Its submerged magnificent coral gardens are a shelter to millions of multicolored fishes surrounding these beautiful islands.

Enthusiasts describe Maldives as a diving paradise; the crystal clear waters of the Maldives are considered as one the highest visible diving spots on the planet.

As Scuba diving has become one of the major components of the Maldivian tourism product, number of divers has increased. and one can discover dive centers on every resort and onboard safari cruisers.

Maya Thila

This location offers one of the best known dives in the Maldives. A remarkable variety of marine life including grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, turtles, stonefish, frogfish, zebra morays and batfish. The top of the thila is at 8m due north you come to the edge of the thila, where there are a large overhang full of bright orange tubastrea corals. Often white tip reef sharks and sting rays are resting on the sand.

Location: 3km northwest of Maayafushi Resort Island.

Madivaru (Hammerhead point)

Home to a large school of hammerhead sharks. The best chance of seeing them is to dive in the sunrise and when the current is running into the channel. The jumping point is in the middle of the channel. Descend to 30m where the hammerheads are cruising - this is a really great dive. Many caves and overhangs with a huge variety of marine life. Garden eels, tuna, jackfish, white tip reef sharks and eagle rays.

Location: The channel between Madivaru (uninhabited Island) and Rashoo Island.

Mushimasmigili (Fish Head)

A very popular dive site - this is about 100m long and 60m wide with its reeftop at 10m. The southern side of the thila drops down steeply in two steps from 8m to 20m and from 20m to the atoll plate at 42m. On the southeastern corner there is a large overhang known as The Fish Head. Blue-lined snappers, greay reef sharks, napoleon wrasse and schoals of fusiliers and yellow grunts.

Location: 4km south of Mushimasmigili picnic island.

Furana Thila (Babaloos Thila)

This thila is on the edge of the submerged ocean reef between Full Moon Island and Chicken Island . It is about 150m long and stretches in to the channel. The dive is started on the outside reef of Full Moon Island when the current is going into the atoll. If the current is going out - the dive is started in the middle of the channel where the thila begins. The top of the thila is in an excellent condition, especially just before it reaches the outside reef. Hard coral in all shapes and colours and soft coral on the overhangs. The leopard moray eels are plenty and there are huge schoals of fusiliers, unicorn fish and snapper. Along the outside reef you will find white tip reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, big dogtooth tuna and a few very large specimen of green turtle are living here too. On the large coral blocks on the top of the thila the manta rays are comming in for cleaning during manta season (end of July to beginning of December).

Location: 300m north of the Furana Island (Full Moon) house reef.

Kudarah Thila

The thila is divided into four large coral heads of varying sizes, rising from 40m to 12m. Here there are caves full of soft corals, gorgonians and whip corals. Blue-lined snappers, trumpetfish, snappers, grey reef sharks and white tip reef sharks. Location: 1km southeast of Kudarah Island Resort.

Guraidhoo Kandu

A complex structure of two channels with a large reef in the middle. Plenty of sea fans and black coral bushes. Grey reef sharks, eagle rays and napoleon wrasse.

Location: Southern corner of Guraidhoo Kandu.

Hukuruelhi Faru

The reef slopes down gently from its top at 8m to the atoll floor at 30m, the reef is more than 1km long. To the east the reef forms a wall which drops steeply down to the sand floor at 30m. At 25m there are some large caves. This is a superb manta cleaning station during the season.

Location: South side of Rangali Channel.

Hurasdhoo Reef

The reef is centrally located in the atoll and protected from the waves from the ocean.
Foliaceous and encrusting hard corals and soft corals. Turtles and reef fish like giant trigger fish, oriental sweetlips, groupers and nepoleon wrasse are found in abundance.

Location: The south section of the house reef of Hurasdhoo Island.

Broken Rock Thila

The site is about 100m in length and shaped like a typically Maldivan thila (round/oval shaped submerged reef) - with the top at 13m. A very deep gulley runs across the thila from east to west. This gulley, brimming with soft corals and reef fish, its sheer sides have loads of nooks and crannies. Fusiliers, blue-lined snappers and trevallies.

Location: 2.5km northeast of Dhigurah.