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Liveaboard Diving in Ari Atoll

Ari Atoll Liveaboard Dive Sites

Scuba divers plunge into the waters of Ari Atoll for the promise of spectacular pelagic encounters. Ari Atoll is the most reliable Maldives location for whale sharks and manta rays, as well as for tons of reef sharks and turtles. The area's general topography is dominated by kandus and thilas. Thilas are volcano-shaped pinnacles rising from the depths of the sea and attracting lots of sea life; kandus are current-filled channels from the open ocean, where big fish ride the ripping highway to their next meals.

Ari Atoll's thilas are colonized by sea life like all Maldives pinnacles, but this area is not the best Maldives site for corals and color. Instead, Ari's main draw is the large wildlife in the water column. Various marine protected areas within Ari Atoll ensure the conservation of its incredible underwater creatures, so diving within Ari Atoll sanctuaries at sites like Fish Head and Kudarah Thila should not be missed.

The crowning jewel of Ari Atoll is Maaya Thila, considered one of the top Maldives dive sites for both day and night dives. This pinnacle is famous for the wild abundance and diversity of its reef life, from nudibranchs and octopus to schools of pelagic fish. As you descend to the deeper areas, caves and overhangs add variety to the topography.

Maaya's neighbor Donkalo Thila holds its own crown as a premier cleaning station for mantas and sharks in the western section of the atoll. Kudarah Thila and Rangali Madivaru, both in the southern section of Ari Atoll, host high-volume manta cleaning stations as well, while Ukulhas Thila is the premier manta cleaning station in the north. Hammerhead Point in Rasdhoo Atoll, northeast of Ari, tops it all off. The deep water drop-off near this site gives divers a special opportunity to see hammerheads, the highlight of many divers' Maldives liveaboard adventures.

Within Ari Atoll's 40 km length and 105 small islands, site after site vies for divers' wonder and appreciation. However, if it's sharks you're looking for, Fish Head pinnacle is the best place for an adrenalin pumping dive- here, throngs of bustling grey and white tip reef sharks scour the reef for their dinner under huge schools of dancing fusilier. Fish Head lies in the eastern section of Ari Atoll and enjoys marine protected area status. It is known as one of the top ten Maldives dive sites, partly because of its shark abundance and reliability of sightings.

Those who want to swim with the giant of the ocean turn to Maamgili, where plankton-rich waters nourish whale sharks gliding over wrecks that also host large marble rays and nurse sharks. For wrecks, Ari Atoll offers Fesdu and Halaveli. Fesdu Wreck in the north is popular with macro critter lovers for its resident ghost pipefish and plethora of nudibranchs and flatworms. This fishing trawler was sunk to become an artificial reef more than ten years ago. Halaveli is a 33 meter long freighter where huge blotched fantail rays provide an impressive counterpoint to the macro-life tucked into the wreck's holes and corners, and can be dived day or night.

For divers who need color, Ari can also deliver. Rahdhigga Thila is crowned in its shallows with healthy branching corals and festooned on its sides with soft corals in every shade of the rainbow, not to mention other benthic organisms like sponges of many shapes and sizes. Pelagics lovers won't even feel left out here because Rahdhigga hosts shark action from silver tips, white tips and grey reef sharks.

Getting to Ari Atoll

The length of liveaboard itineraries in Ari Atoll ranges from 7 to 12 nights, with a budget of between 200 and 400 euros per night. Very often, a liveaboard bound for Ari Atoll and Rasdhoo Atoll will include North or South Male, Baa Atoll, or the southern atolls of Meemu and Vaavu in its tour. Usually, the south-focused itineraries which include Male, Meemu, and Vaavu, visit south Ari Atoll. North-focused itineraries visiting Male, Baa, and Raa, visit more of Ari Atoll, and include Rasdhoo Atoll as well.

However, Maldives liveaboard itineraries present great variety of choices and variations, like Carpe Diem's tour including Baa, Rasdhoo, Ari, Male, and Vaavu, and Orion's ìManta Madnessî itinerary. Most Ari Atoll liveaboards depart from Male, the capital city of the Maldives, but Carpe Diem's north-south trip departs from Baa. Most of these liveaboards are M/V luxury yachts, though the M/V Aggressor also has gorgeous sails.

The experience level required by Ari Atoll liveaboards varies from Open Water with no logged dives to Advanced Open Water with 100 dives. Currents are strong at Ari except at slack tides, but calm water also means no fish, so it's experienced divers who will be best able to take advantage of diving Ari Atoll.

Liveaboard departures

Many Ari Atoll liveaboards depart from Male, reachable by short flights from nearby Singapore, Dubai, and Colombo. Longer international flights from Europe, America, China, India, and Australia are all readily available, often connecting through the airports mentioned above. When Ari Atoll itineraries depart from other ports like Baa, a sea plane from Male is the best way to get there.

Best time to travel

Ari Atoll can be dived by liveaboard all year round. December to May hold the calmest seas; however, August through November is the best time for manta rays. Never fear though- manta rays can still be seen reliably during the calm season at certain sites. Shorty wetsuits usually keep divers comfortable at 26-29 C, and visibility is usually 15-30 meters. When visibility varies between sites, it's usually because of the seasons and the particular characteristics of each site location. Some of the best manta and whale shark sights are green with plankton, but catching a glimpse of these giants makes up for it.

Ari Atoll Diving Reviews

9.2 Superb
310 Verified Reviews

10.0 Exceptional
Michael W
United States

Wonderful - the seas came alive with sharks and mantas.

Diving Ari Atoll in July on the Carpe Vita

9.6 Exceptional
Jonathan L
United States

The diving was great but because of changing monsoon seasons, the viz was a bit challenging but that's because of the density of the plankton, which brought large numbers of big animals.

Diving Ari Atoll in November on the Moonima

8.0 Very good
Rick H
United States

This was the best of all the diving. Minimal currents and fairly good visibility.

Diving Ari Atoll in December on the Emperor Leo

9.6 Exceptional
Rachel R
United States

Lots of overhangs where fish hide. Saw a ton of turtles!!

Diving Ari Atoll in January on the Maldives Aggressor II

8.8 Fabulous
Paul C
United States

Very good, although the effects of global warming are being seen on the coral reefs with much bleaching. The diversity of fish life was nice and we could see lots of sharks and manta rays. When there was a stronger current, the visibility was much better.

Diving Ari Atoll in March on the Ari Queen

8.8 Fabulous
Masumi T
United States

Really fun and interesting - loved the late afternoon/evening dive watching packs of nurse sharks hunting and mantas playing in our bubbles.

Diving Ari Atoll in March on the Ocean Divine

9.2 Superb
Michael S
United States

Great diving, lots of marine life, coral damage.

Diving Ari Atoll in April on the Scubaspa Yang

9.6 Exceptional
SCOTT T
United States

Challenging currents but very good. Visibility of 30 meters or so.

Diving Ari Atoll in May on the Blue Force One

10.0 Exceptional
David P
United States

Ari atoll is where I learned to dive, I was spoiled by it's beauty.

Diving Ari Atoll in June on the Emperor Leo

9.6 Exceptional
kenneth R
United States

Saddened by condition of reef. Teach people to stay on bottom and not use hooks.

Diving Ari Atoll in July on the Scubaspa Ying

10.0 Exceptional
Enrique M
United States

Diving was very good, lots to see, visibility for the most part was amazing and lots of different sea life.

Diving Ari Atoll in July on the Blue Shark One

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Liveaboard Diving in Ari Atoll

Ari Atoll Liveaboard Dive Sites

Getting to Ari Atoll

Liveaboard departures

Best time to travel

Ari Atoll Diving Reviews

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