Tour Overview
| Duration | 10 Days / 9 Nights |
|---|---|
| Destination | Maldives — Central Atolls (North + South Malé, Ari, Vaavu) |
| Price From | $3,595 per person (twin cabin) |
| Tour Style | Diving Liveaboard — Shark & Manta Safari |
| Best Season | January — April (clearest visibility, manta season) |
| Data Source | Dive the World Maldives / Blue Force 2026 verified pricing |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Malé, Board Liveaboard
Arrive Malé airport. Transfer to the liveaboard vessel — your floating dive resort for the next 10 days. Afternoon briefing, equipment check, and safety orientation. Evening: sail to North Malé Atoll. Overnight: liveaboard.
Day 2: North Malé Atoll — Shark Dives
Three dives in North Malé Atoll. Morning: Manta Point cleaning station (seasonal) where manta rays hover motionless while cleaner wrasse pick parasites from their gills. The manta traffic here can reach 20+ individuals on a single dive. Second dive: Lankan Reef (Manta Point alternative site) for grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks, and eagle rays. Night dive: Alimatha Jetty in Vaavu Atoll — one of the world’s most famous night dives. The sandy bottom is patrolled by dozens of nurse sharks (up to 3m) and giant trevally hunting in the boat lights. Stingrays, moray eels, and massive groupers complete the spectacle. 20-30 sharks on a single dive is common.
Day 3: Vaavu & South Ari Atoll
Morning: Golden Wall in Vaavu — a wall dive where soft corals form a golden carpet, with Napoleon wrasse and schools of barracuda in the blue. Sail to South Ari Atoll. Afternoon: Rangali Madivaru for manta rays at the cleaning station. Night dive: Kudarah Thila, a protected marine area where the fish life is so dense you can barely see through the schools of snappers and fusiliers.
Day 4: South Ari Atoll — Whale Shark Search
Full day dedicated to whale shark encounters. South Ari Atoll is the world’s best year-round whale shark destination. The crew uses spotter planes (weather permitting) to locate whale sharks, which are then approached by dhoni. Snorkeling with a 10m whale shark — the polka-dotted patterns, the tiny eye, the massive mouth filtering plankton, and the slow, graceful movement — is one of the ocean’s most humbling experiences. Three dives + whale shark snorkel sessions interleaved throughout the day.
Day 5: South Ari Atoll — Thilas & Kandus
Explore the thilas (submerged pinnacles) and kandus (channels) of South Ari. Morning: Maamigili Beyru for oceanic manta rays. Second dive: Dhigurah Arches — swim-throughs and caves with soft corals, turtles, and reef sharks. Third dive: Hukrueli Faru for macro life (nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, leaf scorpionfish).
Day 6: North Ari Atoll — Fish Head
Fish Head (Mushimasmingali Thila), consistently voted one of the world’s top 10 dive sites. This submerged pinnacle rising from 40m to 12m is a shark magnet — grey reef sharks patrol the current-swept edges, eagle rays cruise the blue, and schools of barracuda and jack form living tornadoes. The pinnacle itself is encrusted in soft corals and home to huge moray eels and napoleon wrasse. Three dives at Fish Head and surrounding sites.
Day 7: Rasdhoo Atoll — Hammerhead Safari
Early morning: Rasdhoo Madivaru (Hammerhead Point). Dawn dive to 30m hoping to encounter scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) that school here in the early morning (Dec-Apr peak season). The current can be strong but the reward — dozens of hammerheads emerging from the blue — is unforgettable. Afternoon: Madivaru Finolhu for more manta encounters. Third dive: Kuramathi Kandu for pelagic action.
Day 8: Baa Atoll — Hanifaru Bay (UNESCO)
Sail to Baa Atoll. Hanifaru Bay (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) is the world’s largest manta ray feeding station (seasonal May-Nov). When plankton concentrations peak, up to 200 mantas can be seen barrel-rolling in the confined bay — the highest concentration of feeding mantas anywhere on Earth. Snorkeling only (diving is prohibited to protect the site). Afternoon: dive at Dharavandhoo Thila for more reef action. Night dive at Kihaadhuffaru.
Day 9: Baa to North Malé — Wreck & Drift
Sail back toward Malé. Dive at the Maldives Victory wreck (35m, sank 1981) — a 110m freighter on its side in 35m, encrusted in corals and home to massive groupers, batfish, and trevally. Afternoon: drift dive at HP Reef (Girifushi Thila) with its overhangs and soft coral-covered walls. Evening: farewell dinner on board.
Day 10: Last Dive & Disembark
Morning dive at Kuda Giri wreck (small wreck in 15-35m, excellent macro). Disembark at Malé. Transfer to airport.
Inclusions
- 9 nights liveaboard (twin cabin, en-suite)
- All meals + snacks + water/tea/coffee
- Up to 27 dives (3 per day + night dives)
- Tanks, weights, and weight belts
- Nitrox (free for certified divers)
- Experienced dive guides (max 6 divers per guide)
- Dhoni (dive tender) support throughout
- Airport transfers
Requirements
Advanced Open Water certification + minimum 50 logged dives. Nitrox certification recommended. Strong currents and deep dives are common in Maldivian waters — this trip is for experienced divers.
