Male
Malé, located in the Central Atolls, is the bustling capital city of the Maldives. As the only airp
Explore Kaafu Atoll
Kaafu Atoll is located in the Central Atolls of the Maldives. It consists of North Malé and the quieter South Malé Atolls, as well as the islands of Kaashidhoo and Gaafaru. It is also home to the capital island of Malé and its sister island of reclaimed land (and which has the international airport), Hulhumale. It is the largest atoll, both in terms of economy and tourism.
Kaafu Atoll diving is some of the most well established as it has been open to tourism for longer than other atolls. Though some of the dive sites may be busier, there is more choice in terms of dive resorts, centres and liveaboards. Diving in Kaafu Atoll is diverse and beautiful - it has manta cleaning stations, caves, drift dives, wrecks and barrier reefs covered in unparalleled coral formations.
Places to explore
Courses and Events
Dive Activity
Diving in Kaafu Atoll
Because of its proximity to the capital city Malé, there is no shortage of choice in Kaafu Atoll. With over 40 resort islands, and nearly countless inns and guest houses on the inhabited islands like Dhiffushi and Maafushi, you will be spoilt for choice. Most dedicated resorts will have a dive centre attached, but not all facilitate diving courses so check before you go if this is something you are looking for. If you are not staying at a specific dive resort, check with your guesthouse to see if there is a dive centre on the island so you’re not disappointed.
Liveaboards are by far the easiest way to dive a lot and in lots of dive sites. It is close to Malé which is where many boats leave from so many pass by Kaafu Atoll early in their journey. There are lots of liveaboards for all budgets but do check on the minimum dive requirements before booking.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Kaafu Atoll
Kaafu Atoll diving centres mainly around it’s reefs. South and North Malé offer slightly different reef conditions. The corals in North Malé are some of the most stunning in the world. Stunning reefs mean healthy reefs and they have life in abundance. Schools of fusiliers and snappers, frogfish, moray eels, nudibranch and thousands of colourful reef fish suspended over coral make for truly stunning diving. South Malé also offers beautiful diving, but the strong currents that surround the atoll mean that there is more pelagic life to be found. Though reef sharks, manta rays and whale sharks can be found in both atolls, they are much more common in the south.
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
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
8.2k Sightings
J
796
F
594
M
767
A
789
M
490
J
301
J
508
A
697
S
640
O
823
N
918
D
869
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
5.2k Sightings
J
522
F
448
M
526
A
490
M
268
J
206
J
357
A
473
S
293
O
486
N
597
D
525
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 25
iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray
4.5k Sightings
J
378
F
298
M
436
A
522
M
298
J
186
J
272
A
363
S
329
O
420
N
513
D
495
Shutterstock-Andrey Armyagov
Hawksbill Turtle
3.2k Sightings
J
335
F
287
M
337
A
253
M
173
J
149
J
297
A
247
S
193
O
261
N
315
D
328
iStock-crisod
Reef Manta Ray
2.7k Sightings
J
104
F
85
M
90
A
121
M
103
J
90
J
141
A
335
S
359
O
486
N
556
D
247
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 600
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
1.8k Sightings
J
250
F
106
M
175
A
152
M
112
J
85
J
94
A
183
S
123
O
191
N
176
D
187
Alamy/Fiona Ayerst
Tiger Shark
1.6k Sightings
J
155
F
135
M
241
A
121
M
90
J
56
J
110
A
189
S
105
O
48
N
206
D
123
iStock/HakBak1979
Bull Shark
939 Sightings
J
98
F
99
M
199
A
112
M
101
J
62
J
62
A
60
S
59
O
12
N
36
D
39
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
817 Sightings
J
123
F
90
M
102
A
92
M
32
J
7
J
21
A
25
S
38
O
85
N
136
D
66
AdobeStock/G Russel Childress
Great Hammerhead Shark
517 Sightings
J
38
F
33
M
80
A
38
M
36
J
15
J
60
A
65
S
43
O
27
N
37
D
45
iStock/Divepic
Giant Oceanic Manta Ray
448 Sightings
J
22
F
17
M
18
A
7
M
26
J
18
J
35
A
49
S
59
O
87
N
83
D
27
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
431 Sightings
J
43
F
41
M
42
A
45
M
27
J
25
J
18
A
42
S
40
O
24
N
46
D
38
The best Months to dive in Kaafu Atoll
The diving in Kaafu Atoll is accessible all year round due to consistent air and water temperatures. It is subject to a monsoon season from May to November. The dry season, from December to April makes for some fantastic diving conditions. Minimal wind and rain and maximum sunshine means that the days are warm and the oceans are still, with excellent visibility.
During the monsoon, the winds increase and there are more frequent rain showers, though they usually only last for a couple of hours. The winds make the seas rougher, which can disrupt diving trips. They also blow in blooms of plankton which can reduce the visibility in some places. The upside of this is that it also attracts filter feeders like manta rays and whale sharks to hoover up the extra food!
