About The Activity
Thousands of divers flock here because of its superb underwater visibility, glorious coral and a wide variety of marine life. The coconut palm and the yellow-fin tuna, symbols of the Maldives, say a great deal about this nation of more than a thousand islands. Grouped into 26 low atolls in the Indian Ocean, less than 300 of the islands are inhabited. The Maldives is flat with white sandy beaches and excellent reefs with an abundance of marine life. Scuba diving is done at a leisurely drift pace as the Indian Monsoon Current sweeps along the island chains, moving nutrients and divers along. This nutrient-rich water flows up along the walls, feeding the sponges and soft corals clinging to the rock sides. Inside the atoll lagoons, rock pinnacles – thila – vault up from the bottom to scratch the water’s surface. In the channels, there are swim-throughs, caverns and overhangs festooned with colorful sponges, invertebrates and gorgonians to explore. At well-known cleaning stations, wrasse and shrimp service manta rays, and other large marine species. With a welcoming culture and some of the finest liveaboard dive boats and luxury resorts on the globe, a dive holiday in the Maldives makes for an unforgettable experience.
Scuba Diving around the Maldives has recently become hugely popular among the diving community. The hundreds of isolated and deserted Islands offer an enormous playground for divers to explore.
Between the Islands, there are channels connecting the Indian Ocean to the Lagoons. This water coming from the ocean is full of plankton and nutrients which, in turn, attracts an incredible marine life. The coral is beautiful in Maldives but what makes it so special is the high density of marine life!
You are likely to be able to spot Eagle Rays, Napoleon Wrasses, lots of pelagic fishes such as the Giant Trevally or the Barracuda, the magnificent Manta Rays and the very rare Whale Shark!
You will also encounter the Whitetip and the Grey Reef Shark, and if you are very lucky the rare Hammerhead Shark! The best location for big pelagic fishes is called the Ari Atoll and most of the liveaboards visit it.
Inside the lagoon, the shallow water has a teeming fish life with myriads of reef fishes and bright, colourful coral gardens.
The water is very clear around Maldives and you can expect a visibility ranging from 20 to 40 meters. That combined with the amazing marine life, makes Maldives an excellent destination for Underwater Photography.
