Maldives is undoubtedly a renowned diving destination for enthusiasts from all corners of the world. Divers come to especially experience the vibrant marine life on display in the pristine coral reefs across the country. The central atolls of Maldives have been the concentration point for tourism and diving for the longest time. Fuvahmulah however, is located in the south of the Maldives, just above the equator. In spite of being off the beaten path, the island offers a unique scuba diving holiday experience. An adventure awaits enthusiastic divers keen on exploring the uncharted reefs of Fuvahmulah.

Experience Pelagic Diving in Fuvahmulah

Fuvahmulah is a solitary island in the ocean, distant from other land masses. For this reason, the distinct geography of the island brings nutrient rich ocean currents. This phenomenon creates the ideal environment for a cleaning station and nursery for a diverse range of pelagic fish. Among the vibrant coral reefs, divers can encounter rays, sharks, and the occasional surprise such as a mola mola. This rich tapestry of pelagic species are on display year-round. As a result, Fuvahmulah has aptly earned comparisons to the Galapagos and Cocos Island.

There are common sightings of seven rare shark species here. Tiger’s Harbour is the iconic dive site in Fuvahmulah. Divers can regularly encounter tiger sharks all through the year, in shallow and deep waters. The elusive thresher sharks are usually in deeper waters but will come to shallow waters to the cleaning stations. In essence, divers perhaps one of the best opportunities in the world to see these shy creatures all year round. In the right conditions, divers will awe at the sight of schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks in the currents. The gentle giants of the ocean, the majestic whale sharks are also known to visit Fuvahmulah all year round. Silver tips, grey reefs and white tip sharks are the other shark species that complete this rich ecosystem that congregate.

Scuba Diving in Maldives with Oceanic Mantas

The Black Oceanic Mantas can be seen throughout the year in the cleaning stations. Due to the vast congregation during the March to May mating season, Fuvahmulah may be the best destination for Black Oceanic Manta sightings. Depending on the season, divers have a great chance of encountering schools of barracuda, yellowfin tuna, bonitos, mola mola, sailfish and whales.

Here’s a quick guide to our Fuvahmulah diving sites.

Follow us on Instagram for amazing videos and photos.

The post Diving In Fuvahmulah appeared first on Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah.

Hammerhead sharks, locally known as “kaaligandu miyaru”, are one of the most fascinating shark species seen in Fuvahmulah. The shark gets its name for the odd shaped head, which are flattened and laterally extended like a hammer. The unique shape of its head allows for their wide set eyes. As a result this gives them a wider visual range than most sharks, helping them to thoroughly scan for prey. These consummate predators can grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh up to 1000 pounds. However, smaller sizes are more prevalent. Their grey brown colour with greenish tinge on the top and off-white bellies allows them to blend into the ocean. Their extra-tall, pointed dorsal fins are also a distinctive feature of this species.

Although hammerheads are solitary hunters at night, they do swim in schools of up to 100 during the day. Hammerheads feed on a large range of prey including fish, squid, octopus and crustaceans. Stingrays are their favourite, which they hunt by pinning them down with their wide heads.

Season for Hammerhead Shark Diving in Fuvahmulah

Scalloped Hammerhead sharks are a common sight in Fuvahmulah, with regular sightings of individuals throughout the year. In the right conditions you can encounter schools of hammerhead sharks cruising in the currents. Divers are able to experience in awe watching them seek prey in the rich pelagic feeding stations. The best time to catch a glimpse of hammerhead schools is between October to April. Even though they are more elusive, the Great Hammerheads also inhabits the area. Most hammerheads being smaller in size are relatively harmless for divers. However, caution is advised with great hammer heads who are enormous in size and fierce.

The great and the scalloped hammerheads are an endangered species due to overfishing and the high demand for shark fins. Maldives bans all forms of shark fishing.

Here’s a quick guide to our Fuvahmulah diving sites.

Follow us on Instagram for amazing videos and photos.

The post Hammerhead Shark Diving in Fuvahmulah appeared first on Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah.

The stunning and enthralling Giant Oceanic Manta Rays (Mobula birostris) are the largest type of ray in the world. Not surprisingly, these magnificent creatures reach up to seven meters in width and two tons in weight. Its triangular pectoral fins on either side are dorsoventrally flat. At the front, it has a pair of cephalic fins which are forward extensions of the pectoral fins. They roll up in a spiral when swimming. However, it flares out to channel water into the large rectangular mouth when they are filter feeding on planktons. They are born into a life of perpetual motion as they must keep water flowing over their gills to breathe.

Mantas are gentle creatures despite their immense size. They have the largest brain of all fish and their intelligence and curiosity make encounters a truly exhilarating experience. The most commonly sighted species of manta rays in the Maldives is the reef mantas. They are regarded as the smaller cousins of the giant ocean mantas. The southernmost region of Maldives have only recently identified a large population. At the present time, most of the 700 identified individuals come from Fuvahmulah. They appear to be highly transient and rarely re-sighted with individuals spending only short periods of time near the reef.

Melanistic mantas (black morph) make up 2% out of the manta ray population sightings at the cleaning stations in Fuvahmulah. During the mating seasons of March to May the congregation of Black Oceanic Mantas makes Fuvahmulah the best diving destination in the world to catch a glimpse of these majestic giants of the ocean.

Here’s a quick guide to our Fuvahmulah diving sites.

Follow us on Instagram for amazing videos and photos.

The post Oceanic Mantas Diving in Maldives appeared first on Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah.

