Explore Central Atolls

The Central Atolls of the Maldives offer some of the most captivating diving experiences in the world, weaving together thrilling encounters with diverse marine life, stunning underwater sceneries, and vibrant Maldivian culture. Known for their accessible location due to the proximity of Malé and its international airport, these atolls, including Vaavu, Ari, and Rasdhoo, provide a perfect gateway for divers seeking adventure in the Indian Ocean. Each atoll presents a unique diving character, with numerous dive centers and resorts catering to different preferences. The region is particularly famous for its exhilarating kandu channel dives, where strong currents bring an abundance of pelagic creatures, creating a mesmerizing underwater spectacle. Diving in the Central Atolls is synonymous with encounters with majestic manta rays, especially in areas like Baa Atoll during the wet season, when these gentle giants gather for feeding frenzies. Ari Atoll stands out as a premier diving destination, offering rich marine biodiversity and dense fish populations that captivate both novice and experienced divers. Opting for a liveaboard trip ensures an immersive dive journey, allowing exploration of multiple dive sites with ease and comfort. Beyond the underwater allure, the Central Atolls also enchant with their cultural richness, from the colorful architecture of Malé to the serene white sand beaches and ornate mosques, making it a holistic dive travel experience.

Places to explore

Courses and Events

Dive Activity

Diving in Central Atolls

The Central Atolls in the Maldives offer a mesmerizing array of dive sites known for their vibrant marine life and stunning coral formations. Among the top dive spots is the Machchafushi Wreck, an enthralling dive experience where divers can explore a sunken cargo ship teeming with marine life. This site is a favorite for wreck enthusiasts and provides a unique glimpse into the region's underwater history.

For those preferring shore dives, the Central Atolls do not disappoint. Dives along the house reefs of island resorts offer easy access to thriving underwater ecosystems, making them popular with beginners and experienced divers alike. The balance between shore and liveaboard diving ensures divers can tailor their experiences, whether they seek the comfort of daily dives from a resort or the adventure of exploring multiple sites on a liveaboard. Night dives reveal the magical behavior of marine life, such as the mesmerizing feeding frenzies of manta rays, adding another layer of excitement to these underwater adventures.

Top Wildlife Sightings in Central Atolls

The Central Atolls of the Maldives are a paradise for divers, teeming with vibrant marine life. Common reef fish such as parrotfish, angelfish, and butterflyfish can be seen year-round, adding color and movement to the coral gardens. These species are almost guaranteed to be encountered during any dive, making them a staple of the Central Atolls' underwater experience.

Seasonal highlights include sightings of majestic manta rays, which are most commonly observed from May to November when they gather at cleaning stations. Whale sharks, though rarer, can also be spotted during this period. Sharks, including reef sharks and nurse sharks, are frequently seen throughout the year, with some areas known as shark hotspots. Sea turtles are another highlight, often encountered grazing on seagrass beds or resting on coral reefs, with sightings more likely during nesting season from June to November.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 200

Moray Eel

19k Sightings
J
1.8k
F
1.2k
M
1.5k
A
1.7k
M
1.1k
J
600
J
1.3k
A
1.7k
S
1.5k
O
2k
N
2.3k
D
2k

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

Eagle Ray

13k Sightings
J
1.3k
F
967
M
1.3k
A
1.5k
M
717
J
416
J
793
A
1.1k
S
885
O
1.3k
N
1.5k
D
1.4k

Green Turtle

11k Sightings
J
1k
F
769
M
930
A
1.1k
M
594
J
361
J
798
A
986
S
723
O
983
N
1.3k
D
1.1k

Reef Manta Ray

8k Sightings
J
875
F
591
M
646
A
563
M
351
J
152
J
301
A
657
S
742
O
1.1k
N
1.2k
D
808

Hawksbill Turtle

6k Sightings
J
555
F
431
M
507
A
496
M
313
J
225
J
542
A
564
S
463
O
574
N
744
D
578

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 600

Wrasse

5.6k Sightings
J
652
F
366
M
426
A
461
M
271
J
222
J
438
A
543
S
384
O
614
N
686
D
545

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 27

Barracuda

2.7k Sightings
J
254
F
240
M
224
A
286
M
82
J
54
J
178
A
273
S
179
O
257
N
366
D
304

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 300

Octopus

2.4k Sightings
J
304
F
161
M
224
A
309
M
127
J
40
J
122
A
117
S
143
O
258
N
346
D
226

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

1.5k Sightings
J
195
F
130
M
146
A
105
M
69
J
43
J
78
A
114
S
138
O
177
N
181
D
145

Tiger Shark

1.5k Sightings
J
154
F
117
M
195
A
132
M
92
J
56
J
110
A
192
S
106
O
38
N
204
D
124

Whitetip Reef Shark

26k Sightings
J
2.7k
F
2k
M
2.3k
A
2.4k
M
1.3k
J
714
J
1.7k
A
2.2k
S
1.8k
O
2.7k
N
3.3k
D
2.6k

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 28

Clownfish

16k Sightings
J
1.5k
F
1.1k
M
1.2k
A
1.4k
M
1k
J
560
J
1.2k
A
1.5k
S
1.3k
O
1.7k
N
2k
D
1.7k

