Muck Diving in the Maldives

They say that you can’t have your cake and eat it, but maybe ‘they’ haven’t been to the Maldives yet. In the Maldives, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: you can holiday on a desert island and enjoy the creature comforts of some of the world’s most opulent hotels. Below the surface of the surrounding Indian Ocean, you can enjoy fast drifts along the outer walls with a plethora of pelagic zones and also pootle about the inner lagoons, checking out the best muck diving in the Maldives. While it's famed for its as-good-as-guaranteed manta ray and whale shark encounters, the Maldives throws up a pre-holiday conundrum for its visiting underwater photographers: how can I fit both my wide-angle and my macro setups into my luggage?

One of the myriad reasons we love the Maldives is the ability to enjoy adrenaline-inducing morning drifts surrounded by large sharks and rays, followed by a relaxing muck-dive among the coral bommies of the inner lagoons looking for critters and bite-sized beasties in the afternoon. With luxurious living, be that in a palatial hotel or aboard a lavish liveaboard, and world-class diving, we can help you plan your dream itinerary to take in both the best pelagic and muck diving in the Maldives.

The Northern Atolls

The northern atolls of the Maldives provide the perfect blend of mantas and muck diving. In the Maldives, you are never too far away from a passing manta ray, and a stay on Baa Atoll, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, puts you in the ideal location to enjoy the mantas of Hanifaru Bay and its inner lagoon sites, as well as those on neighbouring Raa Atoll. The inner reefs of Raa Atoll are less visited than other areas and are free from strong currents, allowing you to take your time peering into cracks and crevices, and scouring the sand for nudibranchs and mantis shrimp.

The Southern Atolls

To the south of Male, Laamu Atoll also offers divers the chance to mix the macro with the micro. Laamu Atoll's central lagoon is relatively free from the currents that sweep along its outer walls, and a dive here allows you to take your time seeking out ornate ghost pipefish, frogfish and nudibranchs. The entrances to the channels into the lagoon offer the chance to enjoy the currents with sharks and majestic mantas, while the inner reefs offer some of the best muck diving in the Maldives; Laamu is a great choice for those looking to have their cake and eat it...

Itineraries

Best for: Couples, Honeymoons, Families and Solo Travellers

Sailing the Maldives’ Central and Northern Atolls

On this nine-day itinerary experience the North and South Ari Atolls on the Four Seasons Explorer, dipping into different turquoise lagoons, diving...