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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.

match

Strong fit for February

26°C+

Medium confidenceLiveaboard or day boat

Strength: Water 28°C in February
Strength: 3 of 3 sites are in season in February
Strength: Calm seas on almost every day

Pack a 3 mm wetsuit for February.

Why this match: 39 + 26 + 20 + 11 = 96

Season39 / 40: 3 of 3 sites are in season in February; calm on almost every day.
Water26 / 27: Average 28°C; your minimum is 26°C. Pack a 3 mm wetsuit.
Your level20 / 20: No level picked, so all 3 sites count.
Weather11 / 13: Rain on about 1 day in 3; no real storm risk.

Compare with other places in February

Month by month

Season: best November to April. Marine life uses the same scale (Best = reliable, Good = likely, Possible = possible, Off = not seen; ? = we don't know yet). Water and rain are 1991–2020 averages.

Ari Atoll by month: season, marine life, water temperature, rain days and storm chance
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	January: Likely	February: Likely	March: Likely	April: Likely	May: Likely	June: Likely	July: Likely	August: Likely	September: Likely	October: Likely	November: Likely	December: Likely
Whale sharks	January: Likely	February: Likely	March: Likely	April: Likely	May: Likely	June: Likely	July: Likely	August: Likely	September: Likely	October: Likely	November: Likely	December: Likely
Hammerheads	January: Possible	February: Possible	March: Possible	April: Possible	May: Possible	June: Possible	July: Possible	August: Possible	September: Possible	October: Possible	November: Possible	December: Possible
Reef sharks	January: Reliable	February: Reliable	March: Reliable	April: Reliable	May: Reliable	June: Reliable	July: Reliable	August: Reliable	September: Reliable	October: Reliable	November: Reliable	December: Reliable
Turtles	January: Likely	February: Likely	March: Likely	April: Likely	May: Likely	June: Likely	July: Likely	August: Likely	September: Likely	October: Likely	November: Likely	December: Likely
Dolphins	January: Likely	February: Likely	March: Likely	April: Likely	May: Likely	June: Likely	July: Likely	August: Likely	September: Likely	October: Likely	November: Likely	December: Likely
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	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Rain days: days with 1 mm or more in the ERA5 grid cell (about 30 km across); over tropical seas it counts more light-rain days than a local rain gauge would. Calm days: waves under 1.5 m and wind under 25 km/h. Storm risk: share of years with a named storm within 250 km that month (– means under 5%).

Dive sites here

3 sites on Divetip. Today's Dive scores are for reference only: live scores cover the next 48 hours, not your trip month.

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

No current published price for a day of diving

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.

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 as published by each operator (a few by a named booking agent), read on 8 November 2026. Euro amounts at the ECB reference rate of 6 November 2026. Park fees, permits and equipment are often extra. Prices change, so check with the operator before you book.

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.

Sources: travel.padi.com, visitmaldives.com

Book your Ari Atoll trip

Partner links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Partners never change the ranking.

Where this comes from

Water temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 daily sea surface temperature, 1991–2020.
Storms: NOAA IBTrACS tracks, 1991–2020. Rain, waves and wind: ERA5 reanalysis, 1991–2020. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
Coral heat stress: Bleaching Watch (The water is warmer than its usual warmest month, NOAA's lowest heat-stress level. Satellite data, highest level in the 7 days to 7 November 2026.) Coral bleaching: NOAA Coral Reef Watch daily 5 km Bleaching Alert Area (7-day maximum), checked twice a day.
Seasons by site: our dive site pages. Getting there: transfer source.

Marine life sources (6 species)

Mantas: visitmaldives.com, sharkrayareas.org, dive-the-world.com
Whale sharks: maldiveswhalesharkresearch.org, atolls.visitmaldives.com, dive-the-world.com
Hammerheads: dive-the-world.com, maldives-magazine.com, dive-the-world.com
Reef sharks: sharkrayareas.org, atolls.visitmaldives.com
Turtles: atolls.visitmaldives.com, dive-the-world.com
Dolphins: journal.iwc.int, resortlife.travel

Typical values are 1991–2020 averages and our site seasons. Always check local conditions with your dive centre. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.

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