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Manthiri
 Manthiri is the Queen of the Maldives LiveaboardsMANTHIRI featuring full air-conditioning and modern amenities has set the standard for luxury live-aboard diving in the country. Feel at home in the uncrowded living space of this wide-beamed boat. The liveaboard accommodates maximum 12 divers in 6 spacious cabins comprising of 4 twins and 2 doubles with queen size beds, mini-bar, and large en-suites with hot water showers and hairdryers. Relax in the main salon furnished with upholstered sofas, multi-system TV and VCR and music system - one of the largest and most comfortable salons found in any 85 foot vessel in existence. Soak in the sun or star-gaze in the evening, lounging on the top deck with a refreshing drink from the common bar located in the shaded area. Shoot as many films as you like. They are geared for the underwater photographer with camera racks, light table, and E-6 film processing. Enjoy the delicious meals and unmatched service from the friendly crew who create an atmosphere which is one of the finest found on any liveaboard in the world. Their crew also includes two highly skilled divemasters. More...
Dive Global 's Choice: Maldive Scuba Tours
 MV Sea QueenMaldive Scuba Tours have been operating liveaboards in the Maldives for years and run the MV Sea Queen and MV Sea Spirit, arguably the best liveaboards for serious divers, around 40% of their clients have been with them more than once. "On board you totally lose the sensation of being a tourist and inevitably see far more," says Sam Harwood, Director of Maldive Scuba Tours and author of "The Dive Sites of the Maldives.".
MV Sea Spirit
At night the ships anchor out of the current in a lagoon, either next to a deserted island for a barbecue or perhaps a local fishing village. More...
Maldivian Air Taxi
Get the experience of flying a floatplane across these beautiful coral islands. More...
Banyan Tree
Cast away on a secluded coral atoll in the paradisiacal Maldives archipelago, you experience a sense of magic, romance and tranquility at Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru that's second to none. You'll find paradise here - catching the salty tang of the sea breeze as you wake up in the morning, swimming in between the wondrous sea creatures that dwell forty feet below, luxuriating in the pampered comfort of your own elegant villa and marveling at the magnificent splash of stars in the night.  Explore the colorful house reefs of Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru. With a House Reef Pass you can enjoy unlimited diving around both islands, ferry transport between the two, plus the use of tanks and weights.
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DESTINATIONS » Indian Ocean » India | Maldives | Seychelles
 More than 7,000 low lying coral islands in a 1,200 mile chain southeast of India, the Maldives
is an amazingly beautiful dive destination. About 200 islands are inhabited and several are devoted entirely to small resorts that offer average to excellent tropical reef diving with big fish action. Year-round daily temperature is roughly 85°F (30°C)
and there is abundant rainfall distributed evenly from May through December.
Away from the diving boats of the tourist resorts of North Male, it is possible to enjoy cruising among remote atolls and reefs that may never have been dived before. The biggest attraction are the schools of fish that patrol the reefs in colorful packs: Humpback and Black and White Snappers, Trevally Jacks, Barracuda, Batfish, Unicornfish, Yellowback Fusiliers and Harlequin Sweetlips. This incredible marine life combines with exquisite coral covered backdrops to create many extraordinary dives.
Dive sites in the Maldives are widely scattered. While hotel base clients only have access to a limited number of good diving spots; a far greater number can be reached on a liveaboard and this is definitely the best way to explore the Maldives.
 Some of the larger liveaboards operating in the Maldives may travel to the far north, to Baa Atoll, which offers completely unspoiled and adventurous diving. To add to your Maldivian
experience, Baa Atoll has many large uninhabited islands to explore, there's nothing quite like the feel of walking along a palm fringed sandy beach with not a soul in sight.
Alternatively, some boats may head south to Felidhu Atoll or west to Ari Atoll where you can enjoy some excellent shark and manta ray diving.
There are three distinctly different types of diving in the Maldives: inside the atolls, outside the atolls and inside the channels or passes, where the currents are strongest and you'll find the greatest congregation of fish life. Most intriguing are the cleaning stations, found around every corner and under every ledge. Groupers, Snappers, Surgeonfish, Eels, Parrotfish, even Giant Napoleon Wrasse park casually in corners while armies of wrasse, shrimp and other assorted cleaners pick at debris in their open gills and cavernous mouths.
