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Liveaboard Diving in Maldives

Maldives liveaboard diving is a year-round experience in the Indian Ocean for all diver levels to dive with magnificent mantas and huge whale sharks. Maldives liveaboards include luxury dive boats like the highly rated Scubaspa Ying and Yang liveaboards that float above pristine and colourful reefs.

Liveaboard scuba diving in the Maldives offers divers some of the best and most pristine and colourful reefs on the planet. With many luxury dive boats to choose from, you can fulfil your bucket list diving in the Maldives.

Maldives diving offers the chance to see manta rays, whale sharks, reef sharks, tiger sharks, Napoleon wrasse, spotted eagle rays, turtles, and an abundance of reef fish of all shapes and sizes.

Whether it’s to dive amongst coral gardens in clear waters, swim through channels, experience pinnacles that rise up from the deep and explore wrecks, The Maldives has it all.

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The best way to experience diving in the Maldives is by liveaboard, which can go where the day boats can’t always reach.

Maldives liveaboards arrive at dive sites first thing in the morning, and before anyone else gets there. You’ll sail past deserted white sand islands that just show through the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean that surround The Maldives.

Maldives liveaboards offer itineraries to experience dive sites that include North Male Atoll, Ari Atoll, Baa Atoll, Hanifaru Bay and Rasdhoo. And on some itineraries you can explore the remote atolls in the far north or south of The Maldives where you may not even see another liveaboard for the whole trip.

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One of the most popular dives sites is Ari Atoll, where you’ll experience submerged pinnacles. It is these pinnacles that attract big marine life like manta rays, pelagic fish and if you’re lucky you may even spot hammerheads too at Rasdhoo Atoll to the northeast.

Ari Atoll is 40 km long and is made up of around 105 small islands. The most popular dive sites include Maaya Thila, which is overflowing with reef life, Donkalo Thila, which is one of many manta cleaning stations. Both of these dive sites are only accessible to liveaboards.

Ari Atoll is also one of the best dive sites in The Maldives for whale sharks and manta rays. But be aware you will need to be an experienced diver to be able to navigate the strong currents, which is what brings these giants of the ocean to Ari Atoll.

Table of Maldives liveaboards

This list of Maldives liveaboards is in descending customer rating order, so the liveaboards with the highest customer rating will be at the top of the list. To filter this table for the features that are important for your Maldives liveaboard trip, select from the list of filters below.

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Note: The above “Price Per Day” was correct at the time of producing this article, as was the exchange rate used to convert the GBP cost to US Dollars and Euros. For an up-to-date cost for your chosen liveaboard, please visit the “Book” link above.

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Maldives Liveaboard Dive Sites

Ari Atoll Diving

Diving itineraries to Ari Atoll on Maldives liveaboards range from 7 to 12 nights. The best time to dive in Ari Atoll is December to May, which is the in the calm season.

Water temperatures fluctuate between 26°-29°C (78.8°-84.2°F) around Ari Atoll. Visibility is generally good and ranges from 15-20 meters (49-66 feet). Ari Atoll liveaboards depart from Male, which is accessible via a short flight from Singapore, Dubai, and Colombo, as well as longer flights worldwide.

Dive itineraries around Ari Atoll include North and South Male Atolls, which include Rasdhoo Atoll and Baa Atoll and most Ari Atoll liveaboard itineraries include both dive sites.

Baa Atoll Diving

Most of The Maldives liveaboard dive cruises to Baa Atoll range from 7 to 10 nights. The dives sites around Baa Atoll can be visited year-round, but you may be cautious to dive there during the southwest monsoon from May to November if you get seasick on a liveaboard, as the seas can be choppy.

Baa Atoll sea water temperatures range from 27°-30°C (80.6°-86°F). Many liveaboards which include diving itineraries to Baa Atoll depart from Male.

At Baa Atoll you can enjoy dive sites such as Maavaru Kandu, Dhonfanu Thila, Dhigali Haa and Hanifaru Bay.

It is at Hanifaru Bay dive site where you’ll enjoy manta rays and whale sharks congregating during the plankton-rich months from August through November. These dives can generally be enjoyed by beginner divers, as the currents there are moderate.

Nilandhe Atoll Diving

Nilandhe Atoll is on the western side of the Maldives and is part of the Southern Atolls. Nilandhe Atoll is a popular destination for liveaboard diving because of its reputation for large schools of fish, spotting reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, and the beautiful spotted eagle rays.

Nilandhe Atoll actually includes two atolls, where the southern atoll is teeming with marine life. The marine life experienced here includes grey reef sharks, schools of fusiliers, snappers, sweetlips, tuna, turtles, and mantas.

Best time to dive The Maldives

The best time to dive in the Maldives is year-round. But having said that, there are two seasons in The Maldives, and some people prefer to avoid monsoon season from April to October.

The monsoon season in The Maldives means it will rain more often. But if you want to enjoy manta rays and whale sharks, it is in the monsoon season when you are more likely to see them congregating from August through November.

I hope you enjoyed this page about Maldives liveaboard diving

I’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your adventures of diving and snorkeling, in the comments below. Please also share your photos. Either from your underwater cameras or videos from your waterproof Gopro’s!

If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions either about snorkeling or scuba diving (or specifically about Maldives liveaboard diving), please comment below with your questions.

There will also be many more articles about scuba diving (and snorkeling) for you to read and learn about these fabulous sports.

Have fun and be safe!

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