One of the biggest attractions of the Maldives to scuba divers and other holdiaymakers is the sheer quantity of fish found in the Maldives. There are thousands of types of fish in Maldives, from large pelagic species to small, reef-dwelling fish and everything in between. Indeed, the largest species of fish in the world, the whale shark, can be found living in the Maldives throughout the year, attracted by the immense amount of plankton that also inhabits the stunning waters of the Maldives. Of all the fish found in Maldives, the whale shark is probably the species that attracts the most visitors to the island nation.

Fish in the Maldives

Common Fish of the Maldives

It would be impossible to mention all the Maldives fish species in this article, so we’ll focus on the most common fish of the Maldives. To the scuba diver, the most frequently-spotted fish are the parrotfish, triggerfish, clownfish, sweetlips, wrasse and sharks.

Parrotfish in the Maldives

The parrotfish is a brightly coloured fish that is drawn to the Maldives’ coral reefs. The parrotfish is a common inhabitant of coral reefs throughout the tropical oceans and is one of the most popular fish in the Maldives thanks to its bright attractive colours and interesting markings.

Check out this breathtaking clip of a scuba diver amongst a huge wall of fish.

Triggerfish in the Maldives

The triggerfish is another of the most frequently seen marine fish in the Maldives and, just like the parrotfish, the Maldives trigger fish is colourful and fascinating to look at. There are several species of triggerfish in the Maldives, including the Titan triggerfish, which is commonly seen around the Madives islands. However, unlike the parrotfish, triggerfish are not the friendliest of marine life and can be extremely territorial, especially when guarding their eggs.

The Titan Triggerfish would seem to be the most aggressive variety of triggerfish and when feeling threatened by intruding scuba divers, they will respond by ramming the diver and sometimes even resorting to biting. They have powerful jaws and can reportedly bite chunks out of a diver’s suit or fins. If you see a triggerfish in the Maldives while scuba diving and the fish begins to approach you quickly, the best advice is to move away calmly and quickly in a horizontal line. In most cases, divers inadvertedly come too close to a Titan triggerfish’s nest and they stop their aggressive behaviour as soon as they are left alone.

Clownfish in the Maldives

Clown Fish

The colourful clownfish, made famous by the movie Finding Nemo, is another favourite Maldives fish among scuba divers and is one of the most common types of fish in Maldives. The bright orange and white fish is also known as an anemone fish because of its symbiotic relationships with sea anemones and there are plenty of varieties of this fish in the Maldives.

Generally speaking, the clownfish is a friendly, harmless fish, but can become quite protective around sea anemones, even occasionally biting people. This is most likely to happen to people who are trying to capture the clownfish for their aquariums – the only real threat to the clownfish population.

Sweetlips in the Maldives

At many dive sites in the Maldives, you are likely to come across massive schools of sweetlips fish around the Maldives reef. The most common variety of sweetlips in the Maldives are the oriental sweetlips, characterised by blue/black and white stripes along its body and yellow facial markings. When swimming in a school, these Maldives marine fish make a simply breathtaking sight. One of the best dive sites in the Maldives for spotting oriental sweetlips is the Manta Point in North Male Atoll where divers are also likely to enccounter bullseye fish, napoleon wrasse and manta rays.

Wrasse in the Maldives

Napoleon Wrasse

There are many different species of wrasse in the world, and several species are present in the Maldives. The most common pelagic fish in the Maldives is the napoleon wrasse which can be found at many different Maldives dive sites and is quite an impressive looking Maldives fish. The napoleon wrasse, which is also known as the humphead or maori wrasse, can reach the enormous size of 2.5 metres (6 feet) and is generally blue/green in colour with some spots and interesting markings.

The size of the napoleon wrasse is often under-appreciated and until you see one of these impressive Maldives marine fish in person, or see a photo or video of a napoleon wrasse alongside a human, it is difficult to appreciate how large they actually are.

Sharks in the Maldives

There are many different types of sharks in the Maldives which make it a very attractive scuba diving destination, especially since the types of sharks in the Maldives are generally considered to be non-agressive. For scuba divers, the most commonly sighted sharks in the Maldives are the grey reef shark and white tip reef shark.

The whale shark, the largest fish in the world, is another special fish found in Maldives and is seen on the surface, making it a popular sight among both scuba divers and snorkelers. You can find out more about sharks in the Maldives at www.maldivesdivetravel.com.

List of Fish in Maldives

It’s difficult to find a comprehensive list of fish in Maldives because there are simply so many. Nevertheless, there are books available and you will find key information about the most common types of fish in the Maldives on the many scuba diving and Maldives-related websites. The best way to get a feel for the varieties of Maldives marine fish is to look at pictures and information about reef fish in Maldives.

