Prepare to be enthralled by the world of spinner sharks in Hulhumale, where their gravity-defying aerial displays leave onlookers spellbound. With their sleek bodies and pointed snouts, they are no ordinary creatures as they’re built for speed and agility. Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah beckon you to witness these acrobats of the ocean with their new Shark Maniac Diving Package. Join us as we delve into the mesmerizing realm of these sharks and discover the wonders of Hulhumale.

About the Spinner Sharks

Scientifically known as Carcharhinus brevipinna, they are captivating marine creatures that inhabit the world’s oceans, including the waters around Hulhumale. These sharks are renowned for their remarkable physical characteristics and unique behaviours that set them apart in the shark kingdom.

They exhibit a sleek and streamlined body, ideal for swift underwater navigation. They typically grow to a length of around 6.6 feet (2 meters) on average, although some individuals can reach up to 9.8 feet (3 meters). One of the most distinctive features of these creatures is their long, pointed snout, which houses rows of sharp teeth adapted for catching prey.

Diet and Behaviour

Spinner sharks are opportunistic creatures with a diverse palate. Their diet primarily consists of small schooling fish, including sardines, herring, and anchovies. They occasionally feast on cephalopods like squid as well. Their hunting strategy involves bursts of speed and agility, allowing them to dart through schools of fish with incredible precision.

When hunting, they rely on their keen senses and remarkable agility. They often swim at high speeds, using their streamlined bodies to burst through densely packed schools of prey. As they approach their target, they execute their signature spinning leap, creating chaos within the school. This disorienting behaviour scatters the prey, making it easier for the shark to single out and capture individuals.

How To Treat Them

Treating spinner sharks requires a combination of respect, safety, and adherence to responsible diving practices. These guidelines not only ensure your safety but also contribute to the well-being of these remarkable creatures and their habitat:

• Maintain Respectful Distance
• Avoid Direct Contact
• Responsible Buoyancy Control
• Non-Intrusive Behavior
• Respect Their Space
• Follow Local Guidelines
• No Feeding
• Educating Yourself
• Sustainable Practices

By treating them with respect and following responsible diving practices, you can enjoy safe and memorable encounters while contributing to the preservation of these magnificent creatures.

Magnificent Aerial Displays of Spinner Sharks

Spinner sharks are renowned for their spectacular displays of leaping out of the water and spinning. This behaviour often occurs during feeding frenzies when they pursue schools of small fish, such as sardines and herring. While it’s a captivating sight for onlookers, these aerial acrobatics serve a practical purpose for the sharks.

To achieve these mid-air spins, they possess a combination of physical features that make such feats possible. Their streamlined body shape, with a pointed snout and a robust set of pectoral fins, plays a crucial role. These fins act like wings, providing lift as the shark bursts out of the water. Additionally, their powerful muscles, especially the muscles in their tail, generate the necessary thrust for the leap.

The mechanics of a spinner shark’s aerial display involve a swift upward rush toward the surface, often with the prey in pursuit. At the moment of the breach, the shark uses its muscular power and the lift generated by its pectoral fins to propel itself into the air. Once airborne, the shark contorts its body and spins rapidly, sometimes making multiple rotations. This spinning motion is believed to disorient and scatter the schools of small fish, making it easier for the shark to target and capture its prey.

Exploring Hulhumale: A Dive Haven

Hulhumale, known for its vibrant atmosphere and diverse marine life, serves as a gateway to underwater adventures. Its pristine waters are home to an array of captivating species, making it a prime location for divers seeking thrilling encounters.

Hulhumale’s underwater realm is a key component of the Shark Maniac Diving Package by Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah. This package combines the allure of Fuvahmulah’s shark haven with the underwater wonders of Hulhumale. Divers embarking on this adventure not only witness these sharks but also explore the rich biodiversity of Hulhumale’s waters, creating memories that last a lifetime. Dive into Hulhumale’s depths and be prepared to be mesmerized by the marine wonders that await.

The world of spinner sharks is a spectacle of nature’s grandeur, with their awe-inspiring aerial displays leaving indelible memories. Their agility and grace are a testament to the marvels of the underwater world. If you’re ready to be captivated by these magnificent creatures, the Shark Maniac Diving Package by Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah is your ticket to Hulhumale’s aquatic wonders. Join us in this adventure and dive into the depths, where these creatures await to mesmerize you with their breathtaking performances. Don’t miss the chance to be part of this remarkable journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I book the Shark Maniac Dive Package?

