Top 5 dive sites in Maldives’ South Ari Atoll
08 Oct 2019South Ari Atoll, with its world-class dive sites and iconic Maldives marine life including whale sharks and manta rays, is a scuba divers paradise. The teams at Lily Beach and Vakarufalhi have shared with us their top 5 dive sites…
Top 5 dive sites in South Ari Atoll:
- Kuda Rah Thila – One of the most famous dive sites in the South Ari Atoll, this is a stunning small reef with large over-hangs and an archway, covered by colourful soft corals. Turtles, napoleons and large schools of blue-striped snappers can be seen here, as well as the occasional white tip or grey reef shark.
- Rheeti Thila – A small circular reef, split into five pieces by canyons, making it one of the most interesting formations in the atoll. Interesting overhangs, beautiful fan and whip corals, anemones, fusiliers being hunted by jackfish, big barracudas, scorpionfish, nudibranches, schools of oriental sweet lips and white tip reef sharks make for an action-packed dive.
- 7th Heaven – Situated across a channel, this reef and is completely covered in soft corals of every colour imaginable. Look for turtles, white tip reef sharks, stingrays, torpedo rays, moray eels, scorpionfish, nudibranches and much more.
- Hukuru Elhi Faru – Also known as Manta Point, this site is a protected marine area and from January until April it is famous for its manta cleaning stations. The mantas come up from the deeper parts of the ocean where they feed and use the shallower waters of Hukuru Elhi Faru to free themselves of unwanted parasites.
- Dhidhoo Beru Faru – This sloping outer reef is dominated by hard coral growth and the highlight at this dive site is the whale shark encounters, which are common during the right season. Divers can also see moray eels, lionfish and nudibranches on the reef as well as eagle rays and mobulas passing by in the blue water.