By watching plenty of videos before you book your diving holiday in the Maldives, you’ll begin to get excited about the kind of things you can expect to see underwater here and if its a diving destination that interests you. For most scuba divers, the Maldives represents the ultimate diving destination thanks to the stunning coral reef formations, and seemingly endless types of fish in the Maldives.

Busy Fish Life in Maldives

Conserving the Fish of the Maldives

All the types of fish in Maldives are in some way threatened. While most of them are not on any endangered species list, with the exception of the sharks, there are significant threats to their habitat and subsequent existence. Growing concerns over climate change and increasing water temperatures, the Maldives’ coral reefs, home to many of the fish of the Maldives are under more pressures every day. There are many conservation projects underway in the Maldives to protect not only different Maldives marine life species, but also the coral reef itself.

When in the Maldives, you will most likely come into contact with people working on initiatives to protect the coral reef and keep the Maldives fish’ habitat clean and safe. Clean-up dives are often offered to tourists and there are always plenty of opportunities to get involved and volunteer. So, why not make you next trip to the Maldives a truly unforgettable experience by giving something back to the ocean and the many fish around the Maldives.

Magnificent Maldives Dive Trip with Whale Shark Biologists!

Unique safari departs August 30th – 14-night trip $2,590 per person (includes fuel surcharge and marine biologist fee)

Upon arrival in the Maldivian capital Male (the most densely populated piece of land on the planet) the crew will meet and transfer you to your home, away from the hustle and bustle of life, for the next two weeks – The Black Pearl. There you’ll meet the rest of your Maldivian crew and the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) marine biologists.

Whale Shark Research Biologists will be Present on the Cruise

After chilling out and settling in, no time will be wasted in getting you in the water! An orientation dive will take place in North Male before you begin your journey north, through the idyllic coral chain of islands to Baa Atoll.

Reserve your space on this one-of-a-kind cruise today!

During the evening, the MWSRP biologists will formally introduce themselves and deliver a presentation about the organisation’s work and provide a short briefing about animal encounter conduct. The next day your dives will begin! Rasfaree Outside and Voshimas Thila, where grey reef sharks, green and hawksbill turtles and other wonders of the ocean will be awaiting you in the warm crystal clear tropical water. afternoon will bring the channel crossing to Baa Atoll – drawing you ever closer to some of the most extraordinary dive sites in the world.

Explore the Stunning Coral Reefs of the Baa Atoll

Gather Incredible Knowledge from Marine Biologists

During evenings onboard the Black Pearl, the marine biologists will discuss with you the importance of the precious ecosystem through interactive presentations and conversations. You will also be given the opportunity to become involved in the research – taking photographs, monitoring behaviour and distuinguishing features, measuring animals (where possible), sexing, logging GPS coordinates, etc – and recording all of the data in one of the most comprehensive whale shark databases in the world. You’ll be introduced to and given the chance to use I3S, the spot pattern recognition software, originally developed by NASA and used to identify whale sharks and manta rays through their unique spot patterns. The biologists will be with you 24/7 giving you every opportunity to gain answers to those questions you have always wanted to ask.

The Black Pearl is the Perfect Liveaboard for a Dive Safari in the Maldives

Reserve your space on this one-of-a-kind cruise today!

Your dive locations will vary depending on wind and weather conditions. Please see the list of sites below for the scheduled dive sites. However, nothing is set in stone. If you particularly like a certain spot we may stay for another dive… or two.

Experience the Magic of Hanifaru Bay!

For example, Hanifaru! The lagoon is a natural phenomenon where you will almost certainly want to stay. Arrival will be scheduled for the best tide times to ensure the best chance of witnessing the manta ray feeding frenzy at is climax.

Dive Sites: Anga Faru, Dhigali Haa, Rangali Faru, 12.5 Thila, Maavaru Kandu, Muthaafushi House Reef (Night Dive ), Dharavandhoo thila, Milaidhoo Outside, Blue hole, Dhe Gaa Thila, Neli Varu, Don Fan thila, Blue Hole, Cake, Outside Reef, Udoodhoo West, Ranfaru, Hurualhi Corner, Kihaa Rock, Vadhoo Corner, Kihaadhoo Thila, Aidhoo Channel, Iru caves,…

Dive with Grey Reef Sharks in the Baa Atoll

Day 13: Unfortunately, is the beginning of the end of your experience with the Black Pearl crew and MWSRP. The channel crossing voyage will begin… but don’t worry! You’ll sneak one last dive in at Lankan Manta point, where chances are you’ll get one last ‘manta ray fix’ before departing the incredible environment of the Republic of Maldives.