You can book the Shark Maniac Dive Package directly with Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah by email at info@pelagicdiversfuvahmulah.com

Do I need a special certification to dive with sharks?

No, you don’t need a special certification to dive with sharks but we recommend divers to be Advanced Open Water certified. We also highly advice that divers only engage and dive with professional trained shark safety divers.

How many days do I need to book to dive with sharks?

For the Shark Maniac Dive Package, you will need a minimum of 7 nights in total to dive with sharks. The package is a combination Maldives shark diving experience in Fuvahmulah and Hulhumale. Divers will spend 4 nights in Fuvahmulah and 3 nights in Hulhumale.

Does the Shark Maniac Dive Package include hotel and flights?

Yes, the Shark Maniac Dive Package includes hotel and domestic flights. Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah will book and manage your hotel stays in Fuvahmulah as well as in Hulhumale, and also book the domestic flight tickets between Male and Fuvahmulah. You only need to book your international flight tickets to Maldives and Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah will handle the rest.

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Best Fuvahmulah Dive Sites

Fuvahmulah has some of the best dive sites in Maldives for pelagic scuba diving. Here’s a quick guide to the top Fuvahmulah diving sites that we take our divers to experience the best of Maldives shark diving.

TIGER HARBOUR (East)

Dive Type:

Easy, OW diver

Depth:

Top: 6 – 10 meters | Mid: 12 – 15 meters | Slopes into the blue

Pelagic Species:

Tiger Sharks, Silver Tips

Marine Fish:

Giant Trevallies, Rainbow Runners, Barracudas, Jack Fish, Flounders,

Moray Eels, Leaf Fish & Lion Fish

Coral Life:

6 meters: mainly sand and rock being the harbour entrance   

10 – 35 meters: a wall with sand ridges, with little or no coral life

FARIKEDE (South)

Protected marine area

Dive Type:

Strong currents, AOW diver

Depth:

Top reef: 10 -15 meters | Slopes into a plateau at a depth of 35 – 60+ meters

Pelagic:

Silver Tips, White Tips, Gray Reef Sharks, Pelagic Threshers & Tiger Sharks

Seasonal – Oceanic Mantas, Hammerhead Sharks, Whale Sharks,

Oceanic White Tips & Mola Molas

Marine Fish:

Giant Trevallies, Barracudas, Skipjack Tunas, Dogtooth Tunas,

Groupers, Snappers & Yellow Fin Tunas

Coral Life:

8/10

THUNDI (North)

Dive Type:

Drift, Strong Currents, Vortexes, AOW diver

Depth:

Top reef: 5 – 7 meters | Mid: 18 – 30 meters | Slopes into the blue

Pelagic:

Pelagic Threshers (cleaning station)

Seasonal – Oceanic Mantas, Sand Tiger Sharks, Mola Mola,

Hammerhead Sharks & Whale Sharks

Marine Fish:

Giant Trevallies, Barracudas, Groupers & Snappers

Coral Life:

7/10

RASGE FANNO (East)

Dive Type:

Easy, OW diver

Depth:

Top reef: 5 – 7 meters | Mid: 18 – 30 meters | Slopes into the blue

Pelagic:

Pelagic Threshers

Seasonal – Oceanic Mantas

Marine Fish:

Giant Trevallies, Barracudas, Groupers, Snappers, Schools of Bat Fish & Reef Sharks

Coral Life:

8/10

BILHIFEYSHI (South East)

Dive Type:

Drift, OW diver

Depth:

Top reef: 5 – 7 meters | Mid: 18 – 30 meters | Slopes into the blue

Pelagic:

Pelagic Threshers

The post Fuvahmulah Dive Sites – Fast Facts appeared first on Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah.

In recent years, Fuvahmulah island has been gaining popularity in being the place for tiger shark diving. Fuvahmulah has guaranteed tiger shark sightings everyday and throughout the year. The diving community in Fuvahmulah has successfully identified over 200 individuals. For this reason, this probably makes Fuvahmulah island having one of the healthiest tiger shark population in the world. In addition, Fuvahmulah has a unique topography that produces distinctive ocean current patterns around the island. This makes it an ideal cleaning station and nursery for an array of marine life, including tiger sharks.

Tiger sharks are considered the second most dangerous shark after the great white. Despite this, there has not been any record of shark attack attacks in Maldives. Tiger sharks are naturally curious and may be drawn to divers. As long as divers remain respectful of these macro predators and the ocean, it is an amazing Fuvahmulah shark diving experience.