North & South Ari Atoll (Alifu Atoll)
Alifu Atoll is comprised of three geographical atolls - Ari Atoll, one of the largest atolls in the Maldives, measuring 80 kilometers in length and 30 in width, Rasdhoo Atoll and the tiny Thoddoo Atoll. If you visit a resort in Ari, you will be surprised to learn that this is one of the most highly developed tourist areas in the Maldives. This atoll also boasts some exceptionally exciting dive sites; the hammerhead point in Rasdhoo Atoll, Maaya Thila in Northern Ari Atoll which is a protected site and dive sites in the south famous for its sighting of whale sharks are just some of the highlights.
North and South Male' Atoll (Kaafu Atoll)
Kaafu Atoll consists of four geographical atolls; North and South Male’ Atoll, Gaafaru and Kaashidhoo Atolls. The atoll is located almost in the centre of the Maldives atoll chain. With 80 islands in all, only 12 are inhabited. The atoll is dotted with dive sites, many of them well known in the diving community. Manta points, interesting reef formations, coral gardens and wrecks are all part of the diving experience in these atolls. The Maldives Victory, which sank on Friday the 13th 1981 near the airport island of Hulule, is now an exciting diving attraction.
 Vaavu Atoll (Felidhoo Atoll)
Vaavu Atoll is comprised of two geographical atolls; the main Vaavu Atoll and the large circular atoll, 9 kilometers in diameter, Vattaru with just one uninhabited island on it. Vaavu Atoll is a true geographical wonder. It is a boot-shaped atoll and the ‘toe’, Fotteyo Muli is the easternmost point of the Maldives archipelago. In addition to this, the 55 kilometers long unbroken reef that stretches from the ‘toe’ to the ‘heel’ of the ‘boot’ is the longest reef in the Maldives. Vaavu atoll has been exposed to tourism since 1975 and the atoll has been a great favourite with safari and cruise operators. However it is more isolated and less commercialised than any of the other tourist atolls. Vaavu Atoll hosts some of the best diving in the Maldives. Fotteyo Kandu is considered by many as the best dive site in the country and one of the top five in the world. The reefs of the eastern side of the atoll are in pristine condition and are wonderful for divers and snorkellers alike. There are many thrilling shark dives in the atoll, where divers may be lucky enough to see hammerhead sharks as well as the more common grey reef sharks.
A Choice of famous sites:
The Victory Wreck
The wreck of the Maldives Victory lies on the western side of the airport-island, Hulule, precisely near the first quarter of the southern side of the landing strip. The wreck lies parallel to the reef on the sandy sea bed at a depth of 35 meters (115 ft), upright and with the bowsprit pointing north. For more than a decade now, the superstructures have been patrolled by a large school of batfish, while a number of barracuda hover above the deck; those who swim around the wreck are provided with an escort of humphead wrasses. Large schools of fusiliers dart through the water, as a foreshadowing of the fact that in the pipes, passageways, nooks and crannies of this ship, one will encounter all of the animal species that can normally be found on reefs, and in grottoes and underwater caverns. During a number of dives, one will encounter a large sea turtle sleeping at the tip of the bowsprit of the Maldive Victory.
