The Maldives is a remote – no question about that! At just over 550 miles (nearly 900 km) Southwest of Sri Lanka and India, The Maldives are not only remote, but can be very expensive to get to.
If you’re coming from Europe to dive The Maldives, it’s not so bad. But if you’re on your way there from North America, settle in for a trip that will take you over 20 hours or more, depending on how lucky you are with flights!
Yet, the trip is worth it because The Maldives is also home to some of the most diverse marine life on the planet. Here are some photos that will inspire you to dive The Maldives!
Michael uses a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV in a Fantasea FRX100 V Housing to take underwater photos.
It’s an excellent dive camera setup.
Morays in the Maldives
During the day, they stay in their caves. They come out at night to hunt!
This is the first time I’ve ever seen two moray eels in the same cave!
Manta Rays in the Maldives
There are several cleaning stations you’ll be able to see when you dive The Maldives.
These areas have a good deal of current. So it’s helpful to have a reef hook with you.
Hawksbill turtles
Turtles are always fun. This one is enjoying dinner and was oblivious to my camera.
White Tip Sharks are everywhere
While you’ll likely see quite a few sharks, they tend to keep their distance.
Porcupine fish
One of my favorite fish – they always look like they’re sad because been abandoned.
Swim through schools of snappers
Just when you think they’re going to scatter, they let you join their school if you take your time.
Dive The Maldives! Meet Napoleon!
Larger that it looks. This guy was about 1.5 meters long. Very docile creatures with huge mouths!
Macro Diving in The Maldives
Michael and Halef both like to hunt for nudibranchs. Often, they concentrate so much that they miss the larger stuff!
Big fish in the Maldives
If you’re really lucky, you’ll see a whale shark – the biggest fish on the planet! This lady showed up on our second to last dive!
The life under the water in The Maldives is spectacular by almost any measure. We were lucky enough to dive The Maldives on a liveaboard in May.
You can see our review of the Emperor Leo Maldives right here.
Whether it’s any of the dozens of liveaboards that serve The Maldives, a day trip from Male with a local dive shop, or a week or more at a resort, we highly recommend that you put The Maldives near the top of your list of places to dive.
A typical Maldives resort will be able to arrange a dive for you. For example, check out the Kuramathi Island Resort, which operates a dive shop within the resort.
Packing for a liveaboard
If you’re going to spend a week or more on a boat diving, we highly recommend taking a look at our post about Packing for a Liveaboard Diving Trip.
It’ll save you space – and money!
For More on The Maldives: When we travel, we use Lonely Planet
in addition to all of the other research we do. We really do love these books and have a shelf full of them! By clicking the image and buying a book at the Amazon.com link below, we get a small referral fee at no additional cost to you.
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Michael is originally from Canada but now resides in Atlanta, GA with his husband, Halef, who also writes here. He is a Couchsurfing expert. Michael has traveled to over 50 countries learning how to experience more for less as he travels.
Emperor Leo Liveaboard Review – Diving in The Maldives
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