The Maldives is made up of 26 natural atolls located in the Indian Ocean. The southernmost atoll is called Addu, and just above it lies a small island — the only standalone island in the Maldives — called Fuvahmulah. This little island is nestled between two atolls and offers some of the best shark diving in the world.
History
Maldivians have relied on the ocean for their food for decades. With an abundance of fish surrounding the islands, it comes as no surprise that many locals are highly skilled fishermen. When fishing boats returned to the harbour in Fuvahmulah, they would be washed, with all the fish waste going into the surrounding waters. Over the years, this attracted a large shark population, drawn in by the scent of blood circulating in the shallows.
There are several dive centres located near the harbour, so it’s easy to find a shop to dive with. A couple of these dive centres work together to create a database of the tiger shark population in the area. It is believed to be the largest documented database of tiger sharks in the world. At the time I was there, 290 individual tiger sharks had been recorded.
Tiger Shark Dive
Most dive shops run three dives per day: two reef dives and one tiger shark dive. Each shop has an allocated time slot for the tiger shark dive site. These groups can get quite large — often at least 15 divers — but dive centres usually provide enough guides to manage the numbers. When we finished one of our dives, we saw a group of 30 divers coming in but they were part of a liveaboard (diving safari).
The dive begins along a wall, then moves into the shallows at around 5–7 metres. You’ll be positioned — either seated or lying down — on nearby rocks, where you remain for the rest of the dive. Various tiger sharks swim by during the dive, offering underwater photographers an excellent opportunity to capture stunning shots. Some sharks are not shy around people and will come in quite close. It really is an amazing experience; everywhere you look, there are sharks.
The guides will also move you around slightly to ensure everyone on the dive gets the best views, and they can accommodate everyone. There will be one or two guides in front, and the rest will be behind, making sure nothing sneaks up while your back is turned.
We also had a marine biologist join us on our dives, who would collect data while still guiding. She was happy to explain to everyone what data she was collecting and why. It was nice to see that they were using this large population opportunity to its full advantage.
If you would like to learn more about tiger sharks, click here to see the full post on them.
The Reefs
The other dives on the day depend on weather and conditions. We visited several different reefs — all of them amazing — and still didn’t manage to see them all. Most sites featured sloping reefs dropping down to 50 metres or more, giving you a chance to see a wide variety of marine life.
A personal highlight was spotting thresher sharks. There are a few deep cleaning stations around the island where you may see unique shark species. However, due to the depth, nitrox is not offered by the dive shops — and there’s always one diver who breaks the maximum depth limit.
SCUBA Level: Beginner – Advanced
Temperature: 27-29°C/81-84°F
Visability: 20-35+ m/33-100ft
Depth: 6-25 m/20-82ft
SCUBA Level: Advanced
Temperature: 27-29°C/81-84°F
Visability: 20-35m+ /33-100ft
Depth: 6-50m+ /20-164+ft
When to Visit
Luckily, the diving here is good all year round, but the Maldives only has two seasons. The wet season runs from May to November, while the dry season is from December to April. Coming at different times of the year will offer different things to see, but during the wet season, storms may prevent you from going out diving. Visibility will be at its best during the dry season.
The Island Itself
Most of the dive shops offer dive packages that include your flight from Malé, accommodation and your dives. They offer different types of packages depending on the style of hotel you would like to stay in and how many dives you’d like to do while you’re there. However, you can always arrange your own accommodation, there are many guesthouses and hotels available throughout the island. Most of the dive shops on the harbour can take you out on the tiger dives, so if you want to do it all yourself, it’s easy enough.
What to Watch Out For
Before the tiger shark dive, you’ll receive an in-depth briefing, which includes details on the regularly sighted sharks. Two of the most well-known sharks at this site are Rose and Pirate — and once you’re in the water, it will be easy to see why they’re favourites.