Diving in the Maldives

The Laamu Atoll is relatively close to the Central Atolls region and has weaker currents and better visibility than its southern neighbors

The Northern Atolls’ best diving locations include Haa Alif, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, and Lhaviyani atolls.

The Central Atolls are the most well known and populated region of the Maldives.

The Southern Atolls Region is made up of Laamu Atoll, the Northern and Southern Huvadhu Atoll, Fuvahmulah Atoll and, Addu Atoll.

The Huvadhu Atoll is broken up into a Northern and Southern region. The northern region is also known as Gaafu Alifu.

The southern region of the Huvadhu Atoll is also known as Gaafu Dhaalu.

For all the Southern Atoll region offers, the Fuvahmulah Atoll is the place that brings it all together.

This southernmost Maldives atoll actually takes the country past the equator and into the Southern Hemisphere.

The North West Haa Alif atoll offers some great dive sites for beginners and less experienced divers.

As you go further south in the Haa Alif Atoll you will come across a great shipwreck to explore that is not that deep.

The Haa Dhaalu Atoll offers a great dive area with wide channels and shallower drop offs and also beautiful underwater caves.

The Makundhoo island is the westernmost island in the Maldives and populated by humans and filled with wonderful dive sites.

If you are looking for a spot in the Maldives that is isolated, and relatively unknown and unexplored, then the Shaviyani Atoll is the area for you.

Noonu Atoll is known for its huge population of spinner dolphins as well as having the the largest concentration swarming fish in the Maldives.

Raa Atoll is a very popular dive spot in the Northern Atolls due to its pristine thilas.

The Lhaviyani Atoll features more than 50 dive sites including the Aquarium and Madimaru Kandu.

Baa Atoll has over 1,200 types of reef fish and over 250 species of coral, the most in all of the Indian Ocean

Vaavu is the easternmost atoll of the Maldives and has diving areas for all levels of divers.

Mulee Island is generally considered the best diving location in the Meemu Atoll.

Thaa atoll has great coral gardens to explore with the Caribbean Garden and the Gorgonian Garden being the most famous ones.

Thoddoo is an island that is part of the Alif Alif Atoll in the Central Maldives.

Rasdhoo offers the most beautiful beaches in the Maldives and you have the unique chance to swim with hammerhead sharks.

The sun island in South Ari atoll has the biggest sharks in Maldives where you can spot the massive, docile whale sharks.

Considered the number one scuba spot in the Maldives, the northern section of the Ari atoll offers two very notable diving regions.

The most recognizable channel in the Northern Nilandhe Atoll is Filitheyo Thandu, another protected marine area.

A great spot for beginners to start their diving journey, the Southern Nilandhe Atoll is wider, shallower and has weaker currents than other areas of Maldives.

North Malé offers some interesting dive sites like the Lady Christine shipwreck on the northwest side of Gaafaru.

On the northern side of the South Male area is the Vadhoo Caves where you can explore the great assortment of marine life like unicornfish or turtles.

North Male has two well-known dive spots: Manta Point and the Victory Wreck.

Like its more northern counterpart, the southern piece of the South Male dive area has fast current too and is for advanced and experienced divers.