Fuvahmulah – Shark Diving Safety Briefing

Based on our collective diving experiences and principles, we operate on a 1:4 guide to diver ratio. We have a maximum of 12 diving guests per dive boat. This is to provide a safer Maldives shark diving experience for our guests. To best prepare each diver before their first tiger shark dive with us, we conduct an in-depth safety briefing. Our Fuvahmulah shark diving safety briefing covers topics such as the relationship of tiger sharks with the island and the dive plan. The safety briefing also includes what to expect from the tiger sharks, diver behaviour during the dive, our resident tiger sharks and more.

International shark diving safety experts have trained all our instructors and guides. They are always on alert during dives to monitor the sharks’ behaviour and take precautionary measures, if needed. There has been zero shark incidents at Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah. As with any encounter with nature and wildlife, we strongly advice to always follow instructions from our guides at all times to maintain safety.

Visit our blog article Tiger Shark Diving in Fuvahmulah to read more.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is tiger shark diving in Maldives safe?

Yes, in general tiger shark diving in Maldives is safe. Here is Fuvahmulah, we have not had an incident and we stick to our safety procedures. It is always important to remember that there is still a risk of diving with sharks as we are entering their environment and territory. Divers are required to always remain respectful and follow instructions from our shark safety guides at all times.

2. Can anyone go tiger shark diving in Maldives?

No, we do not let anyone go tiger shark diving in Maldives. We require divers to be at minimum a certified Open Water Diver. All divers are also required to dive with a professional dive center and we also advice divers to dive with professionally trained shark diving safety team.

3. What safety procedures do you have to go tiger shark diving in Maldives?

We follow a list of safety procedures for divers to go tiger shark diving in Maldives. This includes but not limited to – our guide to diver ratio being a minimum of 1 guide to 4 divers, divers need to be a minimum Open Water Diver certified and it is mandatory for all divers, regardless of dive certification, to attend our tiger shark safety dive briefing before their first tiger shark dive with us. Our dive team is also professionally trained by shark safety experts.

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Amazing Shark Diving in Maldives

Diving enthusiasts from all corners of the world regard the Maldives as a renowned diving destination for its vibrant marine life and pristine coral reefs across the country. As with tourism, diving has long been concentrated in the central atolls of the Maldives. Fuvahmulah is located in the south of the Maldives, just above the equator, offers a one-of-a-kind diving experience in Fuvahmulah. An adventure awaits enthusiastic divers keen on exploring the uncharted reefs of Fuvahmulah.

Fuvahmulah, also known as the Shark Island of Maldives, is possibly ranking as one of the best shark diving destinations in the world. The island’s unique underwater topography has a submerged reef extending deep towards the ocean floor. As a result, this makes the island and its surrounding waters home to a rare combination of pelagic life. Fuvahmulah is a scuba diving haven for oceanic mega fauna like threshers, oceanic mantas and whale sharks. Additionally, divers may come upon gigantic schools of fish that are less commonly seen elsewhere in the country. The island, however, is most famous for its resident tiger sharks and divers are able to observe them everyday, throughout the year.

Why Fuvamulah Has Maldives Best Shark Diving

Fuvahmulah is the only one island atoll in Maldives and distant from other landmasses with its unique geography. This distinct feature of Fuvahmulah island brings nutrient rich ocean currents. As a result, a diverse range of pelagic species has an ideal environment for a cleaning station and nursery. Among the vibrant and luscious coral reefs, divers can encounter rays, sharks, and turtles. Once in a while, the surprise such as a mola mola, makes an appearance at the same Fuvahmulah dive site. Because of its rich tapestry of pelagic species on display throughout the year, Fuvahmulah is comparable to the Galapagos and Cocos Island.

Experience the Best Pelagic and Shark Diving in Maldives

There are common sightings of seven types of rare sharks in Fuvahmulah. Unfortunately, they are also among listed as vulnerable or critically endangered. Tiger Harbour is the name of our popular Fuvahmulah dive site. With tiger shark sightings all through the year, it is a guarantee that divers will encounter our resident tiger sharks. The elusive thresher sharks are usually in deeper waters but will come to shallow waters to the cleaning stations. This gives divers one of the best opportunities in the world to catch a glimpse of these shy creatures.

Particularly in the right conditions, you can encounter in awe schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks in the currents. Fuvahmulah is also in the path of migrating whale sharks, the magnificent gentle giants of the ocean. Silver and white tip sharks, grey reef sharks are other shark species that complete the rich ecosystem in these waters. Throughout the year at the cleaning stations, sightings of the Black Oceanic Mantas while scuba diving in Fuvahmulah. Not only that but also during the mating seasons of March to May. Because of their vast congregation, it may be the best diving destination in the world for Black Oceanic Manta. Depending on the season, there are great chances of seeing schools of barracuda, yellowfin tuna, mola mola, sailfish and whales.