Reserve your space on this one-of-a-kind cruise today!

Day 14: Your crew will transfer you to Male airport for your departure where you can dream of your unforgettable experience over the past two-week experience.

Maldives Whale Shark Trips – Summer 2010

Is swimming with whale sharks something you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the chance?  Have you seen whale sharks in the wild before while scuba diving/snorkeling, but you’re dying for another opportunity to swim with them?  Now is your chance!  Maldives Dive  Travel is offering a wide selection of whale shark safaris this summer, so there’s bound to be one to suit your schedule and budget.  The following scuba diving safaris all depart from the city of Male, the capital of the Maldives.  Prices include accommodation, meals and diving.

Whale Shark Trips with Maldives Dive Travel in 2010

Maldives Whale Shark Dive Trips 2010

• Stingray : August 17 – 24.  7 nights. USD $1,176
  Baa Atoll / Hanifaru
• Black Pearl: August 30 – September 13.  14  nights.  USD $2,590.
  Hanifaru Whale Shark / Manta Ray safari with Marine Biologist on board
• Black Pearl: September 13 – 20.  7 nights.  USD $1,295.
  Mamingili Beyru Whale Shark Safari with Marine Biologist on board
• Stingray: September 15 – 22.  7 nights. USD  $1,176.
  Baa Atoll, Hanifaru
• Theia: August 2 – 9. 7 nights. USD  $1,344.
  Baa Atoll, Hanifaru, Ari  and North Male Atoll
• Theia: August 9-16. 7 nights. USD $1,344.
  Baa Atoll Hanifaru, Ari  and North Male Atoll
• Theia: August 16-23, 7 nights. USD $1,344
  Baa Atoll Hanifaru, Ari  and North Male Atoll
• Theia: August 23-30. 7 nights, USD $1,344
  Baa Atoll Hanifaru, Ari  and North Male Atoll
• Theia: August 30 – September 6. 7 nights. USD $1,344
  Baa Atoll Hanifaru, Ari  and North Male Atoll
• MV Orion: September 3 – 13,  10 nights USD $1,990
  Baa Atoll Hanifaru, Ari  and North Male Atoll
• Theia: September 6-13. 7 nights, USD 1.344
  Baa Atoll Hanifaru, Ari  and North Male Atoll

All cruises on Theia are subject to the following surcharges on board: USD $8 p.p./p.n. obligatory Maldivian tourism tax + USD $14.50  fuel surcharge per person per night.

Please Note (valid for all boats):
Travelling to Baa Atoll and back requires adequate weather conditions and is subject to change. Prices are per person, per cruise in a standard cabin full board accommodation inclusive all dives.  On many of the boats, upgrades to other cabins are available at a cost.

Enjoy a New Year Cruise on Theia Liveaboard

This year, bring in the New Year in the Maldives on the scuba diving holiday of a lifetime on Theia liveaboard.  This unique scuba diving trip will combine world-class scuba diving with a great party atmosphere on the most luxurious and stylish dive vessels in the Maldives.

Places are limited on this special New Year’s cruise so book your place today!

New Year's Eve Dive Party on Theia

New Year Dive Holiday: December 27 2010 – 8 January 2011

Places are limited on this special New Year’s cruise so book your place today!

The Theia 12-night “Dive ‘n’ Party” Cruise kicks off on December 27 and lasts until January 8th, giving you the perfect winter getaway and great New Year’s Eve party in paradise.  Expect an incredible dive holiday with delicious cocktails at sunset with the best chill music and then, after dark each night, be prepared to party with sounds of Ibiza and best in house music.  The provisional schedule of events for the dive safari is as follows: (This is subject to change.)

Enjoy the Island Paradise of the Maldives on the New Years Cruise on Theia

Theia New Year Cruise: December 27

Arrive and check-in on Theia.  Theia departs for the North Male Atoll and guests enjoy lunch on-board followed by some snorkeling, a general briefing about the safari and have the opportunity to get to know each other over some sundowner cocktails at Theia’s Sky Bar.

The Skybar on Theia is Great for Sundowners!

Theia New Year Cruise: December 28

Guests begin the day with the orientation dive, which allows the staff to acquaint themselves with everyone’s diving ability and allows guests who have not dived for a while to refresh their skills.  The dives will take place at Nassimo Thila and Manta Point dive sites.  The evening will play host to a Poker Night on board.

