Maldives

The Maldives hosts some of the world's most reliable manta ray cleaning stations with dozens of reef mantas gathering at Hanifaru Bay, Dharavandhoo Thila, and Rangali during plankton season.

Reef Manta Rays

South Ari Atoll near Maamigili offers year-round juvenile whale shark encounters while seasonal adults visit other atolls from December to April.

Whale Sharks

Grey reef sharks patrol nearly every channel and thila in the Maldives with large schools commonly seen at Fish Head, Kandooma Thila, and Kuredu Express.

Grey Reef Sharks

Fuvahmulah Atoll has become legendary for reliable year-round tiger shark encounters with individuals reaching up to 5 metres in length at the Tear Drop dive site.

Tiger Sharks

The Maldives is one of the world's premier scuba diving destinations, a vast archipelago of 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 natural atolls stretching across 871 kilometres of the Indian Ocean. Built atop a foundation of ancient volcanic mountains, the Maldives offers an extraordinary diversity of underwater environments from dramatic channel drifts known as kandu where powerful currents carry divers past walls patrolled by grey reef sharks and eagle rays, to submerged pinnacles called thilas that rise from the atoll floors attracting manta rays and whale sharks from the nutrient-rich deep water. The country's position straddling the equator ensures warm water of 27 to 30 degrees year-round with visibility frequently exceeding 30 metres at offshore sites. The Maldives is particularly renowned for its megafauna encounters, hosting some of the world's most reliable manta ray cleaning stations, year-round whale shark aggregations in South Ari Atoll, and the legendary tiger shark dives of Fuvahmulah. With over 200 recorded dive sites spread across the atolls, the Maldives delivers world-class diving from budget guesthouses to ultra-luxury resorts and sophisticated liveaboard vessels exploring remote southern atolls.

The Maldives is one of the world's premier liveaboard diving destinations with over 40 vessels operating year-round across all 26 atolls. Liveaboards provide the most comprehensive diving experience, accessing remote atolls and dive sites that resorts and day trips cannot reach. Popular itineraries include the Best of the Maldives route covering North Male, South Male, and Ari Atolls, the Central Atolls route visiting Baa, Raa, and Lhaviyani Atolls, and the Deep South expeditions to Huvadhoo, Fuvahmulah, and Addu Atolls. Vessels range from comfortable budget boats to luxury yachts with jacuzzis and massage services. Most liveaboards offer 7 to 10 night itineraries with 3 to 4 dives per day including night dives.

Soneva Fushi

Baros Maldives

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Addu Atoll is the Maldives' southernmost atoll and home to the extraordinary British Loyalty Wreck, a 140-metre British oil tanker torpedoed in WWII and now con...

Addu Atoll (Seenu, Southernmost)

Ari Atoll is widely regarded as the Maldives' premier diving destination, home to the legendary Maaya Thila, the country's most famous night dive packed with wh...

Ari Atoll (Alifu)

Baa Atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and one of the Maldives' most celebrated diving destinations, world-famous for the extraordinary Hanifaru Bay manta ray...

Baa Atoll (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve)

The Far North Atolls of Haa Alif and Haa Dhaalu represent the Maldives' most remote and least-explored diving frontier, located over 300 kilometres north of Mal...

Far North Atolls – Haa Alif & Haa Dhaalu

Fuvahmulah is a unique oceanic island rather than a typical atoll, and has emerged as one of the world's most exciting pelagic diving destinations. The legendar...

Fuvahmulah Atoll (Southern Atoll)

Huvadhoo Atoll is the Maldives' second-largest atoll and one of the most exciting emerging pelagic diving destinations in the Indian Ocean. The atoll's deep cha...

Huvadhoo Atoll (Gaafu Alif & Gaafu Dhaalu)

Laamu Atoll is the gateway to the deep south, offering outstanding diving with a unique blend of channel encounters, pinnacle diving, and occasional whale shark...

Laamu Atoll

Lhaviyani Atoll is one of the Maldives' most exciting diving destinations, home to the legendary Kuredu Express drift dive and productive manta ray cleaning sta...

