At a glance
| At a glance | In the Maldives |
|---|---|
| Seen most | Grey reef, whitetip reef, blacktip reef and nurse sharks |
| Famous sites | Fish Head and Maaya Thila in North Ari, Kandooma Thila in South Malé, the channels of Vaavu |
| Fuvahmulah | Tiger sharks, and hammerheads in some months |
| Protection | Reef sharks are protected from fishing |
Which sharks you will see
Grey reef sharks patrol the edges of reefs and channels, sometimes in large groups. Whitetip reef sharks rest in caves and under ledges by day and hunt at night. Blacktip reef sharks are often seen in the shallows close to the beach, and nurse sharks at shallow sites such as Alimatha. Silvertips and scalloped hammerheads appear at some channels.
Famous sites
- Fish Head (Mushimasmingili Thila), North Ari: grey reef sharks around the pinnacle, protected since 1995.
- Maaya Thila, North Ari: whitetips, at their most active on night dives, protected since 1995.
- Kandooma Thila, South Malé: grey reef sharks, for experienced divers.
- Miyaru Kandu and Fotteyo, Vaavu: channels with strong currents. Alimatha, nearby, is shallower, with nurse sharks.
Fuvahmulah
Fuvahmulah, in the far south, is known for the largest gathering of tiger sharks yet studied: more than 230 have been identified there, most of them female. Scalloped hammerheads pass in some months, and rare thresher sharks visit cleaning stations in deep water, beyond the depths recreational divers may reach.
Diving safely
- Dive with a licensed operator and trained guides.
- Never approach a shark; watch from a distance, as your guide directs.
- Channel sites can have strong currents and suit experienced divers.
- Do not feed sharks: the government asks divers and the tourism industry not to.
- Recreational diving is limited to 30 metres.
Protection
The Maldives banned shark fishing in 2010. Since November 2025, a small licensed fishery for one deep-water species, the gulper shark, has reopened; no other shark may be targeted, so the reef sharks you dive with stay protected from fishing.