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Exceptional and easily accessible underwater life makes the Maldives one of the world’s top diving and snorkelling destinations. All of the resorts have professional dive schools with fully qualified multilingual instructors offering a
range of courses, from beginners to full PADI certification. Basic diving equipment is provided in all resorts and some also
rent out underwater cameras. Dive schools organise daily dive boat trips to sites around the islands throughout the year.
Night dives and special trips for more experienced divers are also available. Most of the resorts also offer reef sightseeing
trips on glass-bottomed boats. Below is a selection of the best dive sites in the Maldives:
Maldives Victory Wreck: The wreck of the Maldives Victory (which sank in 1981) lies on the western side of Hulule island at a depth of 35m (115ft).
Due to strong currents, this dive is for experienced divers only.
Mushimasmingili Thila (Shark Thila): Located in the northern section of the Ari Atoll, close to the islands of Fesdu, Halaveli, Ellaidhu and Maayafushi. Renowned
for its abundance in fish, notably grey reef shark, giant snappers and tropical reef fish.
Guraidhoo Corner: Near the islands of Losfushi, Guraidhoo and Kandooma, this reef lies on the east side of the South Malé Atoll. Powerful
vertical currents make this suitable for experienced divers only. The reef is particularly known for its large fish, including
grey reef sharks, eagle rays, sailfish and large snappers.
Kuda Rah Thila (Broken Rock): Located in the southernmost corner of the Ari Atoll, close to the islands of Dhangethi and Dhigurah. Good for less experienced
divers as the currents are fairly weak.
Banana Reef: Located on the eastern side of the North Malé Atoll, near the islands of Fullmoon Island, Farukolh, Fushi and Kurumba. Strong
currents make for an exceptionally abundant marine life, with reef sharks, bannerfish and oriental sweetlips all present.
The large lagoons surrounding most of the islands are ideal for windsurfing, a sport extensively catered for in all resorts (with windsurfing schools available in most of them). Surfing has recently become popular and there are numerous resorts on the atoll edges that have good waves, notably those located
in the north of the South Malé atolls. Many resorts offer regular boat trips to surf breaks. The best time for surfing is during the northeast monsoon (November to April). A list of the best surfing
spots is available from the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (see Contact Addresses section). Most resorts also have water-skiing facilities and catamarans for hire. Most of the larger resorts also offer facilities and courses for parasailing. In order to allow visitors to see more than one of the Maldives’ many islands, several types of sailing cruises are available (including diving safaris or relaxing cruises through the atolls). Some boats offer luxury accommodation
and all modern amenities, while others offer more basic facilities. Further details can be obtained from the Maldives Tourism
Promotion Board (see Contact Addresses section).
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For the people of the Maldives, fishing has been a lifeline and, with over 99 per cent of the Maldives’ total area consisting
of water, the country has some of the world’s best fishing grounds. Many resorts offer fishing trips on modern speedboats
equipped for big game fishing. Night fishing for groupers, snappers, squirrelfish or barracuda is particularly popular. Fishing
trips will usually end with a barbecue at the resort with the day’s catch being cooked and eaten.
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As a conservation measure, sport fishing is confined to the tag and release method. The use of harpoon guns and hunting of
marine mammals such as whales and dolphins and large fish such as the whale shark is strictly prohibited. The fishing and
collection of the following is also prohibited: turtle, Napolean wrasse, berried and small lobster, conch, giant clam and
black coral.
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Overview 
