A Protected Marine Area, this offers one of the best-known dives in the Maldives. There is a remarkable variety of marine life on the thila, including grey reef sharks, white tip sharks, turtles, stonefish, frogfish, zebra morays, batfish and many, many more species. At the edge of the thila, where there is a large coral overhang full of bright orange Tubastrea corals.The top of the rock, at 15m (50ft), is covered in colourful soft corals. The vertical side of the rock drops down to the atoll plate at 40m (130ft). In this channel between the satellite rock and the thila, grey reef sharks often patrol and we have seen guitar shark here on a number of occasions.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 40m

The most famous dive site in south Ari-Atoll and has already, in 1995, become a “Protected Marine Area.” A wonderful small reef, with lot’s of soft corals and an abundant fish life makes all dives an unforgettable experience. There is an arch to dive through on the west side and the two big overhangs on the east side are typical marks on this unique dive site. Thousands of blue stripped snappers cover the reef like a yellow carpet and big blue fin jack fish can be watched while hunting the smaller fusiliers. Also white tip reef sharks can sometimes be seen. Definitely one of the best dive sites in south Ari-Atoll!

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

Regularly an encounter with the giant manta rays is common on this reef, from December until April the big manta rays can be watched during there feeding and cleaning procedure in cleaning stations on the top reef. A close approach is possible, but don’t touch or chase them; otherwise they will disappear in the blue. The reef itself drops on the east side steep down to 25m where the sand bottom starts. The big overhangs at 20m are a good start of the dive before you go shallower and follow the reef edge on the 12m area where the mantas can be seen most of the time. The reef top has nice marine life, moray eels, octopuses, lion fish and a few napoleons make this place, even without manta rays a real adventure.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 25m

The Muli Corner dive site is a sloping hard coral reef down to drop-off into the big blue. Here divers can dive the aquarium with a cleaner station for mantas, huge variety of species of large coral fish; trigger fish, surgeons, sweetlips, fusiliers, white tip reef sharks, and the whale shark.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30m

Large and shallow plateaus (10 - 20 ft) on the west side of the atoll, right next to the wide lagoon of Rasfari. It is covered with hard corals and hosts a cleaning station during the northeast monsoon. The most common way to do the dive here is to start on top of the reef, which is protected from the currents and after spending some time with the mantas continue the dive towards the wall that drops down to about 75 feet. The wall is nicely covered with hard corals, rich with fish life and popular with turtles.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

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.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

One of the channel dives that you don’t want to miss. With strong incoming current the list of possible encounters is impressive. Mainly grey reef sharks but also whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleons and tunas are quite common and with the visibility reaching 120 feet during the northeast monsoon it can be the highlight of the trip.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

This is considered one of the best night dives in the Maldives. Every night there is a show performed by a big number of nurse sharks, stingrays and massive jacks. Definitely not to be missed.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

Diving in North Ari Atoll is not famous for corals, and in fact, many dive spots may seem a little dull in terms of the coral splendor. However, the main attraction of this part of the atoll is the regular encounters with big marine life including reef and hammerhead sharks.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

Explore the captivating underwater world of North Male Atoll with its renowned dive sites like Lankan Manta Point and Fish Factory. Encounter vibrant coral reefs, diverse marine life including mantas, sharks, and colorful reef fish, making it a diver's paradise.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

The South Malé Atoll offers thrilling dives characterized by strong currents, making it ideal for more experienced divers. This atoll features deep channels, known as kandus, which funnel nutrient-rich water from the open ocean into the inner lagoon, attracting large schools of fish, sharks, and other pelagic species. Coral life flourishes along the outer reef walls and on thilas—underwater pinnacles—while overhangs and caves within the channels provide shelter for a variety of macro life.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

The famous Hanifaru Bay, which is known locally as Vandhumaafaru Adi, is thought to be one the few places in the world where whale sharks congregate in to mate, although recent research suggests otherwise with the vast majority of the whale sharks seen there being young males. The bay also regularly sees some of the largest gatherings of Manta rays worldwide with up to one hundred individuals in the small inlet when the tide pushes plankton into the bay.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

