Dive Sites

Many expert divers consider the dive sites of the South Ari Atoll the best in the Maldives. Combined with the many years of experience of Patrick, Atheef and the professionalism of the Ocean-Pro dive team of Lily Beach this promises exciting and eventful dive holidays.

We cover practically the whole South Ari Atoll with our more than 50 dive sites. They range from easy to difficult, exposed to or without current. Include tilas, giris, farus, and outside reefs, and finally yet importantly channels and wrecks.

From May to December you could encounter mantas and whale sharks almost everywhere, and from January to May we could see them on daytrips on the west side of the atoll namely at the famous "Madivaru" manta point.

Although the southern out side reefs of the Ari Atoll are quite famous for frequent sightings of whale sharks there is no particular season and you would need also a bit of luck. We schedule regularly 2-tank excursions outside of the atolls trying to find them.

However, we visit our famous shark spots for grey reef sharks (Haba Thila, Jehed Thila and Vilamendhoo Thila) all year round. And to round up the perfect picture, let us not forget the fantastic Dangethi channel with 13 unforgettable and world famous dive sites. Some of them e.g. "Kuda Rah Thila,", "Five Rocks" and "Broken Rock" are on the Top ten dive sites of the world list and we reach them in only 20 minutes by boat.

The lagoon and the house reef with its eight entry/exit points are not only ideal for snorkeling, and it goes without saying that tank service to all of them is without extra charge, but they offer an exiting alternative and addition to the boat dives. Already in the shallow water, many fish like baby black tip sharks, stingrays and all sorts of young fish greet you. As you venture further out you find that the house reef is in part very step and thus the resulting over hangs and small holes offer perfect living conditions for numerous fish and corals. At occasions, even mantas and whale sharks have been spotted at the house reef.

Here you find a small selection of our dive sites for 2-tank and full day excursions and further below some of the dive spots we reach as a single dive either in the morning or in the afternoon:

Madivaru Marine protected area:. Huge faru, specialty are manta rays, whale sharks and napoleon wrasse during the North East Monsoon

Maamigili Corner Place to see sharks, napoleon, manta mobula & whale sharks

Whale shark point, White Sands Outside Bodu Finolhu Tila Whale sharks 10 months a year!

Haba Tila The best grey reef shark dive spot in S. Ari Atoll! (beautiful and easy dive site, overhangs, covered with soft corals. Excellent Marine life.

Ayabe Tila Beautiful overhangs full of soft corals, sharks. Amazing top reef full of huge table corals.

Omadhoo Tila 55 min Long tila in the middle of a channel. Superb soft and hard coral growth. With current - white-tip reef sharks, schools of barracudas, napoleon, eagle rays, tunas, nurse sharks, soft and hard corals, overhangs, blocks.

Endiri Tila 15 min “Fish Soup”! Glassfish, Black coral, long-nose hawk fishes, shrimps, gobies, large schools of banner fish, batfish, clownfish.

Velagali Tila 10 min Small overhangs, abundant fish life, nudibranches, lobsters, mantis shrimps.

Kuda Rah Tila 50 min Marine Protected Area. One of the top 10 dive sites in the world! Two big overhangs,4 coral blocks covered with soft corals in orange and yellow, schools of blue striped snappers, a huge amount of marine life.

Brocken Rock 45 min Coral block with nice overhangs, rocks and canyons. Fantastic coral growth and big amount of fishes.

Panettone East (Five Rocks) 45 min 5 beautiful coral blocks, huge amount of fish life, canyon and rocks and overhangs full of marine life

Vilamendoo Tila 15 min Mantas and whale sharks! Batfishes, tunas, napoleons, sharks, turtles, stingrays, snappers, overhang.

Jehed Tila 45 min Long overhangs, large gorgonians, stingrays, eagle rays, napoleons, barracudas, especially beautiful.

Kudhimaa Wreck 45 min One of the best wreck dives in the Maldives. This 52m long cargo ship lies at a depth of max. 31m. Sunk in March ´99.

Orimas Faru 25 min Classic corner dive. Starting at the outside reef, ending in the channel. Tunas, mackerels, snappers, sharks, napoleon, eagle rays.

Lily Beach Tila 12 min Fantastic reef with overhangs, big coral blocks, eagle rays, sharks, napoleons, schools of snappers, but deep.

Kuda Maafushivaru Giri 25 min Overhangs, big coral blocks, schooling long-fin banner fishes, big tunas, turtles, sharks, eagle rays, dolphins.