Read more on when is the best season to dive in Fuvahmulah.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What kind of sharks can I see when shark diving in Fuvahmulah?

There are seven types of sharks that divers can see when diving in Fuvahmulah – tiger sharks, oceanic thresher sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, silver tip sharks, white tip sharks and grey reef sharks.

2. When is the best time to go shark diving in Fuvahmulah?

Between January and April is the best time to go shark diving in Fuvahmulah because of water visibility of up to 50-60 meters. Diving in Fuvahmulah the rest of the year is still good but water visibility may only be up to 20-30 meters.

3. Can I go shark diving in Fuvahmulah with the basic Open Water Diver certification?

Yes, divers can go shark diving in Fuvahmulah with the basic Open Water Diver certification. However, we usually recommend that divers have their Advanced Open Water Diver certification that allows them to dive up to 30 meters in Maldives. That way divers are able to enjoy the dives better as the majority of the pelagic sightings are in deeper water in Fuvahmulah. If a diver would like to do their Advanced Open Water Diver certification, we can customize the dive & stay package to include the course as well.

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Our Scuba Diving Guide Ratio

Based on our collective diving experiences and principles, we operate on a 1:4 guide to diver ratio. We also limit to a maximum of 12 diving guests on our dive boat. This is to ensure a safe diving experience in Fuvahmulah for our guests.

Fuvahmulah Diving With Locals

Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah is a dive center with all local owners and directors, 100% locally owned. Not only that but we have an all-Maldivian team of dive guides and instructors as well.

Highly Experienced Dive Team

Our team of guides are all certified Instructors and Dive Masters with over 40 years of collective dive experience. Majority of our guides are from Fuvahmulah island itself.

Small Group Dives

Because we organise a maximum of 12 guest divers per boat, we are providing each guest more focus. This results in a better-personalised experiences especially when shark diving in Fuvahmulah.

Fuvahmulah Shark Diving Safety Trained

Shark diving safety experts, Ocean Ramsey & Juan Oliphant of One Ocean Diving, have trained our instructors and guides. The team is always on alert during dives to identify and monitor the sharks’ behaviour. With this in mind, the team is ready to take precautionary measures if needed.

Read more on the safety of tiger shark diving.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you do group diving in Fuvahmulah?

Yes, we do group diving in Fuvahmulah but we keep to small groups.

2. How many divers do you have in the boat when diving in Fuvahmulah?

We have 12 guest divers on a boat when diving in Fuvahmulah. This does not include our dive guides.

3. How many dive guides do you have when diving in Fuvahmulah?

We have a maximum of 1 dive guide to 4 guest divers when diving in Fuvahmulah. This not only helps to ensure a safer dive but also gives divers a more personalized dive experience.

The post Why Dive With Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah appeared first on Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah.

Co-Existing with Tiger Sharks

My late great-grandfather used to tell me many stories about the various huge sharks they saw around the island. One of the stories I remember very clearly is how they would catch whale sharks by jumping into the water. They would then cut the gills to put the rope through the mouth and tow the sharks back to shore. The entire village would then come to help pull the shark onto the beach. They hunted whale sharks this way, over 120 years ago, to obtain oil from the shark liver. When applied to the boats, the oil protects the wood and makes them last longer.

When speaking with fishermen and the elders, it’s clear that tiger sharks have been around Fuvahmulah, perhaps from the beginning. I’ve encountered tiger sharks since I was a kid when we would go catch lobsters at night or octopus by day.

Shark Diving in Fuvahmulah At Tiger Harbour

In 2003, our harbour was built and opened, as was the fish market. Initially, the fishermen would throw fish waste from the daily catch inside the waters of the harbour. Soon after, the tiger sharks started coming inside the harbour where the boats are parked. My first encounter of them in the harbour was around 2015, while I was fishing.

In 2017, the local council forbade fishermen from throwing fish waste inside the harbour. New regulation required them to discard fish waste outside of the harbour. It was then a local dive centre took the initiative to start throwing fish waste at the harbour entrance instead. As a result, many tiger sharks started to gather in one place and tiger shark diving in Fuvahmulah began. Initially named Tiger Zoo, this popular Fuvahmulah dive site is now called Tiger Harbour.