A magnificent long thin pinnacle in the middle of a channel between Cocoa Corner and Kandooma Island Resort, this is one of the few channels in the Maldives where it doesn't matter which way the current is going - it will be a spectacular dive! Grey reef sharks and eagle rays are likely companions here. Magnificent overhangs with draping colourful soft coral and shark cleaning stations await those who dive this challenging but rewarding dive site.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30

Kudhimaa Wreck is a medium sized steel wreck lying very close to the Machafushi house reef. The wreck was purposely sunk in 1998 to provide divers visiting the South Ari Atoll with a wreck. The wreck itself has easy access to the cargo holds on both sides. On and around the shipwreck you can find a school of bat fish, some puffer fish, box fish and the customary large lion fish. One interesting feature of the wreck is the competition for space that has sprung up on the surface itself. Algae, sponges, sea squirts and corals are all fighting for that valuable piece of metal to start their growth from.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30

11km of reef stretches along the south of Ari Atoll, which is home to whalesharks coming up for a feed. Thought to be a 'nursery' for whalesharks, the South of Ari Atoll is a place where you can find juvenile whalesharks all year round.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

This is a cleaning station which many Mantas are visiting. A lot of snappers and oriental sweet lips. Diver can keep on his knees to watch a huge mantas passing by or hook himself to a dead coral and float above the bottom.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 24

Lhaviyani Atoll, whose shape and particular position features oceanic channel dives either on the east and on the west side, giving us the chance to dive with “in-coming currents” in both monsoon seasons to spot any kind of pelagic fish including grey reef sharks.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 20m

Located on the southeast outer reef of Lankanfinolhu Island in North Male atoll in Maldives, Lankan Manta point is a dive site among the most famous Manta rays cleaning station. The large block of coral at a depth of 10 to 18meters is where the rays come during the southwest monsoon and outgoing currents to get cleaned by wrasses. Easy to access and adapted to beginners, this popular dive site is often visited by many cruise ships and divers, and can even become over-visited sometimes.
Even though Manta rays are the main reason divers come to Lanka Manta Point, you can also encounter whitetip sharks, lobsters and humphead wrasses.

It is recommended to enter the water ahead in the current to avoid disturbing the rays. A building on the coast will indicate the location of the cleaning station. When the current is strong, do not stay at the surface for too long.
Divers can drift with the current toward the rays’ cleaning station, but it is mandatory to remain away from the cleaning area without crossing it.
The North reef is made of a gentle slope, but the South reef gets steeper and hosts many humphead wrasses and turtles.

Outgoing currents can cause turbulence that may push divers offshore. It is recommended to remain close to the reef to avoid that.

As the most famous manta cleaning station, this site can also get too crowded sometimes. It may be interesting to consider going to other sites in the surroundings, where rays can also be spotted.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 20m

South Ari Atoll, Maldives is separated from North Ari Atoll for administrative purposes, and features shallower and relatively easier dive sites compared to the sites in North Ari Atoll, where the conditions are a bit harder. Some of the great dive spots in South Ari Atoll include Broken Rock (an interesting rock formation with a canyon, covered in delicate soft corals, sponges, and big gorgonian fans), Kudarah Thila (a small underwater pinnacle with large numbers of snapper, sweetlips, batfish, and grouper in the surrounding waters, which are actually a marine protected area), Panettone (a gently sloping reef, which is a great place to see magnificent manta rays), and Thundufushi Thila (a large pinnacle around 1km/0.6mi in diameter with a steep wall and some small caves in its shallower parts, where it is possible to spot reef sharks, eagle rays, tuna, and manta rays).

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30m

Located in Meemu. Thuvaru North is a channel site, located opposite the similarly named island in the south. The north side offers a pleasant dive with marine life typical of the Maldives. Encounters with sharks resting on the sandy bottom & a variety of other reef fish along the edge of the channel, are possible. Depth: 12 - 50m

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 50m