Theia New Year Cruise: December 29

Dives on the third day of the cruise will take place at HP Reef, widely considered to be one of the very best dive sites in the Maldives – a great place for spotting eagle rays and Lankan Manta Point, a cleaning station for many enormous manta rays.  After a day of great diving, guests will enjoy some relaxing sundowner cocktails to the sounds of great house music.

Diving with Manta Rays at Lankan Manta Point

Theia New Year Cruise: December 30

On December 30, the New Year Theia liveaboard cruise will move to the South Male Atoll after first completing a dive at the amazing Okobe Thila, where you are likely to see eagle rays, napoleon wrasse, and schools of smaller reef-dwelling fish.  Once in the South Male Atoll, divers will enjoy an afternoon dive at Kandooma Thila and then in the evening will play a great Fishing Game, before getting a good nights’ rest before the highlight of the cruise, tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve party!

Theia Liveaboard is the Maldives' Most Luxurious Dive Boat

Theia New Year Cruise: December 31

Before beginning the New Year’s Eve celebration, Theia will stop off for a morning dive at Guraidhoo Corner, a great place for spotting grey reef sharks and eagle rays.  Then, the boat heads to Maadhoofinolhu, where the New Year’s Eve celebrations will begin with a beach buffet and relaxing on the beach all afternoon.  Later, pre-dinner cocktails and chill-out music before a stunning New Year’s Eve dinner on the beach and beach party.  Dress code: white.

Grey Reef Sharks at Guraidhoo Corner Dive Site

Theia New Year Cruise: January 1

Happy New Year!  After an amazing New Year’s Eve party under the stars, it’s time to get back to the water.  Theia will begin traveling to the South Ari Atoll and along the way will search for whale sharks, one of the prime attractions of the Maldives.  The dives today will be held at Kudarah Thila.  In the evening, guests will enjoy a Black-themed evening with Sangria and a crab race, a quirky event that is often the highlight of a Maldives’ dive holiday.

Whale Sharks in the Maldives

Theia New Year Cruise: January 2-4

Great scuba diving continues on January 2 with dives at 5 Rocks,  Thinfushi Ethere Thila and the cruise continues for the whale sharks.  The next two days will include dives at Broken Rock, Dhigurah Thila, Vilamendhoo Thila and Dhigaa Thila.  Guests will also enjoy a unique island visit to a secluded island where there will be a visit with a local community.  The evening on January 4 will include a Margarita party and a beach dinner on Raidhigaa Island.

Theia New Year Cruise: January 5-8

The last few days of the New Year’s Eve 2010 diving holiday on Theia liveaboard include some of the finest dive sites in the Maldives, including Pannettone, a wreck dive at Fesdhu and the legenday night dive at Maaya Thila, where grey reef sharks can be found prowling the reef for their evening meal.  A stunning daytime dive at Maaya Thila will also feature among the activities of the last few days as well as several dives at the manta ray cleaning station at Rangali Madivaru dive site.  The cruise ends on January 7th in Male with a shopping trip in Male and a visit to the historical sites in the city.

Ocean View Guest Suite on Theia

Theia New Year Cruise Package

This amazing New Year 2010 Dive Holiday on Theia includes the following:

• Total 24 dives
• All meals
• Island visit
• Beach Barbecue
• Sunset and Night Fishing
• Island visit
• Whale shark search
• Traditional music on Local Island with Maldivian Bodu Beru Band

All activities, dive sites and routes can change without prior notice.

The total cost for the USD $3,480 per person.

Places are limited on this special New Year’s cruise so book your place today!

Diving Videos from Hanifaru

To coincide with our newly announced Hanifaru Bay Scuba Safaris, the following are a number of videos taken by people scuba diving in Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll in the Maldives.  You will notice an incredible number of manta rays that gather here to feed on the masses of plankton.  The best time of year to see this spectacle is from July to September, so don’t miss out on our limited number of dive safaris.

Contact Maldives Dive Travel Today for More Information about Hanifaru!

Feeding Frenzy: Manta Rays in the Maldives from National Geographic

Save Our Seas – Manta Rays of the Maldives

Atoll Ecosystem Conservation Project (Maldives) Footage of Hanifaru Bay

Whale Sharks in the Maldives

Whale sharks, the largest fish in the world, can reach up to a massive 12 metres in length, and are common in the Maldives.  Historically, they were only to be found in the Maldives during the southwest monsoon season, but now, due to several changes in the environment including higher water temperatures and increased levels of plankton, whale sharks can be found swimming around the Maldives and in particular, the Ari and Baa Atolls throughout the year.

