ARI ATOLL – NORTH AND SOUTH
GETTING THERE
From Velana International Airport, take either a 30-minute seaplane flight or an hour’s speedboat ride to North Ari Atoll. The local ferry service is another option but takes around six hours.
Located to the west of Malé, Ari Atoll is famous for its superb diving and pelagic experiences. The nutrient-rich water that flows out to the open sea through large channels between the North and South Ari Atolls attracts magnificent marine species such as mantas, whale sharks and schooling hammerheads.
NORTH ARI ATOLL
Esteemed as a must-go for pelagic lovers and as one of the world’s best places to dive, the bustling Maaya Thila offers plenty to see and photograph, from nudibranchs, frogfishes and octopuses in the shallows to schools of hungry trevally, patrolling grey and whitetip reef sharks, squadrons of eagle rays, solitary guitar sharks, and even elusive hammerhead sharks cruising through the blue.
Mushimas Migili Thila, aka Fish Head, is another highlight of Ari Atoll. The 80-metre-wide square-shaped reef is interspersed with overhangs, ledges and caves filled with coral bushes and impressive sea fans. Look out for sharks, schools of fusiliers and giant trevally, and Napoleon wrasses.
In the shallow, protected waters of Fasdhoo Lagoon, you’ll find a small population of manta rays that congregates beneath the lights of liveaboards at night. Hover above the sand as the mantas swoop and barrel-roll and if you’re really lucky, you might witness the mantas performing their amazing cyclone feeding behaviour.
SOUTH ARI ATOLL
If you want to see the ocean’s biggest fish, South Ari Atoll’s Maamigili Reef is one of the world’s few places where whale shark encounters are possible almost any day of the year. They tend to head to the west side during the northeast monsoon (December to April) and then move over to the east during he southwest monsoon (May to November), but wherever they are, you’ll be mesmerised by these gentle giants as they cruise and feed along the reef.
Macro enthusiasts are encouraged to explore the Machchafushi Wreck, otherwise known as the Kudhimaa shipwreck, which was intentionally sunk in 1998.
DIVE EXPERIENCE All levels, from beginners upwards
BEST TIME TO DIVE All year round. Manta rays and whale sharks are seen from October to March
WATER TEMPERATURE 25–30°C
VISIBILITY 10 to 40 metres
DEPTH 5 to 40 metres
Frogfish, ghost pipefish, and nudibranchs are all common attractions for avid macro photographers as they explore the upright wreck, which ranges in depth from 12 to 30 metres. Wide-angle photographers will also have a blast, as the propeller, wheelhouse, and coral crusted exterior also offer excellent photographic opportunities.
“If you want to see the ocean’s biggest fish, South Ari Atoll’s Maamigili Reef is one of the world’s few places where whale shark encounters are possible almost any day of the year”