Fuvahmulah (Tiger Harbour)

Pelagic plateau / Shark encounter

Depth: 5–40 mLevel: Open Water for the tiger shark site; advanced for the deep plateausAll year round; operators point to mid-February as a good time

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Fuvahmulah is a unique island-atoll: it has no lagoon and no surrounding reef, so the drop into the open ocean begins right at the shore. Tiger Harbour, the horseshoe-shaped plateau at the harbour mouth, is dived between 5 and 10 m and is the site that has made the island famous for its tiger shark encounters. Beyond it, the plateaus and ledges to the south and east run to 40 m or more before falling away, with thresher shark cleaning stations and a constant passage of pelagics.

Depth

5–40 m

Recommended level

Open Water for the tiger shark site; advanced for the deep plateaus

Current

Variable; strong and with vertical components on the deep plateaus

UNESCO designation

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Did you know?

The tiger shark aggregation came about unintentionally: local fishermen have spent decades dumping fish scraps near the harbour, and the animals learned to patrol the area. The tiger shark dive is shallow, which allows long bottom times; the deep plateaus, by contrast, are among the most demanding in the Maldives because of the upcurrents and downcurrents.

Sources consulted: divessi.com · Divernet · Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah · Liquid Shark Divers · Extreme Dive Fuvahmulah