Faafu Atoll in the Central Atolls is one of the quietest and least visited. The diving here is stunning, as it is all over the Maldives, and you will probably be the only dive boat there! With only 5 inhabited islands and one dive resort, this could be the relaxed holiday you’ve been looking for. Reefs, caves and channel dives will satisfy all your desires. You can even spot manta rays!
Faafu Atoll diving offers diverse reef structures to enjoy. Barrier reefs like Banana Reef offers a perfect reef dive for beginners with a gently sloping wall. Elsewhere, underwater pinnacles, or thilas, provide cleaning stations for manta rays and the potential for more advanced diving. The channels which connect to the deep ocean are the most challenging dives. With the potential for strong currents, these drift dives are sometimes only suitable for more experienced divers.
There is only one resort in Faafu Atoll. There is a dive centre connected to it so it is possible to undertake diving courses from beginner up to advanced specialties. As this is the only dive centre, if you are staying elsewhere and wish to dive, perhaps consider a liveaboard. Though there are less liveaboards that frequent Faafu than other atolls, there are still a few to choose from. If you know you wish to dive a lot, it is the most economical choice. Do check before you book though as some require a minimum number of dives or certification level.
Faafu Atoll diving is available more or less all year round. The temperatures stay constantly in the high twenties Celsius/high seventies Fahrenheit, both in and out of the water. The dry season from December to April has the best diving. As the winds and rain are almost nonexistent, the visibility is 40 meters/131 feet or more in most places, and the continuous sunshine makes this an ideal time for a holiday.
The wet season from May to November means that there are more downpours, but they mostly only last for a couple of hours a day. There is still plenty of sun to enjoy. The winds also pick up, which can mean rougher seas. The winds blow in more plankton, which reduces the visibility; the caveat to this is that it draws in more manta rays and whale sharks to feast on the food.
Diving in Faafu Atoll yields some stunning marine encounters. The reefs provide consistent sightings of turtles and reef sharks, as well as large hunting fish like tuna and trevally. Schools of fusiliers, jacks and snappers dance over the corals where you can find the colourful reef species. Parrotfish, damselfish, triggerfish and butterflyfish are all common sights and give the impression of diving in an aquarium. Macro life like nudibranch, pipefish, crabs and shrimps make this a photographer's dream, everyone will be kept happy.
Larger pelagic life is sighted here too. Manta rays are common sites particularly at the cleaning stations on some thilas. Whale sharks are also possible, though sightings are rarer.
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 approx.: 200
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 25
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 600
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 300
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 27
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 28
