Whale shark snorkel in Ari Atoll
Hawksbill turtle on the move
Manta cleaning station
BEST FOR Paradise on Earth
Maldives
What to expect: Diving in the Maldives is an object lesson in weather and water movement. While it’ s a genuine yearround destination offering 27-28 ° C water, the visibility and topside conditions are dictated by the changing monsoons. As the monsoons change, the plankton moves either to the west or east sides of the atolls, and manta rays follow this movement in search of food.
From December to April the monsoon changes and the best place to find mantas is on the west side of the atolls, including several locations in Ari Atoll, where there’ s no shortage of resort islands. The flipside is that atolls facing east will typically get better viz during this season. So you pay your money and take your choice, or you can book a liveaboard and get the best of both.
At its best, Maldivian diving is a currentfuelled thrill ride. The best sites are the kandus, passes between reefs where ocean water flows in and out of the atolls. Moving water promotes fish activity, which brings in the predators, typically grey reef sharks but also dogtooth tuna and eagle rays. Whale sharks can be seen year-round in South Ari Atoll thanks to the southwest monsoon, though their peak season is May to December.
While the Maldives isn’ t renowned for its shallow corals, there’ s still good hard coral development below 8m, and soft corals abound from 15m. Fish schools are common currency, notably blue lined snapper, various jacks and, if you get lucky, oriental sweetlips.
There are a few wrecks, mostly purposesunk, but the most significant war wreck is the British Loyalty, a Second World War oil tanker torpedoed in the remote Addu Atoll. Don’ t leave without: Finding a manta ray cleaning station. Mantas are the standardbearers of the Maldivian diving experience.
Smugness rating: The
Maldive presents a persuasive winter option for divers based in the UK. It’ s a Goldilocks balance of sunshine and marine life, but not as brutal on the jet lag as the long-haul journey to South East Asia. Maximum smugness attained.
Coral grouper
Aerial view of a kandu
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