SOUTH AND CENTRAL ATOLLS

STARTING AT USD 2,799

This is a trip for the seasoned Maldives diver. You will see new sites from North Male to Huvadhoo and everything in between. Channels packed with sharks and beautiful soft corals, stunning cleaning stations with Manta rays, and locations where Manta rays and whale sharks come to the boat at night to feed off the plankton that are attracted by the lights from the boat. This itinerary will end with breathtaking pelagic encounters.

Cruise Highlights

This is a very special trip because you will travel from North Male to Huvadhoo exploring all the atolls on the way to the deep south.

You will visit South Male and Vaavu, thilas, and channels with sharks and beautiful soft corals. The famous dives in Alimatha and the channels of Vaavu will offer a great first day of diving. Soon we will leave the most dived atolls to start exploring the South Central Atolls like Memu with its famous channels, gardens and manta point with manta cleaning stations . The special Thaa Atoll has amazing dives and chances to have whale sharks at the back of the boat at night time. The trip will continue in the beautiful channels of Laamu Atoll. This is the last crossing before arriving at the Huvadhoo atoll. This is a special place full of pelagic encounters.

VIEW SCHEDULE, RATES & AVAILABILITY
Turtle Map

Diving Areas

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

South and 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..

VIEW SCHEDULE, RATES & AVAILABILITY

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

Huvadhoo

This is the second largest Atoll. This atoll has dramatic walls, outcrops, swim throughs, and exciting channels. This area is known for its dense coral gardens and caves and caverns that can be explored during the right tide.

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.

Thaa Atoll

This atoll is shaped in a circle. Here there are coral gardens, pinnacles and channel dives. The pinnacles at this site are submerged and depending on the currents there are pelagics that swim by, fish being trapped by the surrounding currents and sea turtles coming in for a clean.

Laamu Atoll

This atoll does not have as many channels as some of the other atolls. Here you can see schooling mobula rays, and reef sharks. Inside the lagoon gives easy slow shallow dives then outside there is a possibility for stronger currents and over hangs.

Other Information

Embarkation and Disembarkation from Male (MNL)

Things you might see

  • Manta rays
  • Whale sharks
  • Reef sharks
  • Hammerhead sharks
  • Tiger sharks
  • Thresher 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. 

July – 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: 10 to 40 metres 

Experience Level: Beginner to Advanced

More Destinations to Explore

Best of Central Atolls

March – November

Hanifaru Bay & The North Atolls

September – October