BEST OF CENTRAL ATOLLS

STARTING AT USD 2,799

This classic Itinerary always delivers mind-blowing dives. It is the perfect collection of what Maldives has to offer. You will be diving the central atolls. North Male Atoll to Alimatha Jetty, this itinerary will drop you into stunning wall dives, sweeping channel dives with shark action all around you, Pinnacles shooting out of the water in the middle of stunning lagoons, beautiful coral gardens with the oceans gentle giants cruising by or being cleaned at the cleaning stations. This itinerary will have you leave knowing you have seen all that the Maldives has to offer.

Cruise Highlights

The trip starts in North Male Atoll. During the rainy season it is the perfect time to dive in Lankan Manta point where you will enjoy the first manta encounters of the trip or dive the Fish factory with its walls full of fat moray eels and stingrays flying all over the place.  After that we will cross to explore Rasdhoo Atoll looking for some shark action in the channels. Then continue our journey to North Ari, we’re gonna be diving some of its famous thilas. Thilas are the bread and butter of the maldivian dives. These underwater pinnacles are full of fish life, sharks and amazing critters waiting for you. It’s possible to find frogfishes, ghost pipefishes, octopus, mantis shrimps or turtles in their coral gardens .

South Ari is where we will try our luck looking for the oceans’ gentle giants, whale sharks and enjoy some beautiful coral gardens or enjoyables drift dives along the walls where anything can pass by at any time. Our journey continues with us heading back to the east to visit Vaavu atoll. Here you will enjoy some shark action in the channels and the famous dive with the Nurse sharks at Alimatha Jetty. Finally on our way back we will dive Kandooma Thila, a magical place in South Male with schooling eagle rays, grey reef sharks, green turtles and one of the best soft coral dives in maldives 

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Best of Central Atolls
Central-Atolls-flag

Diving Areas

Weather, sea conditions and length of trip may affect the itinerary and dive sites selection.

Best of Central Atolls

Starting in North Male for dive sites: Fish factory. Then to Rasdhoo Atoll where you will be diving in channels with sharks. After Rasdhoo Atoll you will head to North Ari and South Ari with pinnacles and stunning coral gardens. Then you will Head east to Vaavu Atoll to dive with Nurse sharks at Alimatha Jetty.

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North Male

The starting point of the trip and offers some nice coral gardens and during the rainy season the opportunity to have the first encounter with mantas at Lankan Manta Point, this is a bustling cleaning station for mantas. It is most active during the rainy season (June to December.) It offers a great reef dive with chances to see octopus, scorpionfish, black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, turtles and so much more. Fish factory is a wonderful and easy dive site with chances to meet a large group of stingrays it also has a great variety of moray eels and sometimes guitar sharks or big pelagic sharks are coming here for an easy breakfast

Rasdhoo atoll

Rasdhoo atoll offers channel dives, breathtaking walls, manta points, and stunning white sandbanks to enjoy the Maldivian sunsets after a day of diving.

North Ari

North Ari has the most beautiful coral gardens, full of fish life and pelagics swimming through. You will enjoy diving the protected reefs of Fish Head and Maya Thila. Some lucky groups will have the chance to enjoy a manta Valet because at night in Maldives we use to have visitors swimming around the boat and if you’re lucky enough we will do a night dive with mantas.

South Ari

South Ari it’s a very special place, Here we have the chance to meet whale sharks, the dosil giants of SAMPA (South Ari Marine Protected Area), this is the largest protected area in Maldives and holds a coastal aggregation of 600 juveniles whale sharks swimming around the atoll or sometime visiting the boats at night to delight you with a magical encounter

In south Ari you will have the opportunity to meet mantas during both monsoons. The resident mantas from ari move around the atoll following the planktoon patches. You will always have the opportunity to visit one of the manta cleaning stations like mahibadhoo or Moofushi rock. South ari has more stunning thilas like the soft corals of 7 Heaven or Kudarah, the Yellow fish thila. On this dive we will be completely covered in friendly yellow fish that allows you to be part of the group.

Vaavu

Vaavu, we visit this place all year around because of the dive at Alimatha jetty were you can enjoy dives surrounded by hundreds of nurse sharks but during the dry season the whole atoll is on fire because the north east current are pumping crystal waters at the eastern channels and the sharks love to use this currends to swim in front of the channels.

South Male

South Male has amazing dives in channels and thilas like Kandhooma with soft corals, eagle rays and sharks all in one. Plus the channel dives to confirm Maldives is one of the best dive locations in the world.

Other Information

Embarkation and Disembarkation from Male (MNL)

What you may see

  • Manta rays
  • Whale sharks
  • Nurse sharks
  • Green turtles
  • Schooling eagle rays
  • Grey reef sharks
  • Black and white tip reef sharks
  • Frog fish
  • Ghost pipefish
  • Guitar sharks
  • And much much more…

The Maldives is affected by 2 different monsoons. This itinerary is fantastic year round as it has different options for both monsoons

August – November – Best chance to see Whale sharks and Manta Rays

January – April – Known for its crystal-clear visibility and dry warm weather.

Water Temperature: 27 to 30 degrees Celsius (80-86 Fahrenheit)

Air Temperature: 25 to 32 degrees Celsius (77-90 Fahrenheit)

Current: Gentle to Strong

Visibility: 15 to 40 metres 

Experience Level: Beginner to Advanced

More Destinations to Explore

Hanifaru Bay & The North Atolls

September – October

Wonders of the deep South

January- February – March