Maldives
At over 2,500 years old, Maldives is an old nation. The archipelagic island country located in South Asia is comprised of 1,192 coral islands in a double chain of 26 atolls that stretch 115 square miles in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. Maldives is the smallest Asian country by land and population and the world’s lowest lying country. Its capital and most populated city is Male. The largest island is Gan. With its many islands and outstanding reefs, scuba diving in Maldives attracts both locals and tourists.
Scuba Diving in Maldives
Scuba diving vacations give divers a huge underwater canvas of some 34,749 square miles of ocean. That translates to an abundance of marine life, including whale sharks, giant turtles, Napoleon wrasse, shrimp, and a massive population of Maldives mantas. From deep seas and shallow coasts to wetlands, reefs and fringing mangroves, the topography is diverse. This allows for a variety of different dive experiences.
Scuba diving in Maldives features atoll lagoons with rock pinnacles peeking through the water’s surface, channels between islands with dive-throughs, overhangs and caverns, and monsoon currents that gently move divers along. Maldives is home to 187 species of coral that form coral reefs attracting 1,100 species of fish, 400 species of mollusk, 145 crab species, 120 species of copepods, 83 species of echinoderms, 48 shrimp species, 21 species of dolphin and whale, 15 species of amphipods and 5 species of sea turtles. The island country also features species of sponges with medicinal properties.
With such abundance, Maldives offers some of the best scuba diving in the world. Common sightings are reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, pufferfish, batfish, surgeonfish, spotted eagle rays, barracuda, nudibranchs, groupers, jackfish, lobsters, snappers, triggerfish, fusiliers, butterflyfish, oriental sweetlips, squirrelfish, eels, unicornfish, lionfish, humphead wrasse, glassfish, scorpionfish, bannerfish, soldierfish and angelfish.
Must-Dive Spots in Maldives
Maldives liveaboard cruises take divers to the best scuba diving spots, many only accessible by these types of cruises. The sea level islands are small and can be circumnavigated in about 20 minutes. Scuba diving vacations in Maldives can be grouped into the areas of Northern Atolls, Central Atolls, the Far North Atolls and the Far South Atolls.
The Northern Atolls include Baa, Noonu and Raa Lhaviyani. Common sightings here are large pelagic fish. The Baa Atolls Hanifauru Bay is often frequented by whale sharks. Maldives is most known for its massive number of manta rays, which can be spotted on nearly every island. However, the best liveaboard trip where sightings of Maldives mantas are a sure bet is the Baa Atoll. This tiny island has the largest amount of manta rays in the world.
The Central Atolls include North and South Male, Vaavu, Ari, and Rasdhoo. These are the more popular scuba diving islands for all diving levels. North Male Atoll is recognized as a world-class diving spot for reef sharks and mantas. Wrecks, coral gardens and pinnacles also highlight these diverse diving areas.
Many liveaboard Maldives cruises visit Ari Atoll, the best island for spotting big pelagic fish. Broken Rock in South Ari Atoll is a reef split in two by a canyon. The dive-through features large, spectacular fan corals growing along the walls.
In the northern part of Ari Atoll, the Mushi Mas Mingili Thila reef pinnacle, also known as Fish Head, is considered one of the top dive spots in the world.
The Far North Atolls cover Haa Dhaalu and Haa Alifu. These uncrowded atolls have great visibility for viewing plenty of marine life. The Far South Atolls consist of Fuvahmulah, Meemu, Huvadhu, Thaa, Faafu, Laamu and Addu. These remote and unexplored islands offer frequent sightings of larger pelagic fish. For reef shark diving, Maldives liveaboard diving opportunities include the Gaafu, Lhaviyani, Laamu, North and South Male, Meemu, and Vaavu channels. Other top-notch sites for Maldives scuba diving are the Halaveli Wreck cargo vessel shipwreck, where turtles and morays have taken up residence; the Rasdhoo Madivaru channel and its many reef formations; Maaya Thila with its diversity of marine life; Hafza Thila with its steep vertical drop; and the protected marine area of Kudarah Thila, which has many incoming currents that attract an abundance of marine life.
Maldives liveaboard diving brings divers up close to eagle rays, turtles, stingrays, huge schools of fish, loads of whitetip and grey reef sharks, jackfish, trevally, whale sharks, Napolean wrasse, big tunas, barracuda, and, of course, mantas. Special sightings include hammerhead sharks.
What makes Maldives scuba diving even more memorable are the vibrant hard and soft corals, the little fishes swimming about them, like worms and nudibranchs, and the small reefs with overhangs and caves that don’t touch the water’s surface.
When to Go
Maldives has a tropical monsoon climate, so the hot and humid temperatures make liveaboard diving in Maldives year round.
It has two seasons: dry and rainy. The dry season from December to April brings winter northeastern monsoons, while the rainy season brings southwest monsoons with storms and strong winds.nThe seasons shift around April or May, with the southwest monsoon season running from May to November. Rainy season runs from April to October.
Average temperatures range from a high of 31.5 degrees C (89° F) to a low of 26.4° C (80° F).
Average water temperatures range from 27° C (81° F) to 30° C (86° F). Average visibility ranges from 49 to 131 feet depending on the location and season.
Getting There
Maldives has one international airport, Velana International Airport, located on Hulhule Island in the North Male Atoll near Male, the capital island. This is the main starting point for liveaboard diving in Maldives. Various airlines fly direct to the Maldives, while others may fly to a hub in Singapore first.
Live aboard cruises typically depart from Male. This departure is mainly used for a Maldives liveaboard trip to the Central Atolls, North Male Atoll, Rasdhoo Atoll, Ari Atoll and Baa Atoll. This is also the departure point for liveaboard Maldives cruises heading south of Male to Vaavu, Meemu and Thaa atolls. Local connecting flights for dive travel to other Maldives islands are also available from the Velana International Airport.
Visas and Passports
Maldives issues a tourist visa to all visiting foreigners. The visa is granted upon arrival, with no preapproval required. To obtain immigration clearance for dive travel, basic entry requirements must be met. They include:
•A passport valid for at least 6 months;
•Proof of prepaid hotel or live aboard accommodations;
•Sufficient funds for the intended stay;
•Confirmed return tickets to home country or next destination;
•Traveler health declaration form electronically submitted 24 hours prior to traveling to Maldives;
•Yellow fever vaccination certificate, if applicable.
The Maldives tourist visa is valid for 30 days.
Time Zone
Maldives has one time zone called Maldives Time (MHT). It is 5 hours ahead of GMT or GMT +5.
Currency
Electricity
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Language
Dhivehi is the official language of Maldives, however, English is widely spoken by Maldivians.
Dhivehi is an Indo-Aryan language that is related to Sri Lanka’s Sinhala language.
When writing in Dhivehi, called Thaana script, it is done from right to left.