The Best Diving and Snorkelling in the Maldives

Few places are quite so ripe for underwater discovery as the Indian Ocean.

Where whale sharks, manta rays, hammerheads, turtles and a whole host of exotic fish dart through some of the planet’s clearest waters, and the Maldives offers good diving  and snorkelling conditions all year round.

Discover the joy of diving

It’s estimated that 60% of visitors to the Maldives participate in diving and as many as 80% go snorkelling; hardly surprising given good sea conditions year-round.  Air and water temperatures top 27 degrees and visibility is from 15 to 40 metres. The best visibility is from December to April with generally excellent sea conditions. Short, sharp showers from May to August reduce visibility, as does plankton density in May but this attracts manta rays and whale sharks.

The coral reef is shallow and most of the dive sites are at a depth between 10 and 20 metres. Diving regulations are strict and the maximum depth for diving is 30 metres. The Maldives is also great for snorkelling. There are shallow coral gardens in front of many resorts, and tours take guests to the best spots, including chances to see Blacktip Reef Sharks.

A Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Discover Scuba Diving programme introduces participants under direct instructor supervision, perfect for those who have never tried diving before.  From there graduate onto entry-level courses. PADI scuba courses consist of five dives spread over three days, and open water courses entail nine dives and take five days to complete. The theory sections can be completed online before leaving home via the PADI e-learning initiative, saving time whilst on holiday.  The costs of Open Water diving courses are comparable to those in the UK, although prices vary and are generally commensurate with the star rating of the resort. Experienced divers might like to try advanced, rescue or divemaster courses or wreck diving, shark and ray diving, or diving with underwater propulsion vehicles.

Kuredu Island Resort & Spa is home to one of the largest and longest-running diving and snorkelling operations in the Maldives. The highly respected diving outfit, Prodivers, offers a full range of daily excursions and courses catering for beginners and experienced divers and snorkellers alike. They also have bases at Komandoo Island Resort & Spa and Lily Beach Resort & Spa. Constance Moofushi Maldives offers PADI courses to suit every level and 32 dive sites nearby are occupied by whale sharks, dolphins, sea eagles and mantas.  More experienced divers might like to try night snorkelling at COMO Maalifushi, located near Whale Shark Point.

Meet the neighbours

From May to November Baa Atoll is the best place for mingling with manta rays. Addu Atoll attracts rays with a wingspan exceeding 5 metres and it’s possible to snorkel with them all year round. Elusive and endangered whale sharks are found year-round in the South Ari Atoll with numbers peaking from August to November. Sea turtles inhabit most parts of the Maldives, but the largest numbers are attracted to Lhaviyani Atoll’s underwater seagrass meadows. Hammerhead shark migrations occur between November and May when large schools of the predators visit North Ari Atoll; a scuba qualification and nerves of steel are required to get up close and personal.

The very best dive sites

January to April