Maaya Thila
A round undersea reef in North Ari, regarded as the Maldives' best night-dive site, surrounded by whitetip reef sharks, turtles, eagle rays and large schools of fish.
Maaya Thila is an undersea reef (thila) about 80 metres in diameter, with its top 6 to 10 metres below the surface, located within a marine protected area. During the day you can see grey reef sharks, whitetip sharks, turtles, batfish and soft corals. On night dives, reef sharks and jacks hunt in the lights, while moray eels and octopuses come out, making a thrilling spectacle. Currents can be strong, so some diving experience is required. Dives usually depart from resort islands in North Ari or from dive shops on resident islands such as Ukulhas and Rasdhoo, at about USD 60–120 per dive.
Opening hours
Dive boats depart by day and at night
Nearby sights
- Halaveli Wreck
- Ukulhas
- Mathiveri
- Fish Head (Mushimasmingili Thila)
- Kuramathi
- Rasdhoo
- Ari Atoll
- Hangnaameedhoo