South Ari Atoll Maldives Scuba Diving Trip
South Ari Atoll Maldives Scuba Diving Trip
5 Days • Monthly
Dive with Dive Shop Maldives
Spend five days diving South Ari Atoll from Fenfushi, a small local island on the atoll's southern rim, with Dive Shop Maldives, an SSI dive center operating here since 2010. Your package covers eight guided boat dives, four nights of accommodation with breakfast, and all taxes. Daily boats run to nearby thilas, coral gardens and channels, including Manta Point, Kudarah Thila, Broken Rock and Whale Shark Point.
South Ari is one of the few places on earth where whale sharks feed close to the reef all year, and every boat ride out carries that chance. Between encounters you drift along pinnacle walls thick with soft coral, settle beside a cleaning station as manta rays glide in to be groomed, and slow right down to search gorgonian fans for frogfish and ghost pipefish. Groups stay small, the pace stays unhurried, and you surface with time to talk through what you saw.
Trip Highlights
- Watch manta rays queue at the cleaning stations of Manta Point, a coral plateau they visit year-round
- Scan the plankton-rich channel at Whale Shark Point for feeding whale sharks, eagle rays and passing tuna
- Hunt for frogfish, ghost pipefish and nudibranchs among the sea fans of Kudarah Thila
- Swim through the canyon at Broken Rock, its walls hung with large fan corals, batfish and groupers
- Dive with no more than four divers per guide on regular trips
- Stay on a local island with breakfast and all taxes covered
What's Included
What's Included
- 8 guided boat dives over 5 days
- 4 nights of accommodation
- Daily breakfast
- All taxes and service charges
- Tanks, weights and weight belt
- Professional dive guide
- Boat transfers to and from dive sites
- Drinking water on the boat
Itinerary
Itinerary
Sample plan. Dive sites are chosen daily by the guides based on currents, weather and group certification level.
Day 1: Arrive on Fenfushi
Check in, complete your paperwork and gear fitting, and meet the team. If your arrival time allows, make an afternoon check dive (dive 1).
Day 2: Mantas and macro
Two morning boat dives leaving at 7:30 AM, typically pairing Manta Point's cleaning stations with the coral gardens of Kudarah Thila (dives 2 and 3).
Day 3: Whale shark waters
Two morning dives in the channels south of Fenfushi, such as Whale Shark Point and Broken Rock (dives 4 and 5).
Day 4: Reef pinnacles
Two more boat dives. Divers with the right certification and experience may visit Fenfushi Thila or Fish Head, conditions permitting (dives 6 and 7).
Day 5: Final dive and departure
An early morning dive if your onward travel allows (dive 8), then check out. Allow at least 18 hours between your last dive and any flight.
Agencies
Agencies
- SSI
Languages
Languages
- English
Meeting Point
Meeting Point
Important
Important
Requirements
- You must hold an Open Water Diver certification (SSI, PADI or equivalent) and bring your card or digital certificate
- Some advanced sites, such as Fish Head and Fenfushi Thila, require Advanced Open Water certification
- Allow at least 18 hours between your last dive and your flight home
- Travel insurance with dive cover is strongly recommended
Not suitable for pregnant women or anyone that has a history of certain medical conditions (especially those affecting the respiratory, circulatory, or nervous systems, e.g., severe asthma, epilepsy, recent major surgery, or heart conditions)
A completed Medical Statement is required. If any "Yes" answers are marked, a physician's written clearance is mandatory.
Mandatory fees
- None beyond the package price. Taxes are included.
Not included / optional extras
- Speedboat transfer Malé to Fenfushi: around USD 60 to 65 per person each way (public speedboat, about 2 hours)
- Dive equipment rental (BCD, regulator, wetsuit, mask, fins): price on request
- Lunch and dinner
- SSI Advanced Open Water course: USD 500
- SSI Enriched Air Nitrox specialty: USD 250
- SSI Deep Diver specialty: USD 300
- Sharks Ecology and Conservation course: USD 280
- Manta and whale shark snorkeling trips: price on request
Cancellations
Cancellations
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