Trip base · Maldives
Ari Atoll
Three sites in Ari Atoll. Maamigili Beyru and South Ari are known for whale sharks seen all year, and Maaya Thila is a night dive with sleeping turtles and whitetip reef sharks.
Strong fit for November
Coral reefs
- Strength: 3 of 3 sites are reefs
- Strength: 3 of 3 sites are in season in November
- Strength: Calm seas on almost every day
- Trade-off: Rain on most days
Pack a shorty or 3 mm wetsuit for November.
Why this match: Season 36 + Interests 31 + Your level 19 + Weather 7 = 93
- Season36 / 38
- 3 of 3 sites are in season in November; calm on almost every day.
- Interests31 / 31
- Coral reefs: 3 of 3 sites.
- Your level19 / 19
- No level picked, so all 3 sites count.
- Weather7 / 13
- Rain on most days; no real storm risk.
Month by month
Season: best November to April.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Good | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Good | October: Good | November: Best | December: Best |
| Mantas | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Whale sharks | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Hammerheads | Possible all year | |||||||||||
| Reef sharks | Reliable all year | |||||||||||
| Turtles | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Dolphins | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Water | 28° | 28° | 29° | 30° | 30° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 28° |
| Rain days | 14 | 9 | 11 | 19 | 25 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
| Calm days | 26 | 25 | 31 | 29 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 28 |
| Storm risk | Under 5% all year | |||||||||||
Dive sites here
3 sites on Divetip.
- South Ari AtollReef · Intermediate · max 30 m
- Maamigili BeyruReef · Beginner · max 20 m
- Maaya ThilaReef · Intermediate · max 30 m
Getting there
Fly to Malé (MLE). Seaplane to South Ari, or a domestic flight to Maamigili and a speedboat: about 30 minutes.
Liveaboard or day boat.
What diving costs
Expensive
About €116 for 2 dives, the cheapest current price below.
A day of diving
Kandolhu Island dive centre (North Ari): USD 425 for 3 dives (about €381)
Full-day Ari dive safari on the Ari Explorer yacht with lunch, min. 8 divers; non-divers $250. Subject to 10% service charge and 8% GST. Undated.
Older price list, not used to compare: Undated list that quotes 8% GST, so probably several years old.
Scubatherapy Maldives (Hangnaameedhoo, South Ari): USD 130 for 2 dives (about €116)
Certified divers, 2 dives (single USD 70, 10 dives USD 550), with tanks, weights and the boat; equipment extra (USD 15 a dive). Prices include GST; valid for arrivals until 30 Aug 2027. Read 10 Nov 2026.
Single dives and add-ons
Kandolhu Island dive centre (North Ari): USD 70 a dive (about €63)
Per single dive (6-9 dives $65, 10+ $60); includes 10 L tank and weights only. Boat fee extra: $15 single dive, $28 two-tank dive. Equipment $25 per dive. All subject to 10% service charge and 8% GST. Undated price list hosted by a UK tour operator.
Older price list, not used to compare: Undated list that quotes 8% GST, so probably several years old.
Prices checked 8 November 2026; park fees and equipment often extra.
Non-divers: snorkeling from the shore and by boat
Many Ari resorts have house reefs that suit snorkelers straight from the beach, and boat excursions in South Ari's marine protected area let snorkelers swim with whale sharks, which are seen all year and most often from August to November.
Latest news for Ari Atoll
Checked
In March and June 2026 Maldivian authorities tightened rules in the South Ari Marine Protected Area, banning motorised water sports, requiring vessel registration, propeller guards from 30 June and a 10-knot speed cap, with certified guides and ranger patrols. A tourist died on 1 April 2026 at Rangali Manta Point after being struck by a boat propeller, and police said the case was under investigation. A July 2026 Biosphere Expeditions report said Ari Atoll reefs escaped mass bleaching in 2025 but are recovering unevenly.
- RulesOngoingApplies to South Ari Atoll
Access to the SAMPA area restricted to registered vessels only
Raajje.mv
The Ministry of Environment announced on 20 June 2026 that only vessels registered online may enter the South Ari Marine Protected Area. Registered vessels must fly an issued flag, notify rangers and share live location; jet skis are banned and diving, snorkelling and speedboat vessels needed propeller guards by the end of June 2026.
Also reported by Hotelier Maldives
- RulesOngoing
SAMPA Introduces Vessel Registration and Stricter Whale Shark Tourism Rules
MV+
In June 2026 the environment ministry detailed South Ari Marine Protected Area rules: vessels must register with the Environmental Regulatory Authority, propeller guards are mandatory from 30 June, and speed is capped at 10 knots. Guides must be certified rescue divers who pass an assessment, with up to six visitors each, and rangers patrol the protected zone.
- RulesOngoing
Motorised water sports banned in South Ari Marine Protected Area
Hotelier Maldives
In March 2026 the Maldives authorities amended the South Ari Marine Protected Area rules, banning jet skis and similar motorised water sports and requiring propeller guards on boats by 30 June. Dive and snorkel vessels in the contact zone must show official flags, and the 15-minute group limit no longer applies when no other group is waiting.
- ConservationOngoing
Ministry Expands SAMPA Oversight To Protect Tourists And Endangered Whale Sharks
MV+
In November 2025 the Ministry of Tourism and Environment said that since February 2025 only guides holding the SAMPA Guide Certificate may take tourists into the South Ari Marine Protected Area, with 440 people having passed the exam. It also created a SAMPA Ranger Service and cited ministry data that about 70 percent of resident whale sharks carry vessel-contact injuries.
- RulesOngoingApplies to South Ari Atoll
SAMPA Sees Stronger Oversight Amid Rising Tourist Activity
Corporate Maldives
The Ministry of Tourism and Environment said tourists may enter the South Ari Marine Protected Area only under certified guides, a rule that took effect in February 2026. More than 530 people joined the training programme and 440 passed the certification exam.
- Conservation
Maldives reefs under threat, Biosphere Expeditions report confirms
Biosphere Expeditions
A report released on 30 July 2026, based on October 2025 monitoring in Ari, South Male and Vaavu atolls, says the Maldives escaped mass coral bleaching in 2025 after severe heat stress in 2024. It describes recovery as highly uneven, with inner lagoon reefs slower to recover than cooler outer slopes.
- Safety
Death in SAMPA: propeller guards mandated, none installed
Maldives Independent
A foreign tourist died on 1 April 2026 at Rangali Manta Point in the South Ari Marine Protected Area after being caught by the propeller of a reversing dive boat; police said the case was under investigation. The Maldives Independent reported that the protected area's management plan requires propeller guards on dive and snorkel speedboats (deadline extended to 1 February 2026) and that almost no vessels had them, with a ranger saying enforcement was relaxed.
Also reported by The Standard
- Conservation
Marine protection modernisation project launched at SAMPA
MMTV
In February 2026 the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, IUCN and Huawei launched a Tech for Nature project for the South Ari Marine Protected Area, the first such project in the Maldives. It provides rangers with digital monitoring and reporting tools and training, and includes a baseline assessment of current management.
Summaries are ours, written from the linked reports.
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