 Guraidhoo Corner
This site lies on the east side of the South Male’ Atoll, outside of the reef. To be more exact, this is the south side of the channel mouth. Nearby islands are Losfushi, Guraidhoo and Kandooma. The reef top drops from ten meters (33ft) to 30 meters (100ft) and more; there are grottoes and projections just about everywhere. The edges of the channel drop down to a depth of 30 meters (100 ft). Large isolated coral blocks grow, from the scarp of the reef upward. At Guraidhoo Corner only drift dives are possible. It is therefore necessary to be quite an experienced diver on the reef; all the more so because there are powerful vertical currents all around the site at certain hours of the day. The dive comes to an end along the wall of the channel or at the edge of the reef. Because of its location outside of the reef, and because of the water movements and the topography, this place is destined to be the home of larger fish. On the edges of the channel the best chances are that one will be able to observe a great many grey reef sharks and the local school of eagle rays. The latter tend to swim in the open ocean, at a considerable distance from the seabed. In this same spot large hammerhead sharks, whale sharks and sailfish have been sighted frequently. Guraidhoo corner is also home to large schools of oriental sweetlips, bannerfish and large black-and-white striped snappers. And of course the large and friendly humphead wrasses are ever present. Banana Reef
Banana Reef lies on the eastern side of the North Male’ Atoll, inside the barrier reef. Nearby islands include Fullmoon Island, Farukolhu Fushi and Kurumba. This reef, with its elongated form, which is in fact reminiscent of a banana in shape, stretches from northeast to south over a length of some 300 meters (about a 1000 ft). Ever since scuba divers began to visit this part of the North Male’ Atoll, 20 years ago, Banana Reef has remained an ideal spot. Indeed, it seems that year after year on Banana Reef the fish population simply continues to grow. The upper section of the reef lies at a depth of just three meters (10 ft) beneath the surface of the water, but on the western side the reef plunges to a depth of 30 meters (100 ft) and more. The western side is also the best place to dive, since there are seven major coral agglomerations here that form an uncanny seascape. On Banana Reef, only drift dives are possible. The unbelievable abundance of fish and the presence of many varieties of coral are clearly the result of the virtually incessant currents, which are obviously a major factor in determining the direction of one’s dive. It is at any rate possible to halt even in the presence of the strongest currents, by taking shelter in grottoes or in the lee of enormous masses of coral. On Banana Reef, only drift dives are possible.
Kuda Rah Thila (Broken Rock)
Broken Rock lies in the southernmost corner of the Ari Atoll, on the eastern side. The closest islands are Dhangethi to the north and Dhigurah to the south. The thila, which seems to have been cleft asunder by a blow from a giant axe, is some 70 meters (230 ft) in length, and rises to a depth of some 13 meters (43 ft) beneath the surface. The remarkable aspect of this coral base is the enormous canyon that runs diagonally across the centre, from southeast to northwest. With a depth of 22 meters (72 ft), this cleft was the source of the name, Broken Rock. On the eastern side is a jutting formation with a remarkable shape, and another small plateau, at a depth of 17 meters.
Broken Rock lies in the southernmost corner of the Ari Atoll, on the eastern side. The closest islands are Dhangethi to the north and Dhigurah to the south. The thila, which seems to have been cleft asunder by a blow from a giant axe, is some 70 meters (230 ft) in length, and rises to a depth of some 13 meters (43 ft) beneath the surface. The remarkable aspect of this coral base is the enormous canyon that runs diagonally across the centre, from southeast to northwest. With a depth of 22 meters (72 ft), this cleft was the source of the name, Broken Rock. On the eastern side is a jutting formation with a remarkable shape, and another small plateau, at a depth of 17 metes.
The dive site is embellished by a great many soft corals and by a teeming and varied abundance of fish. There is always the possibility of running into a grey reef shark or two, or a school of barracuda. A mixed group of batfish and blue fusiliers are usually guests at Broken Rock, as are the many sea turtles. The jutting crags on the northeastern side are populated by a great many tiny animals. One can, of course, gain an overall idea of the various animals and corals by swimming all the way around the thila, which is eminently possible if the currents are weak
More info on Maldives dive sites...
In terms of travel dates, February to April are the calmest months for diving and cruising, but they are also the hottest. October and November are slightly cooler and this is the 'Manta season', with heavy
plankton in the water. June and July are the most rainy months, so safaris are not recommended.
 
The Dive Sites of The Maldives, Sam Harwood & Rob Bryning
| Buy
Cruising the Maldives: Diving Guide,
Claudio Cangini | Buy
The Maldives Diving Guide, K. Amsler | Buy
Dreams from a Rainbow Sea, Michael Aw
Dive Maldives, Tim Godfrey
| Buy
Guide to Maldives, Royston Ellis
Photo Guide to Fishes of the Maldives Rudie H. Kuiter
| Buy
Diver's Guide to Fishes of Maldives, John E. Randall
| Buy
Lonely Planet Maldives ::
Online
| Buy
Visit Maldives
Go Maldives
Maldives.com
DESTINATIONS » Indian Ocean » India | Maldives | Seychelles
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