Reef
down to 35 m
Banana Reef
Maldives
Curved North Malé reef with caves, overhangs and caverns between 10 and 25 m, and a section known as the 'Washing Machine'.
- Advanced
- Manta rays
Diving in the Maldives
1 destination and 18 documented dive sites. The strip under each destination shows its season, month by month.
Where to dive in the Maldives
Dive sites to know
Pinnacle
down to 42 m
Fish Head (Mushimasmingili Thila)
Maldives
A protected North Ari pinnacle where grey reef sharks are the main players, alongside schools of batfish and vast schools of fusiliers.
- Experienced
- Grey reef sharks
Pinnacle
down to 30 m
Maaya Thila
Maldives
North Ari pinnacle from 6 m to beyond 30 m; at slack-current night dives, vast numbers of fusiliers arrive on the crown to feed.
- Advanced
- Whitetip reef sharks
Reef
down to 40 m
Manta Point (Lankanfinolhu)
Maldives
A manta cleaning station near Lankanfushi, busiest in the southwest monsoon (May–September) when mantas move east with the plankton.
- Advanced
- Manta rays
Jetty / pier
down to 25 m
Alimatha Jetty (night)
Maldives
A night dive off a resort pier in Vaavu where dozens of tawny nurse sharks and Jenkin's whiprays gather.
- Open Water
- Nurse sharks
Drift
down to 30 m
Cocoa Thila
Maldives
A 400 m South Malé pinnacle sloping to a 30 m drop-off, with grey reef sharks, eagle rays and large schools of fusiliers.
- Experienced
- Grey reef sharks
All dive sites in the Maldives
Maldives
- Banana ReefAdvanced35 m
- Fish Head (Mushimasmingili Thila)Experienced42 m
- Maaya ThilaAdvanced30 m
- Manta Point (Lankanfinolhu)Advanced40 m
- Alimatha Jetty (night)Open Water25 m
- Cocoa ThilaExperienced30 m
- Ellaidhoo House ReefAdvanced25 m
- Fish Tank (Stingray City)Advanced20 m
- Hammerhead Point (Madivaru Corner, Rasdhoo)Experienced40 m
- Kandooma ThilaExperienced40 m
- Kuda Giri WreckAdvanced35 m
- Guraidhoo KanduExperienced35 m
- Kudarah ThilaAdvanced40 m
- Maamigili Beyru (South Ari whale shark area)Advanced30 m
- Machchafushi WreckAdvanced30 m
- Okobe ThilaAdvanced25 m
- Tiger Harbour (Fuvahmulah)Open Water10 m
- Maldive Victory WreckAdvanced35 m
Photo credits
- Aerial view of Guraidhoo island and reef, Maldives, Luka Peternel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