Lhaviyani Atoll

Meemu Atoll is one of the Maldives' least-visited diving destinations, offering pristine coral walls and uncrowded channel diving with abundant pelagic life. Mu...

Meemu Atoll

North Male Atoll is the birthplace of Maldivian diving, home to legendary sites like Banana Reef, the original Maldives dive site, and the iconic Victory Wreck,...

North Male Atoll (Kaafu)

Raa and Vaavu (Felidhu) Atolls offer a compelling combination of relatively unexplored northern diving and one of the Maldives' most celebrated channel dives. R...

Raa & Vaavu (Felidhu) Atolls

Shaviyani and Noonu Atolls sit at the frontier of Maldivian diving exploration, offering emerging liveaboard routes with pristine coral reefs and virtually unto...

Shaviyani & Noonu Atolls

South Male Atoll is home to some of the Maldives' most iconic dive sites including the world-famous Kandooma Thila, a classic deep pinnacle with swirling jack t...

South Male Atoll (Kaafu)

Thaa Atoll is one of the Maldives' quietest and most untouched diving destinations, offering pristine reefs with virtually no other divers and excellent channel...

Thaa Atoll

Addu Manta Point

Baarah Thila

Banana Reef

Bathala Maaga Kandu

Boduhithi Thila

British Loyalty Wreck

Broken Rock (Ari)

Canyons (Vaadhoo)

Christmas Tree Rock

Cocoa Thila

Dharavandhoo Thila

Dhigu Thila

Dhiyamigili Kandu

Dhonfanu Thila

Donkalo Thila

Finey Thila

Fish Head (Mushimasmigili Thila)

Fotteyo Kandu

Fushifaru Kandu

Fuvahmulah Tear Drop

Fuvahmulah Tear Drop (Huvadhoo Access)

Golden Wall

Guraidhoo Corner (Laamu)

Guraidhoo Kandu South

Hafsa Thila

Hakuraa Thila

Hanifaru Bay

Hirimaradhoo Thila

Hirundhoo Kandu

Holhudhoo Corner

HP Reef (Girifushi Thila)

Hulhangu Kandu

Hulhudhoo Kandu

Kandooma Thila

Kandu Oiy Giri

Koodoo Kandu

Kuda Giri Wreck

Kuda Haa

Kuda Kandu

Kuda Rah Thila

Kuredu Express

Lankan Caves

Lhazik Thila

Maa Kandu

Maalhos Thila (Ari)

Maalhos Thila (Raa)

Maamaduvvari Corner

Maaya Thila

Maduvvari Kandu

Manafaru Thila

Manta Point (Emboodhoo)

Manta Point (Lankanfinolhu)

Manta Point (Lhaviyani)

Manta Point (Rangali)

Meedhupparu Wall

Mendhoo Thila

Milaidhoo Reef

Milandhoo Kandu

Miyaru Kandu

Mulaku Kandu

Nassimo Thila

Nellaidhoo Kandu

Nilandhoo Kandu

Okobe Thila

Olhugiri Kandu

Orimas Thila

Panettone (Kalhahandi Kandu)

Raa-Faru

Reethi Thila

Shark Fin Rock

Sun Island Wreck (Ari)

The Shipyard

Vaadhoo Caves

Victory Wreck

Villingili Kandu

Villingili Wall

Whale Shark Sightings (Laamu)

Whale Shark Point (Maamigili)

Wrecks of Thaa

Internal transport in the Maldives relies on domestic flights, seaplanes, and speedboats connecting the scattered atolls. Domestic flights operate between regional airports on major atolls with Maldivian and Flyme airlines. Seaplanes provide scenic transfers to remote resort islands and are the primary access method for many luxury resorts. Speedboats connect nearby islands and serve as the standard transfer method for guesthouses and dive centers on local islands. Liveaboard vessels depart from Male harbour and provide multi-day diving itineraries across multiple atolls.

Velana International Airport

Gan International Airport

Hanimaadhoo International Airport

Liveaboard Diving in Maldives

Experience Overview

Featured Operators

Blue Force Fleet

Scubaspa Ying/Yang

Emperor Voyages

Carpe Novo / Carpe Vita

Remote Reach

Booking Advice

Where to Stay in Maldives