BEST OF MALDIVES NORD
Best of Maldives North
Start / End: Male
Atolls: North Male, Lhaviyani, Noonu, Baa, Raa, North Ari, South Ari
For who: Advanced divers with minimum 50+ dives. Experience with drift dives required. Nitrox recommended!
Type of dives: Best of everything!
Marine life: Mostly pelagic fauna. Reef sharks, whale sharks, mantas, macro
Dive Sites Description:
*easy **medium difficult ***challenging
NORTH ARI ATOLL:
Maaya Thila **
The thila (a pinnacle) is about 80 meters wide in diameter and is considered one of the best night dives in the Maldives. Top reef at 5 meters makes it easy to access even with strong currents. The upcurrent side is always very active and busy with fusiliers and snappers. Big jack fish, whitetip reef sharks, stingrays and moray eels can be spotted easily. Some overhangs around the thila provide shelter for turtles. Even though it has a reputation for a night dive it is also quite popular during the day. A few separated coral blocks south of the thila create a tunnel and are full of beautiful coral bushes. With the right current this is a place to spot grey reef sharks as well.
Fish Head **
One of the major attractions of the atoll, cannot be missed. Due to its exposure to the currents it offers rich presence of fauna and flora. Big schools of jacks and fusiliers on the upcurrent side as well as difficult to count amount of blue striped snappers hiding from strong currents inside the overhangs all around the thila are the highlights of the place. It is also popular with grey reef sharks, schools of barracudas and dogtooth tunas in the blue as well as turtles and moray eels on the top reef. With strong currents negative entry is recommended and current hooks should be ready to use.
Bathalaamaagaa Kanthila ***
Long coral ridge in the middle of a channel, extended from the outer reef and sloping gradually down to 25 meters and deeper offering good conditions for observing grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays and napoleons as well as schools of jacks and fusiliers. The dive site is active during both incoming and outgoing currents but might be more challenging during outgoing currents of northeast monsoon. Negative entry required and divers are recommended to hide below the depth of the top reef to to protect from the current. Current hooks strongly recommended.
SOUTH ARI ATOLL:
Moofushi Kandu (Manta Point) **
Drift dive with a chance to spot manta rays hovering over the cleaning station at the depth of around 14 to 25 meters. If mantas are spotted it is recommended to use current hooks and stay around the cleaning station for a longer time. The dive site is quite popular during the northeast monsoon and sometimes might be overcrowded with divers. Whitetip reef sharks are common visitors around the deeper part of the cleaning station with blue striped snappers and fusiliers being permanent residents.
Kudarah Thila ***
The thila is a part of Marine Protected Area and is often considered the most beautiful site of the atoll with exceptional diving conditions. Overhangs rich in sea fans and the top reef nicely covered with healthy soft corals are the highlights. It is also known for big schools of blue striped and midnight snappers, fusiliers and jacks. It is worth to have a torch and look inside small caves where often you will find big groupers hiding. The water entry might be challenging due to its exposure to strong currents and with the top reef at 15 meters negative entry is recommended. The use of current hooks might be required if the current is strong.
Kudhimaa Wreck **
50 Meters long cargo ship lying on a sandy bottom at around 30 meters depth, right next to a resort island called Machchafushi. It was sunk in 1998 and already offers good coral growth and a large variety of species living on it. Nurse sharks, batfish, stone fish, lion fish and moray eels are permanent residents and can be spotted around the wreck. There are a few entrances allowing to penetrate the cargo hall as well as the wheelhouse. The site is nicely protected from the current so the only concern will be no-deco time as you will spend most of the time below 20 meters.
Maamigili Beyru (Whaleshark search) *
Located on the southern tip of Ari atoll within the Marine Protected Area of South Ari atoll. Shallow and very easy dive which might turn into a very exciting one as it is known as the best location in the Maldives for spotting the biggest fish in the world. Whale sharks can be seen cruising along the reef all year round. Most of the boats look for them from the surface. Once spotted, divers enter the water, go down and start swimming along with them. The code of conduct for whale shark encounters must be followed and is always discussed during the briefing.