Maldives Whale Shark Encounters

Generally speaking, whale sharks are not spotted while scuba diving.  Instead, the dive boat, or liveaboard, will travel around an area known for whale sharks looking for signs of the sharks lurking underwater.  Meanwhile, the divers are ready in their snorkel – not scuba – equipment and once the whale shark is located, they jump into the water with their snorkel gear on, and swim with the whale shark.  Despite their massive size, whale sharks are very peaceful, curious creatures that present no real threat to humans.

Best Place to Find a Whale Shark in the Maldives

Whale sharks move around the islands of the Maldives depending on the season. In the drier, northwest monsoon season, which lasts from May to December, Whale Sharks are generally seen around the islands on the western side of the Maldives, whereas in the southeast monsoon season – the rainier of the two seasons – which lasts from December to April, the best whale shark spotting opportunities are found around the eastern side of the Maldives.

You don’t have to be a Scuba Diver to Swim with a Whale Shark!

The great thing about whale sharks is you don’t have to be a certified scuba diver to enjoy a whale shark encounter.  Anyone of any age can jump in and snorkel around with these amazing creatures.  The only requirement, of course, is that you can swim.  This is great news for non-divers enjoying a liveaboard holiday in the Maldives.

South West Monsoon Explained

One of the most commonly asked question by every diver, snorkeler or visitor to Maldives is “what’s the best time to dive”? Simple put diving in Maldives can be done throughout the year. The dry season is the peak months to dive in the Maldives and this could be a getaway from the cold winter period, while during the wet season despite the rain and tropical storms and choppy seas diving can be done on both side of the atoll.

Maldives is located in Indian Ocean and experiences monsoonal climate. Maldives has two distinctive season; Iruvai the dry season (North West Monsoon) from January to April and is generally considered the best months for diving.

Hulahngu the wet season (South West Monsoon) from May to November can be unstable weather with tropical thunder storms, gusty wind, and rough seas. The wet season prolong until December and late December bringing the dry season’s transitional weather.

South West Monsoon Visibility and Current

Many divers prefer the south west monsoon months for diving because of larger fish such as Manta Rays and Whale Sharks that frequent to feed on Plankton.
During these months the current flow remains unstable and it flows both in and out of the atolls and channel bringing poor visibility and planktons to the eastern side. However on the western side of the atoll the visibility is clear with incoming current.

South West Monsoon Fish Life

While north east monsoon dominate the peak months to dive on the eastern side of the atolls offering spectacular drift dives, sharks, and specially the channel dives, the south west monsoon offers channel diving on the western side and gives the opportunity to see lager fish too.

During south west monsoon due to the flow of current Manta rays and Whale sharks are common on the eastern side.

Prime dive sites in North Male’ atoll during the south west monsoon include: Lanka Manta Point, Sunlight Thila are top dive sites for Manta Rays. In BAA atoll; Nelivaru Thila, Nelivaru Haa and Hanifaru Bay is considered as Manta Points while Hanifaru bring the opportunity to see both Whale Shark and Manta and keeping the cleaning station busy at times.

During the South West Monsoon, the dive sites on the western side are well accessible if the seas remain calm. These include; Kalhahandhi Kandu ( Panettone), Thundufushi Thila and Gangehi Kandu.

New Marine Scantuaries

A manta ray channels plankton-rich water through its mouth near Hanifaru, one of the Indian Ocean islands that make up the Maldives, in an undated photo.

Hundreds of giant fish converge in Hanifaru Bay from May through November, when the lunar tide sucks krill and plankton to the surface, giving rays an all-you-can-eat buffet.

In June 2009 the Maldives created three new marine protected areas that include Hanifaru and other crucial feeding areas for mantas and whale sharks, the world’s largest fish.

Fishing, boat speeds, and waste disposal will be regulated. The new sanctuaries, however, will allow some diving and snorkeling-a healthy tourist trade may provide alternative livelihoods for fishers, experts say.

(Manta Ray)

“The government is committed to protecting and preserving the Maldives’ exceptional biodiversity,” Maldives Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam said in a statement.

“The marine environment is the bedrock of our economy, supporting our largest industries, tourism and fisheries.”Roughly 40-foot-long (12.2-meter-long) long, plankton-hungry whale sharks also show up for the Hanifaru Bay feeding frenzy and stand to benefit from the June 2009 designation of three new marine refuges in the Maldives.

At least 120 of the shipping container-size sharks live in the ocean around the Maldives, one of the few places in the world where the gentle giants can be found year-round.