions. [More]

Mirihi is a small five-star island resort set on its own picturesque coral island ringed with a good house reef teeming with fish and beautiful coral growth making it ideal for snorkelling. There are also several dive sites and Protected Marine Areas around Mirihi which also makes it popular for diving. Ocean Pro operated dive centre offering PADI certified diving courses, snorkelling and diving excursions. [More]

Lilly Beach is a five-star resort set on Huvahendhoo island, an area that is excellent for diving with more than 50 dive sites including the Kudarah Thila nearby. The dive centre here is run by Ocean Pro and offers PADI-certified diving courses, diving and snorkelling excursions as well as courses for children. [More]

Diva is a five-star resort set on a 2 kms island called Dhidhdhoofinolhu which is one of the larger ones in the Maldives and is located close to many of the top diving spots. Diva has a five-star, well-equipped PADI Diving school offering diving courses and excursions. [More]

Northern Atolls:

Adaaran Select Meedhupparu is a mid-range resort located far north on Raa Atoll. Being located quite a distance away from the other atolls, the resort has access to many uninhabited islands, coral reefs and dive sites that are full of exotic marine life. There is a fully-equipped dive centre offering PADI-certified diving courses, snorkelling and diving excursions. [More]

Komandoo Island on Lhaviyani atoll is a small mid-range resort with a good house reef that is excellent for snorkelling. More than 250 species of reef fish have been recorded in the surrounding lagoon. Manta rays, eagle rays and dolphins are often spotted by the island reef. There are also more than 40 good dive sites surrounding this atoll waiting to be explored. Komandoo has a five-star Pro-Divers PADI dive centre conducting diving courses, for beginners up to dive masters, as well as snorkelling and diving excursions. [More]

Southern Atolls:

Shangri-La Villingili is a super-luxury boutique resort set on the southern most part of Addu atoll and is the only luxury resort south of the equator. The dive centre here conducts PADI-certified dive courses and diving excursions to some interesting sites including British naval relics. [More]

Medhifushi Island resort is located on a small coral island on Meemu atoll. The Indian Ocean waters surrounding this Atoll is especially good for surfing with several good surf spots located a short distance away including Muli, Veyvah, and Mulha. Diving is also popular here and the in-house dive centre conducts diving and snorkelilng excursions. [More]

North Malé Atoll: There are several good dive sites including caves, cliffs, reef slopes and Protected Marine Areas  surrounding North Malé Atoll that have been well explored by divers.  Fascinating dive sites include Helengeli Thila, Shark Point, Blue Canyon, Bodu Hithi Thila, Rasfari, Colosseim, Aquarium, just to name a few.  The famous Protected Marine Area of Banana Reef is a combination of cliffs, overhangs and caves that are covered with good coral growth and myriad of reef fish species including moray eels napoleon wrasse, and snapper.  Large predators such as sharks and barracuda can also be spotted here.

South Malé Atoll:    Some of the best dive sites in the Maldives are around South Malé Atoll around the Vadhoo Kandu channel.  Some popular dive sites for the more experienced divers are Velassaru Caves, the Vaadhoo Caves, and Embudhoo Express which is a 2 kms drift dive.  Beautiful coral growth, shark, turtles, sting rays and eagle rays can be seen in these sites.  For beginners, the Yacht Thila shipwreck, Vaagali Caves and Guraidhoo Kandu dive sites are more suitable.

Ari Atoll:   The Indian Ocean around Ari Atoll is excellent for diving and large fish from the open seas such as hammerhead and whale sharks can be spotted here.  As a result, during the peak season the more popular dive sites can have many groups at the same time.  It is important to choose resorts with good dive masters who will take you to the less crowded but equally fascinating dive sites.  Some of the more popular dive sites in this region are:

• Maaya Thila: A Protected Marine Area with where white-tip reef sharks can be seen along with colourful soft coral;.
  
  
• The Halaveli Wreck: A 38m cargo ship which was deliberately sunk in the early 90’s where sting rays are found.
  
  
• The Fesdu Wreck: A 30m trawler that is home to Moray eels,  groper, and a good coral growth.
  
  
• Orimas Thila: Another Protected Marine Area with overhangs, caves, and crevices that has soft coral, sea fans, anemones and clown fish.
  
  
• Mushimasmingali Thila: A Protected Marine Area also known as Fish Head; a famous dive site with caves and overhangs that have good growth of black coral and grey reef sharks.
  
  
• Kudarah Thila: A Protected Marine Area for more experienced divers. Has an entire field of sea fans, black corals, sharks, batfish, and other unusual species.
  
  
• Okobe Thila: Located near North Male Atoll, this Protected Marine Area has steep ledges, caves and overhangs with a variety of marine life including pelagic, reef fishes and anemones.

Northern Atolls
With more than 40 fascinating, little-visited dive sites located within Protected Marine Areas, shipwrecks and caves, the sea surrounding the far Northern Atolls is ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling. 

• The Milaidhoo Reef, off Baa Atoll, which is drops up to 35m and consists of caves and overhangs with sponges and corals.
  
  
• Kakani Thila and Muthafushi Thila are home to schools of exotic fish and colourful coral.
  
