The final itinerary is, of course, always dependent upon weather, sea conditions and where the best animal sightings are at any particular time of year
Best of the Maldives tours offer 7 and 10-night trips with 3 to 4 different classic routes that include the areas of: North Male, South Male, North Ari, South Ari, Vaavu and Rasdhoo ... and sometimes Baa Atoll. You'll have spectacular channel-drift dives, wrecks, pinnacles and world famous night dives. These routes begin and end in Male, the capital of the Maldives and run year-round.
Deep South & Southern Hemisphere itineraries are generally scheduled January through April and include 7-night charters which include mostly pelagic fauna. Reef sharks, whale sharks, oceanic mantas, tiger sharks, eagle rays and hammerheads but also some beautiful overhangs with soft corals, schools of reef fish & macro critters. Depending on the itinerary you choose, you will most likely visit 2 of the following atolls : Vaavu, Meemu, Laamu, Thaa, Huvadhoo, Foammulah and Addu
CENTRAL ATOLLS will generally include 2 to 3 of the following, depending on the itinerary you choose:
North Ari Atoll: find caves & overhangs here are home to home to a variety of fish … from dog-toothed tuna, napoleons, trevallies and barracuda to parrotfish, butterflyfish, blue face angelfish, batfish and lionfish. You’ll encounter grey reef sharks and white-tip sharks … while on the top of the reef, countless fusiliers dart around and those lovely, ever-present-in-the-Maldives blue-stripped snappers move in waves. Lovely soft corals and gorgonian fans add color … and there’s a nice little wreck …. a fishing trawler with coral growth and loads of fish and critters to add interest.
South Ari Atoll: popular for its population of whale sharks. In season you’re likely to have the opportunity to snorkel with one or more. But, whale sharks aren’t all there is. You’ll find caves and overhangs, more sharks … plus fusiliers, angelfish, tuna & jacks, large sea fans, soft corals and an abundance of other marine life.
North Male Atoll: one of the finest sites in the Maldives for sighting those majestic mantas. A cleaning station here can be very busy between May and December, with cleaner wrasse anxious to get to work on their oversized friends as they sail in. It’s a bit like a busy barber shop!
South Male Atoll: a challenging thila dive here offers some lovely corals and schools of pelagic fish … plus eagle rays and sharks. Another small wreck features some good macro options.
Vaavu (Felidhe): there’s a popular channel dive here with nurse sharks as well as black tip and white tip reef sharks. A possible night dive at a jetty offers up loads of nurse sharks & sting rays. Another dive, loved by photographers in particular, is alive with soft corals in lovely hues and includes a nice variety of reef fish.
Rasdhoo Atoll: a popular reef dive which is usually also very sharky if you’re there early in the day … although the hammerheads tend to be around most of the time. Big schools of pelagic fish are commons as well as the ever-present snappers, fusiliers & batfish.
Baa Atoll: known even to non-divers, Hanifaru Bay is a UNESCO reserve designed to protect the exceptional marine life that congregates within its remarkable shores. The funnel-like bay and reef have a tidal, current action that traps plankton and other nutrients at certain times. Mantas, whale sharks and other animals arrive for a feeding frenzy unlike any other we know of. At times there can be more than 100 mantas taking part in this huge feast. In the neighborhood are other dives where you’ll find hard & soft corals and a sampling of the other Maldives characters: the turtles, the snappers, the sting rays, the sharks … and even a critter or two.
SOUTHERN ATOLLS:
Vaavu (Felidhe): there’s a popular channel dive here with nurse sharks as well as black tip and white tip reef sharks. A possible night dive at a jetty offers up loads of nurse sharks & sting rays. Another dive, loved by photographers in particular, is alive with soft corals in lovely hues and includes a nice variety of reef fish.
Thaa Atoll: known for both mantas and eagle rays and plenty of pelagic fish, there’s also a nice channel dive which often includes a few sharks, including occasionally some silvertips.
Foammulah: if you’re looking for sharky dives, you need look no further. Tiger sharks, thresher sharks, hammerheads and silky sharks can be found in this region … plus oceanic mantas. The currents can be wild, so, it’s strictly for advanced divers. If you’re in that category, this is thrilling stuff! There’s also a beautiful wall dive with more of the same characters and schools of pelagic fish.