Aquarium / Lhohifushi Corner (★4.6)
This dive site is located right next to the island. The long reef ends into a corner of the canal. Here you can see several highlights. A very nice dive site for beginners as well as experienced divers.
Explore Malé
Malé, located in the Central Atolls, is the bustling capital city of the Maldives. As the only airport in the Maldives with international flights, it is the epicentre of the archipelago. It is also one of the most densely populated cities on earth. It is located on the southern edge of North Malé, or Kaafu, Atoll. Because space is at such a premium, a nearby island called Hulhumalé has been reclaimed to provide more room.
It is the most easy-to-access part of the Maldives for tourists so it is unsurprising that there are lots of liveaboards, dive centres and dive resorts within easy reach. Most liveaboards that go and explore other atolls leave from here. It is also some of the most well established diving, as it is so close to the capital.
Places to explore
Northern South Malé
68 Divesites 7 Centers
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.
Northern North Malé
29 Divesites 2 Centers
North Malé offers some interesting dive sites like the Lady Christine shipwreck on the northwest side of Gaafaru.
South Male Atoll
123 Divesites 21 Centers
Explore South Male AtollWhilst crossing the Vaadhoo Kandu, the division between North and South Male
Dive Sites Show on map
Diving in Malé
Diving in Malé is characterised by submerged pinnacle reefs (thilas), caves, swim throughs, channel (kandu) drift dives and even some wrecks. Almost all liveaboards leave from here, meaning you have a wide selection to choose from. If you want to dive a lot and see as many sites as possible, this may be your best option. There are several dive resorts on nearby islands if you wish to stay close to the capital. There are also plenty in the wider Kaafu Atoll if you wish to go further afield. There are a couple of dive centres on the island itself, perfect if you want to do a dive course while staying in the city with even more on Hulhumalé.
The best Months to dive in Malé
Malé enjoys constant temperatures all year round, with the water temperatures rarely dropping below 27 degrees. There are two distinct seasons - the rainy and the dry. During the dry season (December - April) the winds are almost non-existent, the seas are calm and the visibility is often 40m+. This is the best time to dive but it is also the most expensive time.
The rainy season from June - November brings higher winds (and rougher seas as a result) with more rain, though plenty of sunshine as well! The winds bring in plankton, which decreases the visibility - but it does attract manta rays and whale sharks! Also, the prices go down during this season as it is less busy.
Statistics
Dive Activity
Top Wildlife Sightings
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
7.7k Sightings
J
588
F
446
M
655
A
821
M
486
J
304
J
512
A
687
S
641
O
813
N
933
D
771
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
5.1k Sightings
J
356
F
336
M
462
A
544
M
294
J
223
J
387
A
506
S
311
O
522
N
659
D
519
iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray
4.3k Sightings
J
272
F
231
M
389
A
550
M
297
J
186
J
286
A
368
S
339
O
411
N
532
D
446
Shutterstock-Ed Jenkins
Hawksbill Turtle
3.2k Sightings
J
274
F
231
M
302
A
298
M
189
J
158
J
305
A
275
S
194
O
276
N
352
D
325
iStock-crisod
Reef Manta Ray
2.5k Sightings
J
63
F
53
M
79
A
121
M
89
J
82
J
139
A
324
S
349
O
469
N
545
D
222
iStock/ultramarinfoto
Wrasse
1.8k Sightings
J
201
F
104
M
177
A
172
M
117
J
93
J
89
A
178
S
116
O
193
N
194
D
193
Alamy/Fiona Ayerst
Tiger Shark
1.5k Sightings
J
139
F
101
M
194
A
122
M
90
J
56
J
108
A
189
S
105
O
38
N
202
D
121
iStock/HakBak1979
Bull Shark
885 Sightings
J
95
F
83
M
165
A
112
M
100
J
62
J
60
A
60
S
59
O
12
N
36
D
41
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
676 Sightings
J
74
F
54
M
65
A
82
M
27
J
7
J
21
A
23
S
31
O
74
N
156
D
62
AdobeStock/G Russel Childress
Great Hammerhead Shark
487 Sightings
J
34
F
23
M
64
A
38
M
36
J
15
J
60
A
64
S
43
O
27
N
37
D
46
iStock/Divepic
Giant Oceanic Manta Ray
447 Sightings
J
17
F
15
M
16
A
7
M
28
J
19
J
35
A
48
S
59
O
87
N
83
D
33
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
398 Sightings
J
29
F
36
M
33
A
44
M
28
J
24
J
16
A
42
S
42
O
23
N
42
D
39