• Off Lhaviyani atoll there are several demanding dive spots for the more experienced divers including Kuredhoo Express which is within a Protected Marine Area; the Shipyard which has two ship wrecks within just 50 metres of each other; and Fushifaru Thila.

Southern Atolls

There are several fascinating dive sites around Meemu Atoll including the 'Shark's Tongue' which is for the more experienced divers located at the mouth of the Mulah Kandu; and the 'Giant Clam' which is an easier dive where giant clams can be spotted just 8 – 15 metres below the seas and colourful butterfly fish, clown trigger fish, stone fish and scorpion fish swim in and out of underwater caves. The waters around Addu Atoll are known for its huge tables of coral which are over hundreds of years old. The British Loyalty wreck nearby has schools of reef fish inhabiting the decks as well as turtles and a good growth of soft coral.  The Maa Kandu is another fascinating dive site with a variety of coral such as big brain corals, table coral and long branching staghorns.  Manta rays, Eagle rays and White-tip reef sharks, turtles and an array of reef fish can also be spotted at this dive site.

Reef Eco-system: The reef eco-system in the Maldives has evolved over millions of years and is the natural base on which this island nation exists. The coral reefs that circle each and every one of the 1,190 islands are formed by the limestone skeletons that are secreted and left behind by living coral. New coral grows on the old dead coral, gradually building up the reefs. A wide variety of coral species (coelenterates) can be seen in the Maldives and are found growing in colonies or as solitary animals depending on the species. There are several other reef animals found here on the reefs including the filter feeders such as sponges and clams; as well as over hundreds of colourful fish species that lives close to the reef slopes.

Corals: A coral growth is made up of individual polyps which are small and rarely seen by day as they retract and only expand at night time for feeding. When an unsuspecting prey swims by, the polyps immobilise these creatures with their widespread tentacles that contain stinging cells. Reef building living coral is found on the upper layers of the tropical seas where there is more sunlight. The Symbiotic algae known as Zooxanthellae, that is found in the tissues of these living coral, assists in the process of photosynthesis similar to plants, which enhances their reef building capacity. The Zooxanthellae algae gives coral its beautiful colours and when coral is damaged or broken off, these algae dies off.

With the rise in water temperatures, 'coral bleaching' occurs where the coral gradually looses its colour. A disastrous instance of coral bleaching occurred in 1998 in the Maldives when the surrounding Indian Ocean waters experienced a rise in temperatures due to the El Nino effect. Some of the hard coral lost its colour and will take years to regenerate. This situation is being closely monitored by the government of Maldives.

There are numerous species of living coral including the hard corals such as long branching staghorns, brain coral, and flat or sheet coral; as well as soft coral species such as the fan corals (gorgonians) and wire or whip-coral that are made up of individual polyps and do not have a hard limestone skeleton. Soft coral stand solitary as opposed to grouped together in colonies.

Reef animals: There is several other reef animals found here including the filter feeders such as sponges, sea-squirts, and mollusks (clams), feather stars, starfishes, hermit crabs, and banded coral shrimp.

There are more than 700 species of fish in the Indian Ocean which are categorized as 'reef fish' and 'pelagics'. The reef fish live close to the reef slopes that surround the lagoons on each island. The pelagic such as the turtles, dolphins and sharks roam the open seas and swim close to the reefs at times in search of food.

Reef fish: Several species of Moray eels are found in the Maldives along with rock cods such as groupers, lionfish, scorpion fish, wrasse and anemone fishes. A myriad of other fish species form a kaleidoscope of underwater colour, including the beautiful blue and gold striped angel fish, yellow butterfly fish, parrot fish, squirrel fish, Napoleon fish, puffer fish, tuna and schools of blue-lined snapper, travelley, and surgeonfish, just to name a few. Guests are encouraged to leaf through a `Fish spotter’s Guide’ prior to embarking on a snorkelling or diving expedition so that you can identify the numerous species of reef fish.

Sharks: Small juvenile reef sharks that are only about 50 cms long can be spotted swimming in the shallow lagoons surrounding the islands feeding on the reef fish. The mature larger sharks are seen only in the deep seas and more difficult to spot. The species found here include the white and black-tip reef shark, tiger, blue, whale sharks and the large hammerhead sharks.

Whales and dolphins: Whale watching is possible in the deep open seas and most of the resorts organise whale watching excursions during the season. The whale species found here include the blue whale and sperm whale. Dolphins are a common site in the Maldives and can be seen in large pods swimming close to the reef and swimming alongside speedboats. The species found here include the bottle nosed and spinner dolphins.

Stingrays & Manta rays: Stingrays can be spotted resting on the sand and are sea bottom feeders while the larger manta rays usually swim on the surface in the open waters and nearby reefs. Stingrays often come upto the shores and most resorts organise ray feeding experience for the guests.

Marine turtles: Out of the five endangered marine turtle species, four can be spotted around the reefs in the Maldives. These include the Hawksbill, Green, Olive Ridley, and Loggerhead turtles that come ashore to nest on the sandy beaches especially during the months of June to November. Although the leatherbacks are not seen nesting, they can be spotted in the deep seas especially at various dive sites.

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