Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Nov–Apr · Moderate current · 28–30°C (coldest Jan, warmest Mar)
- Current
- Moderate
- Water temperature
- 28–30°C (coldest Jan, warmest Mar)
- Visibility
- 8–30m: Often 15–30m on incoming-current sides in the northeast monsoon.
- Experience
- Sheltered reefs can suit Open Water divers.
01 · Marine life
What you may see
Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident around current-swept thilas such as Fish Head and Maaya Thila; numbers and proximity change with tide and boat traffic.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident reef turtle; encounters are more likely on coral slopes than on blue-water shark searches.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident around pinnacles; hunting activity is a particular feature of Maaya Thila night dives.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Resident on Ari's reefs, but not equally frequent at every site.
02 · Dive sites
Dive sites worth knowing
A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.
Fesdu Wreck
The wreck lies from roughly 20m to 30m.
12–30m · Moderate current
Fish Head (Mushimasmingili Thila)
A channel-edge pinnacle where shark activity depends heavily on current direction and strength.
6–30m · Strong current
Kudarah Thila
A small South Ari thila where the fish cover can be dense, but strong current shortens the useful time on the pinnacle.
5–30m · Strong current
See all 6 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to MLE. Typical trip $–$$$.
Route overview
Moderate
Reachable but with some friction: 1 domestic flight.
Airport options
MLE
Velana International Airport
International arrival and main liveaboard port; Ari is reached by seaplane, domestic flight, speedboat or liveaboard
VAM
Villa International Airport Maamigili
About 25–30 minutes by domestic flight from Malé, followed by a short resort or local-island boat transfer in South Ari
Typical trip cost
$–$$$
under $2,000 to over $4,000
Per person, excluding international flights.
- Seven-night central-atoll liveaboards commonly start near $1,100–2,000 and rise above $4,000 on higher-end boats.
- Local-island guesthouses can keep a week below $2,000 before international flights; private-island resorts can exceed that for accommodation alone.
- Add transfers, diving, service charges and Green Tax: from 1 January 2025 it is $12 per person per day at resorts and tourist vessels, or $6 at qualifying small inhabited-island guesthouses.
Permit or park fee
What you pay
The official SAMPA protected-area portal currently lists snorkelling and diving entry at MVR 0. Accommodation carries Green Tax of $6 or $12 per person per day depending on property type.
How it works
Dive facilities must be licensed. Vessels conducting snorkelling and diving in SAMPA must register and comply with the 2024 whale-shark interaction guideline; operators arrange access rather than individual divers applying directly.