Diving

South Ari Atoll is an excellent location for diving. South Ari Atoll has many excellent thilas, both inside the atoll and in the canals. There are also two wreck dives. The southern outer reef around Ariyad Kandu is famous for its regular year-round whale shark sightings. Manta rays and sharks are also prevalent in many locations, with Madivaru being the most documented location for manta rays. Topographically, Ari Atoll diving differs from many other areas in the Maldives since it does not feature many long stretches of barrier reef. Instead, there are a lot of thilas here where submerged pinnacles both inside and outside the atoll lagoons act as sites of marine aggregation, making for wonderful diving both in and around the pinnacles and in the kandus (channels).

Whale shark

the largest fish in the world live in South Ari Atoll, where Dhangethi is also located. The whale shark is found in this area year-round, so there is almost a 100% chance of seeing one. This breathtaking creature can be seen both while snorkeling and diving. The area is recognized as the South Ari Marine Protected Area (SAMPA) due to the large number of whale sharks.

Manta rays

You can watch manta rays both while diving and snorkeling. There is a good chance to see them all year round, but the main season for manta rays is from August to November. Manta rays can be very friendly, so it is safe to dive and snorkel with them side by side.

What you can see: whale shark, manta rays, Grey Reef Shark, Eagle Ray, Marble Ray, Mobula Ray, School of fishes, Frogfish,
Clown Fish, Turtle, Octopus, Parrot Fish, Giant Grouper, Hammerhead shark, Nudibranch, Stonefish, Jackfish, Tuna, Stingray, Nurse Shark, Nudibranches, Batfish, Pipefish, Shrimps and much more.

Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 10 - 30m
Surface conditions: Usually calm but can be choppy in southwest monsoon
Water temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: >50
Recommended length of stay: 1 - 2 weeks