Grey Reef Shark

15k Sightings
J
1.7k
F
1.2k
M
1.4k
A
1.4k
M
695
J
310
J
790
A
1.2k
S
1k
O
1.5k
N
1.9k
D
1.7k

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 100

Parrotfish

14k Sightings
J
1.5k
F
1k
M
1.1k
A
1.2k
M
756
J
503
J
1k
A
1.3k
S
1.1k
O
1.5k
N
1.6k
D
1.4k

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Angelfish

12k Sightings
J
1.3k
F
819
M
868
A
1k
M
720
J
491
J
994
A
1.2k
S
1k
O
1.3k
N
1.4k
D
1.3k

Blacktip Reef Shark

12k Sightings
J
1.1k
F
894
M
1k
A
1.3k
M
631
J
410
J
912
A
1.2k
S
943
O
1.4k
N
1.4k
D
1.2k

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

Triggerfish

12k Sightings
J
1.2k
F
768
M
903
A
955
M
575
J
448
J
942
A
1.1k
S
904
O
1.2k
N
1.3k
D
1.3k

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Butterfly Fish

11k Sightings
J
1.1k
F
655
M
743
A
860
M
671
J
388
J
863
A
1.1k
S
932
O
1.2k
N
1.3k
D
1k

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 85

Surgeonfish

10k Sightings
J
1.1k
F
655
M
755
A
853
M
570
J
430
J
785
A
1.1k
S
842
O
1.1k
N
1.2k
D
953

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 8

Bannerfish

9.7k Sightings
J
1k
F
570
M
660
A
772
M
570
J
399
J
791
A
967
S
818
O
1k
N
1.2k
D
978

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

9.6k Sightings
J
932
F
644
M
654
A
710
M
533
J
394
J
798
A
929
S
835
O
1.1k
N
1.2k
D
931

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 12

Lionfish

9.3k Sightings
J
966
F
550
M
637
A
731
M
549
J
321
J
741
A
963
S
768
O
1k
N
1.1k
D
929

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 80

Stingrays

7.5k Sightings
J
751
F
611
M
752
A
744
M
384
J
257
J
437
A
642
S
516
O
666
N
922
D
815

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 15

Tuna

5.6k Sightings
J
656
F
513
M
550
A
461
M
208
J
146
J
396
A
518
S
426
O
509
N
703
D
558

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 250

Grouper/Basslets

5.3k Sightings
J
550
F
368
M
428
A
377
M
274
J
157
J
418
A
547
S
421
O
519
N
637
D
623

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Soldierfish

4.5k Sightings
J
456
F
293
M
357
A
306
M
247
J
182
J
419
A
429
S
421
O
456
N
542
D
424

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 110

Snapper

4.2k Sightings
J
441
F
236
M
363
A
374
M
230
J
128
J
398
A
408
S
412
O
395
N
449
D
406

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Pufferfish

4.1k Sightings
J
453
F
226
M
384
A
367
M
210
J
156
J
369
A
413
S
292
O
404
N
388
D
446

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 350

Damselfish

4.1k Sightings
J
477
F
280
M
284
A
245
M
242
J
182
J
337
A
400
S
308
O
501
N
424
D
398

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

Jackfish

3.5k Sightings
J
338
F
226
M
254
A
366
M
262
J
123
J
289
A
276
S
283
O
335
N
373
D
393

Silvertip Shark

3.4k Sightings
J
491
F
246
M
338
A
235
M
130
J
60
J
207
A
266
S
245
O
278
N
457
D
397

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Goatfish

3k Sightings
J
342
F
169
M
178
A
199
M
222
J
126
J
290
A
240
S
303
O
357
N
300
D
315

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3

Trumpetfish

2.7k Sightings
J
318
F
142
M
234
A
238
M
181
J
42
J
185
A
198
S
216
O
271
N
343
D
341

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 2

Nurse Shark

2.7k Sightings
J
270
F
194
M
190
A
265
M
163
J
119
J
240
A
206
S
205
O
294
N
267
D
267

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

Boxfish

2.6k Sightings
J
263
F
118
M
276
A
197
M
150
J
127
J
204
A
234
S
168
O
320
N
294
D
286

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3000

Nudibranch

2k Sightings
J
235
F
51
M
192
A
152
M
88
J
38
J
145
A
156
S
185
O
252
N
228
D
257

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Squirrelfish

1.4k Sightings
J
219
F
94
M
77
A
72
M
43
J
52
J
137
A
100
S
105
O
155
N
185
D
138

The best Months to dive in Central Atolls

The Central Atolls offer excellent diving conditions year-round, with water temperatures ranging from 27°C–30°C/81°F–86°F. Visibility is typically impressive, often exceeding 30 meters/98 feet. The region is known for its rich marine life and vibrant coral reefs, making it a favorite among divers.

Diving is possible throughout the year, but the best conditions are generally from November to April when the northeast monsoon ensures calmer seas and milder currents. During the southwest monsoon from May to October, divers may encounter stronger currents and less predictable weather, although diving remains feasible. Planning your trip during the peak diving season can enhance your experience with optimal conditions.

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