Maldives Dive Package

A Great Way to Enjoy Some of the Best Diving in the World

The Maldives is one of the world's most famous diving destinations, and a Maldives Dive Package should be on the bucket list of every diver. The tiny archipelago nation is a true tropical paradise, featuring small islands with pristine white beaches. Many of the resorts are picture-perfect featuring overwater bungalows.

Whether you scuba dive or just snorkel from your resort room balcony, the waters around the Maldives Atolls always have something fascinating to encounter.

Marine Life In the Maldives

Perhaps you should be asking what marine life is not in the Maldives? Lying in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the archipelago is one of the world's best diving destinations and is teeming with marine life, corals, flora, and fauna.

Maldives reefs are rich and diverse in corals, with over 250 species recorded. Not to mention 5 of the 7 species of turtles can also be found in seas around the Maldives. You can also encounter up to 20 marine mammals, including various types of dolphins, from bottlenose to spotted and spinner dolphins. Whales can also be seen, including killer whales, humpback whales, and the largest creature ever to exist, the blue whale.

The Maldives reefs play host to over 2,500 species of fish, from the smallest reef damsel and lionfish to manta rays and whale sharks. The islands are renowned for excellent shark encounters with various species, including scalloped hammerheads, grey reef sharks, Leopard, whitetip, nurse, tiger, and whale sharks.

Best Time To Dive In the Maldives

You can dive in the Maldives virtually year-round; however, the best all-around time to visit is during the northeast monsoon, which runs from December to May. During this time, the currents flow from east to west between the atoll, bringing with them sharks and mantas to the eastern sides of the Maldives.

From June to November is the Southwest monsoon season, where the water flow reverses and runs west to east. During this time, visibility is fantastic, although the sea conditions can be a little choppy. During June and July, whale sharks and manta rays can be regularly encountered in areas like Hanifaru Bay.

Whichever season you choose to visit the Maldives, the diving is good year-round, with plenty of marine life and corals to see regardless.

Getting To & Around the Maldives

Getting to the Maldives is relatively straightforward, and Male, the capital, is served by a host of international carriers. Traveling from Europe, several carriers, including Air France, Lufthansa, and British Airways, run direct flights to the Maldives. While there are no direct flights for the US to the Maldives, many US travelers either choose to connect in Europe or, like many Europeans, fly using one of the three middle eastern carriers, which all offer connections to the Maldives.

Once in the Maldives, the best option to move between islands is via seaplane or speed boat taxi. Quite often, if you are staying in one of the more remote resorts, you will be picked up from Male and Returned by seaplane. A quick-speed boat taxi ride is perfect for quickly moving between atolls if you want to indulge in a bit of exploration around the Maldives.

Due to the incredibly small size of most Maldivian islands and atolls, your best option is to get around on foot once you are on land. Remember if you are there when the weather is warm to have your sunscreen, hat, and a bottle of water.

Best Maldives Diving destinations

There are three main diving areas in the Maldives, South Male Atoll, North Male Atoll, and the Northern Atolls.

South Male Atoll

One of the most well-known big fish diving destinations in the Maldives, South Male, is home to many sharks, rays, and other pelagic species. The reefs on offer are not the best the Maldives has to offer, but the big fish action more than makes up for that. The area is also home to one of the Maldives' best-known wrecks, the Kuda Giri wreck.

North Male Atoll

North Male Atoll is the area that made the Maldives a world-famous diving destination. You can find almost everything here, great reefs, fantastic corals, drop-offs, and even some caves. The reefs are teeming with a wide range of fish, and also manta rays, and sharks. Some of the best sites in the area are manta point, banana reefs, and Hans Hass place.

Northern Atolls

The Northern Atolls lie well to the north of Male and are some of the Maldives' newest dive destinations. Conditions here are virtually pristine, with lots of shark encounters and more. The most famous site in the area is Hanifaru Bay, where encounters with large numbers of whale sharks and manta rays are virtually guaranteed.

Liveaboard Vs. Resort Diving the Maldives

If you want to experience the best of Maldives diving, then a Liveaboard trip is the way to go. You get to dive more often and experience far-reaching dive sites that may not be open to resort divers. A Liveaboard is the best option for divers heading to the Maldives to maximize their diving experience.

If, on the other hand, you want to wind down a little after a long year and catch up with some diving while you do so, then a resort dive package may be a better option. You can choose which day you want to dive, and you are in a resort setting when not diving, giving you plenty of opportunities to relax or undertake other activities.

Obviously, the ultimate Maldives dive package would be a 2-week vacation. One week experiencing the best diving the Maldives has to offer, and another week relaxing at some of the best tropical resorts in the world!

Book your Maldives liveaboard trip today!