The thousand rufiyaa note is the highest denomination of the Maldivian currency. It features the gentle giant of the ocean, the whale shark, known locally as “fehurihi”. An especially fitting tribute to the majesty of the largest nonmammalian vertebrate in the animal kingdom.

Although there are sightings of whale sharks as large as 20 meters, an adult whale shark is on average 9-12 meters in length. These majestic pelagic species can on average weigh as much 9 to 12.5 tons. They have an exceptionally wide terminal mouth with minute teeth and filter pads to feed on planktons and small fish. Whale sharks are notable for their distinctive patterns of narrow whitish bars and rows of spots. The patterns are specifically unique to each individual. The whale shark also has three prominent ridges along its sides. It starts above and behind the head and end at the caudal peduncle.

Whale Shark Watching and Scuba Diving in Maldives

In recent years, Maldives has established itself as a whale shark diving destination, especially South Ari Atoll. The atoll is a protected area for whale sharks and a hotspot for scuba diving in Maldives.

Fuvahmulah, is off the beaten path for tourism in the Maldives. However, diving in the pristine reefs of Fuvahmulah is a novelty that few tourists still get to experience. Among the rich marine life that can be seen in the pelagic feeding stations of Fuvahmulah is the whale shark. Whale shark watching and sightings are throughout the year but are more frequent between January and May. These docile giants are in fact known for their friendly disposition and are perfectly harmless to humans. Diving alongside these gentle giants at Fuvahmulah dive sites is an experience of a lifetime for a diver.

As with all creatures in the wild, it is important to be respectful, keep sufficient distance, avoid flash photography and resist touching or disturbing them.

Here’s a quick guide to our Fuvahmulah diving sites.

Follow us on Instagram for amazing videos and photos.

The post Whale Shark Diving in Maldives appeared first on Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah.

Thresher sharks known in Dhivehi as ‘kandi miyaru’ (translated to sword shark) are a rare but majestic sightings in Fuvahmulah. They are large lamniform sharks from the family Alopiidae. The first person to ever write about thresher sharks was Aristotle in the book Historia Animalia. In his book, Aristotle claims that thresher sharks are able to bite through fishing lines to escape. They will also temporarily swallow their young to protect them from predators. Both of these behaviours are obviously now scientifically inaccurate. However, it lead Aristotle to praise the high level of intelligence and cunningness of the shark likening them to the fox. This ultimately leads to the name Alopex, meaning fox in Greek.

Shark Watching and Shark Diving in Maldives

Thresher sharks have a very distinctive long upper caudal fin or heterocercal tail. Their tails can measure as much as half the length of their body. In adulthood, their tails can be as long as 10 feet (3 m). The common name thresher shark had derive from the distinctive thresher or scythe like shape of the tail. The sharks use their long tails as a weapon to stun prey.

Although, they are apex predators they are not a threat to divers. There have only been one attack on a person on record in the world. Unfortunately, the diver was provoking the shark by grabbing its tail. Thresher sharks are afraid of humans and for the most part, they will swim away the moment they see a diver. On the contrary, humans are the bigger threat to thresher sharks. They are hunted for their unique tails and as by catch in commercial tuna fishing as they hunt schooling fish. As a result, they are on the World Conservation Union list of vulnerable to extinction since 2007. Maldives bans all forms of shark fishing since 2010 and continues to protect all shark species, including thresher sharks.

Here’s a quick guide to our Fuvahmulah diving sites.

Follow us on Instagram for amazing videos and photos.

The post Thresher Shark Diving in Fuvahmulah appeared first on Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah.

Tiger Sharks, locally known as “femunu miyaru” is a species of requiem shark and a macropredator worthy of their namesake. The most distinctive feature of the sharks are the dark stripes or spots on juveniles, resembling tiger stripes. These markings tend to fade away as the sharks mature. Tiger sharks can grow up to 5 meters in length and up to 900 kilograms in weight. Their teeth are distinct, razor sharp with pronounced serrations and sideways-pointing tips.

Scuba Diving in Maldives with Tiger Sharks

There have been occasional sightings of tiger sharks across some atoll in the Maldives. However, it is only Fuvahmulah that guarantees encounters throughout the year when tiger shark diving in Maldives. The unique geography of Fuvahmulah without other land masses nearby produces distinctive ocean current patterns around the island. As a result, this makes it a cleaning station and nursery for a panoply of marine life, including tiger sharks. Although we don’t have an exact figure, Fuvahmulah has over 200 individuals identified at this point.

Tiger sharks are voracious indiscriminate predators, feeding on all kinds of fish, marine mammals, turtles, sea birds and sea snakes. Their diet includes cephalopods, mollusks, crustaceans, as well as carrion, earning the name – garbage bins of the ocean. The local Dhivehi name for the Tiger shark “femunu” is also a reference to the insatiable appetite of the shark.

Tiger sharks have a reputation for being aggressive man eaters. They are the second most dangerous shark in the world, after the Great White sharks. But there has been no recorded incidents of any shark attacks in the Maldives in history. Tiger sharks are naturally curious and may be drawn towards divers. It’s an exhilarating shark diving Fuvahmulah experience as long as divers remain respectful during any shark diving in Maldives and provoke or don’t intrude into their territory.

Here’s a quick guide to our Fuvahmulah diving sites.

Follow us on Instagram for amazing videos and photos.

The post Tiger Shark Diving In Fuvahmulah, Maldives appeared first on Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah.