Where's the best liveaboard diving in the Maldives?
Underwater highlights on most itineraries include a mix of reef, wreck and channel and drift dives. Expect to dive in warm water and see colourful corals and plentiful fish life. While not guaranteed, encounters with big fish such as reef sharks, nurse sharks, manta ray and if you're lucky, whale shark are relatively common throughout the year in this special diving destination, so keep your eyes peeled on the blue.
Liveaboards out of Male
Diving in the Maldives is spectacular throughout the year. One of the simplest and most satisfying ways to experience the incredible range of world-class dive sites is to hop on a liveaboard departing from Male. Most of our liveaboards offer classic week long diving adventures to the best sites of the nearby atolls. These trips are often known as the ‘Best of Maldives' and follow a flexible itinerary that takes account of local diving conditions. The boats will generally operate in both North and South Male atoll, North and South Ari atoll and include time at Rasdhoo and Vaavu atolls depending on your chosen boat.
Liveaboard Itineraries Beyond Male
Recent years have seen access to some remote atolls in the Maldives improve dramatically, and our liveaboard portfolio has evolved to cover these exciting new atolls. These include Baa, Raa, Lhaviyani and Rasdhoo in the north and Meemu, Laamu, Huvadhoo and Addu in the south. These atolls bring exciting new opportunities for experienced divers seeking exciting marine life encounters.
Southern Atolls
The south atolls of the Maldives are renowned for their exhilarating shark encounters and many boats sail to this region operating itineraries for the first few months of the year visiting sites in the Laamu and Huvadhoo atolls as well as Fuvamulah and Addu, the most southerly. Many of the trips offer exploratory dive sites that have been seldom dived. This is challenging and pioneering diving, characterised by waters that are abundant in the marine life one expects from the Maldives.
Liveaboard itineraries in the southern atolls often begin and end in the region and involve a domestic flight from Male to reach the boat. In addition, there are some extended itineraries available which begin or end in Male as the boats move to ensure they are in the best locations throughout the year, offering divers the best experiences.
Northern Atolls
Certain liveaboards focus on the north-west of the Maldives between June and September each year, drawn by the promise of whale shark and manta ray in their droves as they feed on the plankton rich waters. Occasionally, itineraries are offered to the far north of the Maldives, promising more exploratory diving.
What to see when
Manta Rays
These elegant nomads are one of the prime reasons for many to visit the Maldives, with sizeable schools of reef manta ray regularly visiting key cleaning stations or feeding sites. Broadly speaking, between December and April, manta rays are sighted on the western side of atolls. From May to September, they're found on the eastern side of atolls. In each case, they're following their primary source of food; plankton.
Liveaboards tailor their itineraries to maximise the chances of good encounters at any particular time of year. One particular highlight is around the Baa Atoll between August and November, when up to 200 are known to gather around the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve called Hanifaru Bay. Our Maldives Manta Ray Extravaganza is an exclusive 10-night liveaboard safari where you can dive the northern atolls and snorkel in Hanifaru Bay amongst the mantas during their annual aggregation. This exclusive adventure is expert led by marine conservationist and cameraman Danny Copeland.
Whale Sharks
Similar to manta rays, whale sharks are filter feeders, and their movements are largely governed by their source of food. One particular hotspot is South Ari Atoll, a feature on many liveaboard itineraries. Sighted throughout the year here, whale shark encounters are often best between November and March in this area, simply because calmer seas make them easier to locate. Later in the year, between August and November, they can also be found in large numbers around the Baa Atoll.
Grey Reef Sharks
The clearer waters of the period from December to April tends to favour those looking for encounters with sharks, and the far south of the Maldives is well known for the best encounters. Grey reef shark are most common, but silky shark, hammerhead shark and even tiger shark can also be seen.
Itineraries
Whether you are looking to visit the renowned and established sites close to Male or want to discover remote atolls in newly-chartered waters, Regaldive operate a number of liveaboard itineraries so you can choose your ideal Maldivian diving experience.
Please note that liveaboard itineraries can change without notice. The itinerary will depend on several factors including, but not limited to, weather, diving ability of guests & the number of other boats already present at the various dive sites. All dive sites visited are subject to weather conditions and are at the discretion of your dive guides and vessel captain.
Liveaboard and Island Combinations Tailormade
We offer tailormade holidays to the Maldives. This means that we can organise your holiday based on your requirements. We can also offer a twin centre option of a liveaboard and island based holiday in the Maldives. Alternatively, many guests choose to combine the incredible sights in Sri Lanka with either an island or liveaboard in the Maldives. Enquire with the friendly Regaldive team for further details.
Groups
For anyone travelling as a group of friends, with a dive club or even an extended family there are often group deals available, along with full charters. To find out the best option for your group or dive club, the experienced and friendly Regaldive team are happy to do the work for you and provide curated recommendations; all part of the service!