The harbour entrance is about 10 meters deep with a drop off that goes down to 65 meters. When visibility is good, it’s beautiful to see these amazing tiger sharks coming up from the depths to 10 meters. Sometimes over 15 tiger sharks gather at a time and you can lay at the sandy area to watch them. Tiger shark sightings are all year round in Fuvahmulah.

Read more on safe diving with tiger sharks.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is tiger shark diving in Fuvahmulah safe?

Yes, tiger shark diving in Fuvahmulah is generally safe. As with any other scuba diving activity, there are risks especially since we are entering into the sharks’ environment and territory. Therefore, it is important to remember that we should always remain respectful of these apex predators and to follow instructions from our dive team. We also recommend that divers go shark diving with a professionally shark safety dive team.

2. How many tiger sharks are there in Fuvahmulah?

To date, dive centers have identified 248 individuals from one dive site, Tiger Harbour. There are many more other tiger sharks that are around the other Fuvamulah dive sites and in the blue. On a typical dive at Tiger Harbour, there are usually 6 to 8 tiger sharks and can be up to 15 or 18 tiger sharks.

3. Do I need to be a certified diver to go tiger shark diving in Fuvahmulah?

Yes, divers need to have the minimum Open Water Diver certification before we take them to go tiger shark diving in Fuvahmulah. If divers are not certified, they have the option to do the dive course with us.

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Fuvahmulah diving with tiger sharks

Tiger Sharks (all year around, 100% guarantee)
One of the main attractions which makes Fuvahmulah such a worldwide sought after site for the diving community are tiger sharks. Regardless of currents, season, time or weather conditions, you’ll be able to see our resident tiger sharks everyday.

Thresher shark diving in Maldives

Thresher Sharks (all year around)
Fuvahmulah house reef has many cleaning stations where thresher sharks as well as other sharks come to clean themselves. Some stations are about 40 meters deep. However, in Fuvahmulah when conditions are right, thresher sharks come up to cleaning stations at 12-15 meters. This occurrence is generally during the high tide, and we occasionally see them jumping out of the water as well. The chances of seeing threshers any time of the year is very high.

Diving in Maldives with whale sharks

Whale Sharks (January to May)
Sightings of whale sharks in Fuvahmulah is possible all year round. However, chances of seeing them is higher between January to May. We will often see adult females about 10 to 12 meters with whale shark pups during this period as well.

Hammerhead shark diving in Fuvahmulah

Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (October to April)
The highest probability to see schools of scalloped hammerheads in Fuvahmulah is between October and April. The optimal conditions are in the new moon and full moon with the right current.

Maldives shark diving in Fuvahmulah

Silver Tip Shark (all year around)
Silver tip sharks are my favourite sharks. Throughout the year we encounter schools around the island, especially in the tiger harbour. Sometimes we see hundreds of them feeding with tiger sharks.

Fuvahmulah dive sites, Oceanic Mantas

Oceanic Manta Rays (March to May)
The black oceanic manta (Manta Morph) are one of the more elusive pelagic species in the Indian Ocean. Despite that, divers are able to encounter these majestic creatures in Fuvahmulah. As a matter of fact, 90% of black oceanic manta sightings in the Maldives are in Fuvahmulah. It is in the last few years, schools of oceanic mantas make their way to Fuvahmulah to mate, clean and feed between March to May. There is a lot to learn regarding their behaviour and sightings around the island but definitely, this is the best place in the world to see them.

Other pelagic scuba diving in Maldives

Grey reef and white tip reef sharks (all year around)
Both hundreds of grey reef and white tip reef sharks cruise around the island all year around. We see them almost everyday. Nevertheless, one of the most remarkable things that you can see are baby white tips sleeping inside little reef overhangs.

Therefore the best season to visit Fuvahmulah is between January to April simply because of all the pelagic species you can dive with and the best visibility you will experience.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. When is the best season to come diving in Fuvahmulah?

The best season to come diving in Fuvahmulah is generally from January to April as that is the period with the best water visibility of up to 60 meters.

2. Is it the rainy season if I come scuba diving in Maldives during the middle of the year?

It is not the typical rainy season if divers come scuba diving in Maldives during the middle of the year. Like other tropical countries, there may be some rain that passes by but diving will still continue.

3. What is the best time to visit Fuvahmulah for tiger shark diving?

Tiger sharks are sighted all year round so any time is the best time to visit Fuvahmulah for tiger shark diving. Encounters with thresher sharks are best between October to December but they can also be sightings throughout the year. Schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks are also between October to December as the thermocline is at a shallower depth. Whale sharks and oceanic mantas usually come through Fuvahmulah between January and April.

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